Operant learning principles applied to teaching introductory statistics.

Area of Science:

• Educational Psychology
• Statistics Education

Background:

• Traditional grading systems may not optimize learning outcomes or student engagement.
• Exploring alternative pedagogical approaches is crucial for improving introductory course effectiveness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of a specific set of contingencies on student performance and satisfaction in an introductory statistics course.
• To identify key factors contributing to high achievement and positive course reception.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of a grading system rewarding near-perfect performance on unit exams, error correction, self-pacing, and optional out-of-class work.
• Analysis of performance measures (time, exam errors, text errors) and student questionnaire responses.
• Correlational analysis to identify relationships between performance variables.

Main Results:

• A guaranteed 'A' grade was awarded upon meeting specified performance criteria, with 'incomplete' otherwise.
• No significant correlations were found between time to completion, exam errors, or programmed text errors.
• Student questionnaire responses were overwhelmingly positive, irrespective of GPA, completion time, or exam error count.

Conclusions:

• The implemented contingencies, particularly self-pacing, frequent non-punitive exams, and guaranteed high grades for mastery, fostered high performance and student satisfaction.
• Student engagement focused on learning rather than social interaction with the instructor, contributing to a lack of drop-outs.
• The study highlights the effectiveness of mastery-based learning and flexible pacing in statistics education.