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Evaluate the likelihood that each of the following scenarios might produce a biased sample. Then offer an appropriate probability based sampling method. All of these scenarios come from actual research. Please base your answers on your impression of the target population, the research question, and the sampling technique described
1. Description: A researcher wants to test a new technique aimed at increasing performance in the small group CBT setting. He selects 54 business statistics students to complete an exercise on how to use a computer spreadsheet package to perform statistical calculations. Prior to being placed in the treatment or control group, the students provided information on their gender, GPA, and prior experience on a personal computer. These self reported measures were used to group students into relatively homogeneous like-gender, high or low experience pairs.
Stephenson, S. D. (1994). Increasing performance in the small group CBT setting. Journal of Educational Technology Systems 23(1), 27-38.
2. Two researchers looked at the effects of learning style preferences, attitude, and GPA on the achievement of nursing students who used computer assisted interactive videodisc instruction. The sample was drawn from student nurse volunteers enrolled in a physical assessment course offered in the first semester of an upper division nursing major at a large university. Of the 71 students enrolled in the course, 63 students completed step one of the research protocol, 47 students completed the final assessment.
Billings, D. M., & Cobb, K. L., (1992). Effects of learning style preferences, attitudes and GPA on learner achievement using computer assisted interactive videodisk instruction. Journal of Computer-Based Instruction, 19(2).
3. A researcher at a large university wanted to find out if there is an increase in learning in an interactive multidisciplinary environment through the use of computer games. The researcher chose to use the computer game Sim City 2000. He picked his groups, treatment group and control group, from freshman engineering technology students enrolled in Materials and Methods of Construction I. No mention is made as to the size of these groups.
Betz, J. A., (1995). Computer games: increase learning in an interactive multidisciplinary environment. Journal of Educational Systems, 24(2), 195-205.
4. Two researchers wanted to find out the effects of various information resources on learning from a hypertext bilingual lexicon. All subjects were volunteers enrolled in classes in the school of education. Most (?) were unfamiliar with computer-based learning environments. None of the students were familiar with Japanese (the language used in the lexicon).
Tripp, S., & Roby, W., (1994). The effects of various information resources on learning from a hypertext bilingual lexicon. Journal of Research on Computing Education 27(1), 92-101.
5. To research learner disorientation in a hypermedia environment, two researchers drew a sample from undergraduate students at a large midwestern research university. Sixty-one students volunteered to participate in the study. Because the participants used in this study were fairly (?) homogeneous in terms of academic performance, it was assumed that randomization would protect against systematic differences in ability.
Beasley, E. R., & Waugh, M. L., (1996). The effects of content-structure focusing on learner structural knowledge acquisition, retention, and disorientation in a hypermedia environment. Journal of Research on Computing in Education 28(3), 271-281.