The past few years has seen the rapid growth of data mining approaches for the analysis of data obtained from Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). The objectives of this study are to develop approaches to predict the scores a student may achieve on a given grade-related assessment based on information, considered as prior performance or prior…

The important and sometimes difficult-to-grasp concept of regression suppressor variable effects is explored. An inquiry into the phenomenon of suppressor effects is accomplished via a synthesis of the existing literature and the use of a small heuristic data set to improve the accessibility of the concept. Implications for researchers are also…

When investigating differences between two sets of scores, the t test is appropriate. If the two sets of data are from two groups of subjects, then the independent t test is appropriate. If the two sets are from the same subjects, the dependent t test is required. In this paper, the authors describe the use of a third test when part of a data set…

This paper contains information concerning the following: 1. An overview of multivariate analysis of variance, and discriminant (DA) and canonical (CA) analyses. 2. An introduction to specification and measurement errors, and collinearity. 3. The sparsity of information concerning specification and measurement errors and collinearity as they…

A study tested a delivery skills method of instruction for reducing public speaking anxiety. Subjects were 59 male and 71 female undergraduates (ranging in age from 17-49) enrolled in a basic public speaking course at a midwestern university during the 1986-87 academic year. The Personal Report of Public Speaking Apprehension (PRPSA) which…

What transpires when an institution of higher education is the defendant in a class action suit charging prejudicial treatment of a minority group is summarized. A demonstration of how the plaintiffs can use the institution's own data to establish a prima facie case for disparate treatment is presented. (Author/MLW)

This paper presents a multi-phased approach to identifying and correcting gender-based salary inequities within institutions of higher education. The major steps in this approach involve: (1) determining if a problem situation exists by using a conceptually sound, objective procedure that does a legal and effective job of explaining faculty…

A search for better predictors of incomes of high school and college graduates is described. The accuracy of the prediction, implicit in the work of John R. Walsh of Harvard University, that the income differences in a given year are good indicators of income differences in future years, was tested by applying standard statistical procedures to…

The development of a predictive equation capable of explaining a significant percentage of enrollment variability at Florida International University is described. A model utilizing trend analysis and a multiple regression approach to enrollment forecasting was adapted to investigate enrollment dynamics at the university. Four independent…

To develop a feasible research method to determine factors in student teaching that make it succeed or fail as valuable clinical training, several evaluative questions and characteristics should be examined. A major research question would examine the factors in student teaching that make it a professionally satisfying or dissatisfying experience…

The purpose of this study is to investigate science achievement of Australian students and how this achievement can vary from school to school. The proposition that gender and socioeconomic inequities in Australia are the result of school systems designed to reproduce an unequal social order is be examined with reference both to current…

The methods used to analyze the status of women academics at Queen's University, Ontario, Canada, are described. An initial study examined several individual variables believed to affect salary and compared the findings for men and women faculty and utilized a multiple regression analysis to integrate most of those variables into one model. A…