1. Center for Academic Programs Assessment
Dr. Becky Verzinski, CAPA, Office of the Provost and Ms. Monica Luciano, Thurgood Marshall Library, Bowie State University
Null Hypothesis: The Research 101 Learning Module will have no significant effect on student performance on the iSkills assessment.
RESULTS: iSkills and Research 101 Pilot Study
INTRODUCTION
All students must complete the required courses within the general education program as part of their undergraduate degree. The core competencies of the GEP include:
written & oral communication
scientific & quantitative reasoning
critical thinking
information literacy
technological skills
The iSkills assessment measures critical thinking, information literacy and technological skills. The iSkills assessment tool was administered to incoming students during Fall 2012 and Fall 2013 semesters.
Table 1: Median Scores for Incoming Freshmen iSkills Assessment
Category
Define
Access
Evaluate
Manage
Integrate
Create
Communicate
2012
BSU 55 56 62 57 50 49 44
National 70 78 64
Median Score Difference
-15
-22
+12
-12
-13 -7
-20
2013 +8
Table 2: Research 101 Pilot Study and iSkills Mean Scores for 2013 Freshmen
Research 101
(N=113)
Control Group
(N=119)
All Students
(N=232)
Mean Score
185
169
177
RESEARCH METHODS
Instrument: iSkills Assessment (ETS on-line tool)
The skill areas assessed with the iSkills instrument are directly aligned with the Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL) Standards and three of the GEP competencies
Fall 2012 iSkills results were below the national median
An intervention, Research 101 Learning Modules, was developed for use in
selected FRSE 101 courses in fall 2013
R101LM was conducted in five sections through Blackboard
Comparative data examined BSU student cohorts, both control and experimental groups, with national cohort
Table 3: Research 101 Pilot Study and iSkills Mean Scores for 2013 Freshmen by Completed Modules
7 Lessons
(N=28)
6 Lessons
(N=30)
4-5 Lessons
(N=18)
2-3 Lessons
(N=17)
>2 Lessons
(N=40)
Mean Score
201
187
180
181
179
DISCUSSION and NEXT STEPS
The null hypothesis is rejected because the treatment, or Research 101 learning module for those students who completed all seven lessons, positively impacted the overall mean for the completion cohort. With the initial positive results from the pilot study, a full implementation of all learning modules is planned for inclusion in the summer 2014 Bulldog Academy for incoming freshmen. By fall 2014, testing and analysis will be conducted to determine the effectiveness of the complete learning module.