Revision and evaluation of module

Activity 1 – Reflect and share any thoughts you have about the module and what was good and any areas for improvement.  Feel free to share on the discussion board but don’t forget to complete the module evaluation .

Activity 2 – Reflect in a final blog entry on what you have learned in the module. Please individually complete the module evaluation.

Using SPSS II (factor analysis)

Activity 1 – Work individually on the SPSS exercise on factor analysis and try to complete it.

Activity 2 – Reflect in a blog entry on whether or not it was useful to carry out the SPSS exercise on factor analysis.

Using SPSS I (descriptive and inferential)

Activity 1 – Work on the SPSS exercises and try to complete them.

Activity 2 – Reflect in a blog entry if you had ever used SPSS before or this was your first time – what are your impressions?

Item response theory (Mokken scaling)

Activity 1 – Consider classical test theory and item response theory and post on the discussion board what your understanding is of each.

Activity 2 – Reflect in a blog entry what you understand about item response theory and how it differs from classical test theory.

Factor analysis

Activity 1 – Consider the following terms related to factor analysis and provide an explanation and a relevant link on the discussion board for your colleagues to read: eigenvalue; communality; factor loading; simple factor structure.

Activity 2 – Reflect in a blog entry what you understand about factor analysis and how it can be used providing at least one link to a relevant article.

Quantitative analysis II (inferential)

Activity 1 – Consider Type I error and the other Type II error and in each case what steps can be taken to avoid them and find two examples each of articles where either Type I or Type II error has been addressed; post your conclusions on the discussion board.

Activity 2 – Reflect in a blog entry what you understand about inferential as opposed to descriptive statistics.

Quantitative analysis I (descriptive)

Activity 1 – Consider the standard error and confidence intervals.  In each case explain what they show and what use they are in describing data.

Activity 2 – Reflect in a blog entry what you have learned about describing data and how this might be helpful in research.

Quantitative design II (surveys)

Activity
1 – Consider survey study designs and post
your conclusions about the defining features of each.

Activity
2 – Reflect in a blog entry how useful are—and what are the limitations of—survey designs.

Quantitative design I (experiments)

Activity 1 – Provide explanations for each of: randomisation; control; and blinding (and variations of blinding) in clinical trials and post this on the discussion board

Activity 2 – Reflect in a blog entry what you have learned about experiments and what the advantages and possible disadvantages are of this research design.

Measurement and prediction II (reliability, validity, sensitivity and specificity)

Activity 1 – Search the literature and find an example of an articles where the reliability and the validity of a measurement scale have been established to any extent and post this article on the discussion board with a brief description of what types of reliability and validity have been addressed.  Find an example of an article where ROCs have been plotted and post this with a brief description of the article.

Activity 2 – Reflect in a blog entry what you have learned about psychometrics and post any other interesting and informative links you have found.

Measurement and prediction I (levels of measurement, sources of error, probability)

Activity 1 – Compile a list of examples that fit the four different levels of measurement and try to find 5 examples of each.  Once you are happy with your list, post it on the discussion board for comment by other members of the group and be prepared to comment on others’ lists.

Activity 2 – Reflect in a blog entry what you have learned about measurement and prediction and what, if anything, was new to you and what you learned.  See if you can find some other interesting and informative links or materials that you can include in your entry and then share the link to your blog the group via the discussion board.

Introduction to module (aims & objectives, installing SPSS, setting up a blog, aims of the assessment)

Activity 1 – Once you have set up your blog make a short entry, titled ‘About me’, of 100-250 words telling the other members of the group something about yourself—personal, professional, hobbies—and what you hope to get out of participating in the module.  If you can include a photograph that is good but not compulsory.  Once you have done that please paste the URL for the blog into a message and post it on the discussion board.

Activity 2 – Install SPSS on your computer; once you have installed it successfully please let the other members of the group know on the discussion board and please be willing to advise other members of the group who may be having problems with this.  If you are having problems, please ask other members of the group to help.