Active Learning, Real-Time Feedback, and Academic Integrity in Business Statistics
A Study Using Scoreboard for Excel
Keywords:
Excel, Business Statistics, Student Learning, Student EngagementAbstract
Three of the Guidelines for Assessment and Instruction in Statistics Education (GAISE) emphasize fostering active learning, using technology to explore concepts and analyze data, and using assessments to improve and evaluate student learning. We incorporate these principles into an undergraduate business statistics course through a free educational technology tool called Scoreboard for Excel. Scoreboard facilitates active learning by providing real-time formative feedback, scaffolding complex tasks, and increasing student engagement. It also benefits faculty by making it easy to create assignments, automate grading, and reduce opportunities for academic integrity violations. Does the integration of Scoreboard in the classroom improve learning and performance? In a controlled experiment at a small Northeastern state college, students using Scoreboard for Excel outperformed a control group on all measured outcomes in an undergraduate business statistics class. Survey data suggest that the tool increases engagement, is well-received by students, and is useful beyond the classroom. Integrating Scoreboard into the curriculum aligns closely with GAISE guidelines and can be easily expanded to other quantitative disciplines.
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