ERIC_NO:
ED326161
TITLE:
Student Attitudes about A Self-Paced Undergraduate Statistics Class.
AUTHOR:
McSparrin, Brenda M.; And Others
PUBLICATION_DATE:
1990
ABSTRACT:
Students (N=78) enrolled in either the Fall, 1989 or Spring, 1990 semester of an urban university campus were studied to determine their
preference for either the Personalized System of Instruction (PSI or Keller
Plan) or the traditional lecture class in an undergraduate self-paced
statistics class. (This was also the first self-paced course that 82%
of the sample had ever taken.) Analysis of the results from a 13-item
questionnaire revealed that 90% of the students liked the idea of frequent
testing, 92% thought the use of student proctors was a good idea, 74%
liked the idea of self-pacing, and 97% agreed that being able to retest
a unit was a good idea. In addition, 50% indicated they were anxious about
the self-paced format, yet 65% were confident they could manage their
time and progress through the course. Also, 82% thought the grading was
fairer to the student than in most lecture courses and did not feel it
was harder to achieve a good grade under the self-paced system. Actual
grades revealed only 5% of the students studied received a grade lower
than C for the course. Contains 11 references. (GLR)
MAJOR_DESCRIPTORS:
Independent Study; Pacing; Student Attitudes; Teaching Methods; Undergraduate Study;
MINOR DESCRIPTORS:
College Curriculum; College Students; Higher Education; Learning Strategies; Lecture Method; Statistics; Student Reaction; Time Factors (Learning);
IDENTIFIERS:
*Personalized System of Instruction
PUBLICATION_TYPE:
150