University learnersDesign and critiqueExample · 4 steps · 8 min

Design a Stronger Experiment

Find the weak spot in a study plan, fix how groups are formed, catch a measurement bias and decide how far the result reaches.

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Where does the first serious bias enter this study?

At recruitment: 120 students are too few for any study.At group formation: keen students may pick the quiz.During the 6 weeks: the quiz takes too much time.

About this activity

What you practise: Locating validity threats in a study plan, fixing each at the right stage and keeping claims within what the design supports.

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Where does the first serious bias enter this study? Study plan in four stages: 120 students from one statistics course are recruited; each student chooses whether to take a 10-minute quiz after every lecture; the quiz runs for 6 weeks; the final exam is graded by the lecturer. When students choose their own group, the quiz group may be more motivated from the start. Any later difference could come from that, not from the quiz.