Learning Experience and Learning Effectiveness in Undergraduate Statistics: Modeling Performance in Traditional and Flexible Learning Environments*

Abstract

This project investigates the relationship between student performance, past mathematics experience, and perceptions of statistics education for two groups of university students studying statistics in different learning environments. One group received the traditional form of teaching with lectures, whereas the other group studied in a more flexible learning mode where lectures were replaced with a computer-managed learning tool and optional small-group workshops facilitated by written lecture notes. The results on student learning experience show that, for both groups, student enjoyment of the course is positively related to their learning attitudes and to their perceived value of statistics education, and is negatively related to anxiety with regard to their performance in the course. There is some evidence that the group studying in the technology-supported flexible learning environment experienced more assessment anxiety and consequently less enjoyment of the subject. There is also evidence that assessment anxiety has a negative effect on student performance that is exacerbated by a lack of prior mathematics experience. Hence, the flexible learning approach in statistics education, with minimal face-to-face teaching, may be especially inappropriate for these students.

A Study of the Effectiveness of Web‐Based Homework in Teaching Undergraduate Business Statistics

“…The independent variables considered here did not include any psychological attributes such as student satisfaction (Lesser, 1998), cognitive learning styles (Boles, Pillay, & Raj, 1999; Miller, 2005), effect on conceptual understanding (Kim & Pak, 2002), performance with and without time limits (Onwuegbuzie & Seaman, 1995), and reduction of test anxiety (Zanakis & Valenzi, 1997). A study by Cybinski and Selvanathan (2005) presents evidence that students in a flexible environment with lectures replaced by a Web‐based learning tool had more performance anxiety and less enjoyment of statistics. They also found that the negative effect of anxiety was worsened by having less prior exposure to high school mathematics.…”

Capturing Flow in the Business Classroom

“…In turn, flow is believed to produce positive results, such as higher performance and better learning outcomes. In a study of learning experience, enjoyment was found to be positively related to student attitude and perception of the value toward statistics education (Cybinski & Selvanathan, 2005). Subsequently, the outcomes of flow can change learner characteristics, especially learner skills.…”

Exploring Student Perceptions of the Use of Open Educational Resources to Reduce Statistics Anxiety

“…Owing to their unfamiliarity with course contents as well as to the difficulty of linking theory with practice, more than 75% of the students feel uncomfortable when dealing with statistics formulas and calculations (Lalayants 2012;Murtonen et al 2008). Statistics anxiety caused by test and class anxiety has a negative relationship to the students' perceived value of statistics and to their prior math experiences (Cybinski and Selvanathan 2005).…”