Teaching undergraduate psychology statistics poses challenges to instructors and students due to the perceived complexity of the material and lack of student motivation. With the goal of boosting student competency and engagement in statistics, our study introduced a gamified learning environment into the laboratory portion of the undergraduate psychology statistics course in which the gamified learning group was compared to the traditional group. Changes in intrinsic motivation, perceived competence, and objective pre- and post-test course content were assessed. Objective posttest scores were positively associated with perceived competence in statistics for the gamified learning group. Perceived competence is a strong predictor of achievement and foundational prerequisite of intrinsic motivation, suggesting that in contrast with the traditional group, students in the gamified group were further on the path towards developing intrinsic motivation and improved scholastic achievement. First published November 2018 at Statistics Education Research Journal Archives

This study investigated whether basic mathematics skills are associated with undergraduate psychology statistics course performance while simultaneously considering self-reported psychological/behavioral and demographic variables. Participants (n = 460) completed a Math Assessment for College Students (MACS), which included questions ranging from calculating percentages to graphical interpretation. The researchers used a discriminant correspondence analysis to reveal differences in course performance evaluated as the average of three exam grades. For the variation in the average exam scores accounted for by our model, the MACS scores provided the largest contribution. Other variables associated with better exam grades included white ethnicity, non-transfer status, lower year in school, and low procrastination. The researchers discuss the implications for helping instructors identify areas of basic mathematical deficiency and strength.

Mathematical competency is related to performance in introductory statistics courses and may be a roadblock to successful course completion. We developed a new measure (Math Assessment for College Students, MACS) of basic mathematics skills that improves upon measures previously used in undergraduate settings. The MACS is freely available and contains items not typically included on standardized measures of mathematical ability. We administered the 44-item MACS to 414 undergraduate psychology statistics students, and used a multiple correspondence analysis to eliminate 14 items, resulting in a 30-item measure with strong psychometric properties. MACS scores showed statistically significant moderate correlations with a commonly used standardized measure of basic mathematics skills and with overall statistics course grade. We discuss the utility of the MACS and how the MACS may help course instructors identify areas of mathematical deficiency that require remediation. First published November 2018 at Statistics Education Research Journal Archives

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Research has demonstrated that academically successful students are effective, self-regulated learners. Moreover, exam wrapper interventions have been shown to foster the development of self-regulated learning behaviors on the part of college students. In this naturalistic, qualitative, and exploratory study, an exam wrapper intervention was implemented in a key, gatekeeping STEM course at a diverse, public university. Student responses to a series of four exam wrappers were collected and analyzed. Results indicated that while many students were able to look critically at their study behaviors and course performance, these behaviors did not necessarily pay off, especially for weaker students. Notably, transfer and/or non-matriculated students were at greatest risk of withdrawal and failure. However all students, both weak and strong, showed a lack of attention towards checking their answers and learning from their mistakes. Overall, the exam wrappers provided useful information regarding the SRL processes of these STEM students.