Rúbricas y feedback en clase en un curso con contenido estadístico en educación superior

INTRODUCCIÓ: Amb aquest estudi es va analitzar la influència de dos tipus de feedback (a través de rúbriques i a classe) sobre el rendiment acadèmic en una assignatura amb contingut estadístic. També es va examinar l’opinió dels estudiants sobre la utilitat d’aquests dos tipus de feedback. MÈTODE: Després de validar les rúbriques amb una mostra de 100 estudiants, es va utilitzar una altra mostra de 135 estudiants per a l’objectiu principal de l’estudi. Les mostres estaven formades per estudiants de Dissenys de Recerca del grau de Psicologia de la Universitat de Barcelona. RESULTATS: La majoria d’estudiants va valorar positivament la utilitat dels dos tipus de feedback. No es van observar diferències en el rendiment acadèmic entre els estudiants que van utilitzar les rúbriques, els que van assistir a les classes de feedback i els que van utilitzar els dos tipus de feedback. No obstant això, es va observar una associació positiva entre la freqüència d’assistència a les classes de feedback i el rendiment. Finalment, els estudiants que van percebre que l’ús de les rúbriques o de les classes de feedback ajudaven a reduir la seva ansietat davant els exàmens van obtenir millors notes. DISCUSSIÓ: Aquest estudi mostra que els processos d’ensenyament amb feedback poden portar els estudiants a tenir una visió més favorable del seu aprenentatge, especialment quan el feedback es dona a classe de manera personalitzada.INTRODUCTION: This study analyzed the influence of two types of feedback (via rubrics and in-class) on students’ academic achievement in a higher education course with statistical content. Students’ views regarding the usefulness of these types of feedback were also examined. METHODS: After validating the rubrics in a sample of 100 students, a sample of 135 students was used to address the main objective of the study. The samples comprised undergraduates from the University of Barcelona who were taking a course called Research Designs as part of the Universiy of Barcelona’s Degree in Psychology. RESULTS: The majority of students regarded both types of feedback as being useful. Academic achievement did not differ according to whether students used rubrics, attended feedback classes, or made use of both types of feedback. However, there was a positive association between the frequency of attendance at feedback classes and academic performance. Finally, the students who reported feeling less anxious about exams as a result of using rubrics or attending feedback classes obtained better exam grades. DISCUSSION: This study shows that teaching approaches which include feedback may lead students to have a more favourable view of their learning, especially when the feedback is more personalized and given in class.INTRODUCCIÓN: Este estudio analiza la influencia de dos tipos de feedback (a través de rúbricas y en clase) sobre el rendimiento académico en una asignatura con contenido estadístico. También se examinó la opinión de los estudiantes sobre su utilidad. MÉTODO: Después de validar las rúbricas con una muestra de 100 estudiantes, se utilizó otra muestra de 135 estudiantes para el objetivo principal del estudio. Las muestras estaban formadas por estudiantes de Diseños de Investigación del grado de Psicología de la Universidad de Barcelona. RESULTADOS: La mayoría de estudiantes valoró positivamente la utilidad de ambos tipos de feedback. No se observaron diferencias en el rendimiento académico entre los estudiantes que utilizaron las rúbricas, los que asistieron a las clases de feedback y los que usaron ambos tipos de feedback. Sin embargo, se observó una asociación positiva entre la frecuencia de asistencia a las clases de feedback y el rendimiento. Finalmente, los estudiantes que percibieron que el uso de las rúbricas o las clases de feedback ayudaban a reducir su ansiedad ante los exámenes obtuvieron mejores notas. DISCUSIÓN: Este estudio muestra que los procesos de enseñanza que incluyen feedback pueden llevar a los estudiantes a tener una visión más favorable de su aprendizaje, especialmente cuando el feedback se da de manera más personalizada, en clase

Current Practices in Data Analysis Procedures in Psychology: What Has Changed?

This paper analyzes current practices in psychology in the use of research methods and data analysis procedures (DAP) and aims to determine whether researchers are now using more sophisticated and advanced DAP than were employed previously. We reviewed empirical research published recently in prominent journals from the USA and Europe corresponding to the main psychological categories of Journal Citation Reports and examined research methods, number of studies, number and type of DAP, and statistical package. The 288 papers reviewed used 663 different DAP. Experimental and correlational studies were the most prevalent, depending on the specific field of psychology. Two-thirds of the papers reported a single study, although those in journals with an experimental focus typically described more. The papers mainly used parametric tests for comparison and statistical techniques for analyzing relationships among variables. Regarding the former, the most frequently used procedure was ANOVA, with mixed factorial ANOVA being the most prevalent. A decline in the use of non-parametric analysis was observed in relation to previous research. Relationships among variables were most commonly examined using regression models, with hierarchical regression and mediation analysis being the most prevalent procedures. There was also a decline in the use of stepwise regression and an increase in the use of structural equation modeling, confirmatory factor analysis, and hierarchical linear modeling. Overall, the results show that recent empirical studies published in journals belonging to the main areas of psychology are employing more varied and advanced statistical techniques of greater computational complexity

Academic anxieties: Which factor contributes the most to low academic achievement in methodological courses?

Students' academic achievement in courses with a high mathematical content can be affected by their levels of trait, math and test anxiety. In this study, 180 university students were assessed on these types of anxiety and the relationships between them and students' performance were evaluated. Higher levels of math anxiety were related to a low academic achievement, but a high level of test anxiety was related only to an increase in the number of errors. Moreover, although women reported higher levels of trait, math and test anxiety than their male peers, their academic achievement was similar. We conclude that math anxiety is the main emotional factor that can affect students' performance in these courses and some proposals to help highly math-anxious students are discussed

Rubrics and in-class feedback on a higher education course with statistical content

INTRODUCTION: This study analyzed the influence of two types of feedback (via rubrics and in-class) on students' academic achievement in a higher education course with statistical content. Students' views regarding the usefulness of these types of feedback were also examined. METHODS: After validating the rubrics in a sample of 100 students, a sample of 135 students was used to address the main objective of the study. The samples comprised undergraduates from the University of Barcelona who were taking a course called Research Designs as part of the Universiy of Barcelona's Degree in Psychology. RESULTS: The majority of students regarded both types of feedback as being useful. Academic achievement did not differ according to whether students used rubrics, attended feedback classes, or made use of both types of feedback. However, there was a positive association between the frequency of attendance at feedback classes and academic performance. Finally, the students who reported feeling less anxious about exams as a result of using rubrics or attending feedback classes obtained better exam grades. DISCUSSION: This study shows that teaching approaches which include feedback may lead students to have a more favourable view of their learning, especially when the feedback is more personalized and given in class

Math anxiety and perfectionistic concerns in multiple-choice assessment

We examined the relationships between math anxiety, perfectionism, and academic achievement in undergraduates enrolled in a course with high mathematical content. Participants were 251 students who completed math anxiety and perfectionism questionnaires, and whose academic achievement was measured via a multiple-choice examination. The number of hits, errors, and unanswered questions on this examination were analyzed to explore the possible influence of math anxiety and perfectionism on students' performance. Results showed that highly math-anxious (HMA) students were more perfectionist than their low math anxious (LMA) peers, insofar as they were more concerned about making mistakes and had more doubts about their own actions. The HMA group also obtained worse grades than did their LMA counterparts, although this was because they left more questions unanswered, not because they made more mistakes. Analysis of the relationship between math anxiety and the number of unanswered questions revealed that concern over errors and doubts about actions played a mediating role in this relationship. In conclusion, HMA students' fear of making mistakes and doubts about their own actions are important factors influencing their performance in multiple-choice tests

Report quality of generalized linear mixed models in psychology: A systematic review

Generalized linear mixed models (GLMMs) estimate fixed and random effects and are especially useful when the dependent variable is binary, ordinal, count or quantitative but not normally distributed. They are also useful when the dependent variable involves repeated measures, since GLMMs can model autocorrelation. This study aimed to determine how and how often GLMMs are used in psychology and to summarize how the information about them is presented in published articles. Our focus in this respect was mainly on frequentist models. In order to review studies applying GLMMs in psychology we searched the Web of Science for articles published over the period 2014-2018. A total of 316 empirical articles were selected for trend study from 2014 to 2018. We then conducted a systematic review of 118 GLMM analyses from 80 empirical articles indexed in Journal Citation Reports during 2018 in order to evaluate report quality. Results showed that the use of GLMMs increased over time and that 86.4% of articles were published in first- or second-quartile journals. Although GLMMs have, in recent years, been increasingly used in psychology, most of the important information about them was not stated in the majority of articles. Report quality needs to be improved in line with current recommendations for the use of GLMMs

Rubrics use and in-class feedback in higher education: Students’ perceptions and their effect on academic achievement

[EN] This study examines students’ views regarding two types of feedback: that obtained through rubrics and that given by the class tutor (rubrics and in-class feedback, respectively). We constructed an ad hoc questionnaire to assess students’ perceived usefulness of both types of feedback. The sample comprised 135 undergraduates from the University of Barcelona who were enrolled in a Research Designs course as part of the degree in Psychology. On almost all the questionnaire items the percentage of positive views was high for both types of feedback, although especially for in-class feedback. As for academic achievement, we observed no statistically significant differences between those students who only used rubrics, those who attended feedback classes and those who received both types of feedback. However, the latter left fewer questions unanswered in the multiple-choice exam, as compared with their peers who only used rubrics. Finally, those students who felt that the use of rubrics and feedback classes had helped them feel less anxious about exams obtained higher grades.Bono, R.; Núñez-Peña, M.; Suárez-Pellicioni, M. (2017). Rubrics use and in-class feedback in higher education: Students’ perceptions and their effect on academic achievement. En Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Higher Education Advances. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 338-346. https://doi.org/10.4995/HEAD17.2017.5198OCS33834

Estudios longitudinales. Modelos de diseño y análisis

The models that traditionally have been used to analyse repeated measure data are linear and follow an approach based on analysis of variance. Their main drawback is that they require balanced data, something that is difficult to achieve in applied contexts. Therefore, alternative models such as the study of growth curves have been developed, which in turn have been used to derive a large number of methods. These methods model both between- and within- individual variation and do not require balanced data. Today, linear mixed models are applied as a general analytical alternative. Mixed models estimate both the expected values of observations (fixed effects) and the variances and covariances of the observations (random effects). So what distinguishes the linear mixed model from the general linear model is the calculation of covariance parameters which allow the analysis of longitudinal data (correlated, incomplete, and with non-constant intervals between observations).Los modelos que tradicionalmente se han utilizado en el análisis de datos de medidas repetidas son de carácter lineal y siguen el enfoque basado en el análisis de la variancia. Su principal desventaja es que debe disponerse de datos balanceados lo que, en contextos aplicados, es difícil de conseguir. Por esto, se han desarrollado modelos alternativos como el estudio de curvas de crecimiento, del que se han derivado gran cantidad de métodos. Todos estos métodos, además de modelar la variancia entre e intra individuos, no requieren datos balanceados. En la actualidad, se aplican los modelos lineales mixtos como una alternativa global de análisis. Los modelos mixtos estiman tanto los valores esperados de las observaciones (efectos fijos) como las variancias y covariancias de las observaciones (efectos aleatorios). Lo que distingue, por tanto, al modelo lineal mixto del modelo lineal general, es el cálculo de los parámetros de covariancia que permiten analizar datos de carácter longitudinal (correlacionados, incompletos y con intervalos entre observaciones no constantes)

Gender Differences in Test Anxiety and Their Impact on Higher Education Students’ Academic Achievement

AbstractTest anxiety has detrimental effects on the academic performance of many university students. Moreover, female students usually report higher levels of test anxiety than do their male peers. The present study examined gender differences in test, trait, and math anxiety among university students, as well as differences in their academic achievement. Participants were 168 students from the University of Barcelona, all of whom completed measures of test anxiety, math anxiety, and trait anxiety. They were also asked about their expected level of anxiety when faced with four specific test situations: multiple-choice, open-question, oral presentation, and an exam involving calculations. At the end of the course in which they were enrolled, students were assessed through a multiple-choice and an open-question exam. Compared with their male counterparts, female students reported higher levels of test, math, and trait anxiety, as well as greater expected anxiety in three of the four test situations considered. However, females did not show lower academic achievement than male students in either the open-question or the multiple-choice exams. These results are discussed in terms of gender differences in socialization patterns and coping styles

Evaluación Formativa en Educación Superior: Impacto en Estudiantes con Ansiedad a las Matemáticas

AbstractOur objective was to implement and evaluate a formative assessment system in a mandatory course of the degree in Psychology. With this system, students received feedback from the tests they performed. We found a positive correlation between feedback classes’ attendance and students’ grades. The correlation between math anxiety and course's performance was not significant, suggesting that feedback could have helped to reduce the negative impact of math anxiety on performance