Post date: Nov 14, 2013 4:55:58 AM
Abstract: Psychology majors often do not have technical experience designing computer-based experiments. While there may be practical reasons for encouraging students to develop experiments using a programming language or experimental software package, an important pedagogical question is whether or not doing so increases student understanding of experimental design. Students were required to develop an experiment using SuperLab in an advanced research methods class. Research topics were chosen individually by students. Experiments were evaluated with a rubric common to computer science programs. Students indicated that they had a better understanding of how to design and deliver and experiment as a result of completing the SuperLab assignment. Furthermore, they indicated that they understood how to organize and efficiently create an experiment using SuperLab. Learning how to properly develop an experiment, however, is limited in its transfer. For instance, developing an experiment did not necessarily help students understand the data produced from the study. Therefore, teaching how to develop computerized experiments can provide a context for a larger review of research-related skills including data file management and statistical analysis. Interestingly, when asked an open-ended question at the end of the course, 10 of the 17 students indicated that they would like to spend more time designing additional experiments, more time using SuperLab, and more time working with data files. These responses are consistent with the idea that developing computer-based experiments increasing interest in designing experiments and a context for working on additional research-related skills.
Poster presented at the 43rd Annual Meeting of the Society for Computers in Psychology. November 14, 2013 (Toronto).