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Article Critique Assignment1. Make a reference entry for the article, as it would appear in a reference list using APA style. (4pts.)

Halverson, J. (2014). Minute Paper and Interdisciplinary Studies: Pre-Test/Post-Test Study. Journal of Higher Education Theory & Practice, 14(3), 44-48. Retrieved from http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.uwa.edu:2048/ Use the above reference and your article, answer questions #2-5

2. Who was the author(s) of the study? Identify the institutional affiliation of the author(s). (2pts)

The author of the study was Jill Halverson, and her institutional affiliation was the University of Wisconsin (Fox Valley).

3. What was the title of the article? Does it meet APA requirements? Justify your answer. (2pts)

The article title was Minute Paper and Interdisciplinary Studies. The title of the article followed APA guidelines in that the title is centered on the top portion of the page consisting of no more than one or two lines, with fewer than 12 words.

4. Analyze the reference and identify the journal name, volume number, issue number, and pages for the article. (2 pts)

The article was published in the Journal of Higher Education Theory and Practice, volume 14, issue 3, and on pages 44-48.

5. Where did you obtain the articles (name the electronic database, website URL, etc.)? (2pts)

The article was retrieved from the University of West Alabama online database EBSCOHOST.

6. Analyze the quality of the abstract using Section 2.04 in the APA Manual and provide the approximate number of words it contains. The abstract of the study is usually the first paragraph, whether it is marked or not. Do not use the abstract at the beginning of the study. (5pts)

The abstract is located below the title, the name of the authors, and the authors institutional affiliation. The abstract is supposed to be located after the title page; however, due to that fact that the article is located in a journal the abstract has to be located beneath the citation. The abstract contains 87 words falling below the 150-250 recommended word limit. The complete abstract is italicized. The abstract contained an adequate summary of the study as recommended by APA. (APA Manual Page 44-46, Section 2.04)

Referring to the methods section of your article, answer #7-12

7. What is the hypothesis or research question of the study? (If that is not a hypothesis, it probably does not meet the requirement of being a research article.) (4pts)

There two research questions dealt with in this research experiment based on minute papers and interdisciplinary studies. The questions are written as follows: 1. Does the use of frequent minute paperincluded as a quiz/activity scores in a students gradecontribute to great learning/ concept retention?2. Does use of interdisciplinary criteria contribute to greater learning/concept retention? (Halverson, 2014, p. 45)

8. What are the independent and dependent variables? (4pts)

The first and second research questions contain both independent and dependent variables. In the first question, the dependent variables are the minute paper (quizzes/activities) given to check students understanding, and the independent variables are learning/concept retention. In the second question, the dependent variables are the use of interdisciplinary criteria (example guest speakers and active learning activities), and the independent variables are learning/concept retention. (Halverson, 2014, p. 45)

9. Research Design Question (8pts)

Is the research study qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods? Justify your answer.

This study is quantitative in nature. Pre and posttest were given to all participants (control, and the 2 experiment groups), including quizzes, minute papers, activities, and all data used was given a numerical or statistical value.

Name the type of research design used i.e. pretest/posttest control group design, case study, ex-post facto.

The type of research design used was a pretest/posttest control/comparison group design. Consisting of one control group, and two experimental group. The instructor taught three sessions of an Introduction to Business class. The control group class was taught using the traditional methods of teaching and did not receive any intervention. Experimental group A was given the intervention of the minute paper. Experimental group B was taught using the traditional interdisciplinary approach. The pretest/ and posttest was given to all three groups to determine students knowledge before and after class session/semester.

10. Sampling Questions (6pts)

Identify the number of participants and give a brief description of the sample.

The author did not list the number of participants. The article tells the reader that the participants are made up of students from the experimenters three college sessions for Intro to Business. Because these are college classrooms, it can be assumed that she had the minimum requirement of students in each class.

How many groups were used? Did the article describe how participants were assigned to groups? If so, describe here.

There were three groups used, and the experiment was randomized. The participants were not assigned to any class; the participants signed up for one of the three sections given at the college that the teacher taught. The participants had the same opportunity to sign up for either one of the sections. (Halverson, 2014, p 44)

Explain the methods of sample selection and indicate the number of times data are collected.

The researcher used a purposive sample taken from the researchers college Intro Business courses. It can also be thought of as a convenience sample because she is the instructor and has easy access to the data and students. The sample can also be thought of as random because the researcher had no way of knowing who would sign up for what class. The first sample collection came from the pretest taken by all three groups at the beginning of the semester/session. Halverson used a two-fold research design that involved samples on two different levels. The first sample selection is a description of how samples were collected in the one-minute paper experiment. Group A received the same curriculum as the control group, in addition to 6 one- minute papers throughout the semester. The second sample selection is a description of how samples were collected in the interdisciplinary studies part of the experiment. Sample selections were taken from the overall scope of the course, including assignments, exams, and other required deliverables (Halverson, 2014, p. 46). The article does not state how many times during the interdisciplinary course for Group B that samples were taken grades, only a description of the assignments that the grades/samples came from that were used. A sample was also taken from the post-test that was given to all groups.

11. Explain the instruments used to generate data (numbers, scores) including methods employed to establish reliability and validity of the instrument. (4pts)

The primary instrument used for all three groups are pretest and posttest. The pretest and posttest consisted of 24 questions were eight of those questions were on one of the three exams. The first part of the experiment consisted of minute test for Group A (receives the intervention). These minute test was given six times during the semester. These minute papers were worth a total of ten points (grade on a scale of 3-10). The second part of the research Group B used the interdisciplinary approaches that were graded (exams, test, and other assignments). The students tracked the grades (it is assumed that the teacher also tracked the grades). (Halverson, 2014, p. 46)

Questions #12-14 refer to the use of APA style.

12. APA guides the writer in the format of the paper. Using your article identify and explain the basics elements of APA style. (For example reference format and citations; header; levels of headings; order pages; margins; alignment; spacing; typeface; use of numbers, etc.) Be very thorough. For each APA element mentioned indicate the APA Manual section and page number where the element was discussed. (10pts)

The experimental research article being examined was taken from the EBSCO database in PDF format from University of West Alabama online library. As a result, of this article being retrieved in PDF format some components may appear differently from the original produced format. The following list pinpoints APA components under the heading Authors Responsibilities in section 8.03 (subheading: Preparing the Manuscript for Submission).

Typeface

Under APA guideline, articles should use Times New Romans typeface with a 12-point font. Halversons (2014) article Minute Paper Interdisciplinary Studies: Pre-Test/Post-Test Study is written using Times New Romans typeface, but the article used an 11.5 point font that goes against APA guidelines. (APA, section 8.03, p 228)

Special Characters

Halverson uses very little special characters within the article. There are mathematical characters within the article. (APA, section 8.03, p 229)

Line Spacing

Under APA guidelines, the complete article should be doubled spaced (title, headings, footnotes, quotations, references, and figure captions). As a result, of the article being taken off a UWA (EBSCOHOST) database the article was single spaced, and double spaced before/after the complete title (consist of two lines is not doubled spaced), each heading, quotation (is offset from 5spaces (tab) the left margin), and table (title is not double spaced, but double space applied before/after title of table). The line spacing of the article, as it is now, is not correct APA format. (APA, section 8.03, p 229)

Margins

The article follows the APA recommendations. APA recommends that the top, bottom, and both sides be uniform one-inch. (APA, section 8.03, p 229)

Line Length and Alignment

The line length and alignment of the article does not follow APA guidelines. The line length for the article is more than the maximum 61/2 in, and the lines are justified. The word processing feature is used causing the margins to be equal on both sides, instead of being ragged on the right. (APA, section 8.03, p 229)

Paragraph and Indention

Each paragraph is indented, and the article does not contain any footnotes. The article follows APA guidelines for paragraphs and indentations. (APA, section 8.03, p 229)

Order of Pages

As a result, of the article has been formatted to be included in an educational journal it does not follow APA guidelines for the order of pages. The article does not have a title page or abstract page, but the elements of the title page are located on the first page of the article. The text appears on the same page as the title and the abstract. Also, the tables and references are not located on separate pages. (APA, section 8.03, p. 229-230)

Page Numbers and Running HeadsThe page numbers are consecutive and refer to the location of the article in the Journal of Higher Education Theory and Practice. The running head in the article consists of the journals name, volume, issue, and year of publication. However, in the article the page number and running head is not placed according to proper APA guidelines. On the even pages, the page numbers and the running head is located on the left-hand side. On the odd pages, the page numbers and running head is located on the right-hand side. On all pages, the page numbers and running head is located at the bottom of the page. (APA, section 8.03, p. 230)

Headings

The study uses level two of the five options for headings. In accordance with APA guidelines, the article does not use any letters, or numbers to label headers. (APA, section 3.03, p. 62-63)

Punctuation, Spelling, and Capitalization

The article follows correct APA guideline format for punctuation, spelling, and capitalization. The authors names are capitalized correctly throughout, with no apparent spelling error, and ending marks used correctly in the article. (APA, Section 4.01-4.2, p. 87-104)

Citations

All of the citations on the reference page are used within the article. The citations used in-text do not follow APA guidelines. For example, the in-text citation was written for Chizmar and Ostrosky (qtd in Chizmar and Ostrosky, 1998) (Halverson, 2014, p. 44). Also, there is not an in-text citation for the reference Kwan used on page 45 of the article. The citations are listed in alphabetical order (reference page). (APA, Section 6.01-6.21, p. 169-179)

References

The references are not list on a separate page from the article; it is listed on the same page with the conclusion (does not follow APA guidelines). The references are written in alphabetical order that is correct usage under APA guidelines. The references are not doubled spaced but are in a hanging format. The reason for the reference list being on the last page and single spaced is because it is formatted for an article in a journal. (APA, Section 6.27-6.32, p. 183-192)

13. APA suggests sections that should be included in a research report. Review your article and identify and explain all parts of the study. Do not define or tell what they should contain, but rather, summarize these sections. (A summary reduces the material to a concise explanation in your own words.) (10 pts)

Introduction

The articles introduction provides insight into why this study is relevant and addresses a common concern that all classroom teachers face. Halverson suggests that the relevance of this study comes from college instructors need for class readiness through student preparedness to participate in the classroom. The author of the article discuss ways that instructors can promote student readiness, and look at how interdisciplinary classes help with readiness promoting increased student achievement. The author discusses how she came to the realization that this idea needed to be studied, and how she decided to conduct the experiment using her Introduction to Business students as her subjects. She introduces this study as a two-part study that looks at the minute paper as it would relate to an interdisciplinary classroom (adapted from the traditional idea of a minute paper), and at benefits of the interdisciplinary class with no intervention. (Halverson, 2014, p. 44) APA, Section 2.05, p. 27-28

Review of the Literature: Secondary Research-One-Minute Papers, Interdisciplinary Studies

In the article, the author discusses the secondary research she conducted in this two part experimental study. The first part of the article discuss the secondary research conducted on one-minute papers (intervention for experimental group A). The author discusses the traditional use for one-minute papers and cites the research that has been completed on one-minute papers at the end of class. However, she goes on to state that there is little to no information on the purpose that she wants to use the one-minute papers (at the beginning of class to promote student readiness for class). The author even goes on to suggest a researcher name Kwan (2011) found that a quiz was a sufficient form of encouragement to get students to complete assigned work before class. The second part of the research experiment deals with traditional interdisciplinary studies that promote the same idea of student readiness. Halverson suggests that Repko (2012) explained that interdisciplinary is the process of looking at one topic in multi-dimensions. Halverson goes on to suggest that a lot of information can be found in interdisciplinary studies, but no research can be found comparing an interdisciplinary to a traditional course. (Halverson, 2014, p. 44-45) APA, Section 2.05-2.09, p. 27-36

Purpose of Study

The purpose of this study was twofold. For instance, one was to analyze the use of one-minute papers in an interdisciplinary class to encourage students to complete assigned class work before coming to class compared to a traditional class. The second way was to analyze interdisciplinary studies compared to traditional studies. Regardless, of the twofold research design of the experiment the essential purpose is to show that students in interdisciplinary studies show an increase in student performance when compared to students in a traditional class. APA, section 2.05-2.09, p. 27-36

Method

There was a total of three Intro to Business classes that participated in the experiment. The researcher was the instructor for the courses participating in the experiment. There was a pretest and posttest given to all three groups. The test consisted of 24 questions comprised of questions that would be covered throughout the course. Eight of the 24 questions were on different exams (Halverson, 2014, p. 46). The same exam was given at the end of the course for the posttest. Students tracked their scores for the pretest. The total number of participants in each group is not stated. The study provided a new look at one-minute papers and its promotion of student readiness. The one-minute papers were taken by participants six times during the course of a semester. The participants could get the lowest score for just coming to class and putting their name on the paper. The range of the score was from 3-10 (3 being the lowest and 10 being the highest).

Group B was compared to the control group to see which type of studies promoted increased learning. When analyzing and comparing Group B with the control group the researcher looked at the multiple components of the interdisciplinary class and its effect on student progress as compared to a traditional studies class. The tables 1 and 2 used in the article depict the averages of the pre and posttest for each group. However, the table 3 depicting the grading system is confusing. The reader will wonder where the grade point averages came from because Table 1 and 2 analyzed the difference in the pre and posttest. APA, Section 2.06, p. 29-32

Results

The results of both studies really depended on the students. The researcher could not control if, or how the participants prepared for class outside of the class room. The researcher controlled the one-minute papers and the activities that took place in the interdisciplinary classrooms. The point for the one-minute papers are pointed out (3 is the lowest, and 10 is the highest).

The results for the minute papers are discussed and analyzed in the article first. In Table 1 the control group and Group A pretest and posttest average are analyzed and broken down into the number improved and the percentage of improvement that occurs. The percentage of improvement is not that much only a 3.3 difference. So the difference the minute papers made in student improvement was slight. The cause could be in the number of time this intervention was implemented, or how it was implemented.

The average difference between the interdisciplinary Group B and the control group is small when the overall experiment is analyzed. The percentage difference between the control group and Group B is 2.9%. The 2.9 is the difference between the average differences when looking at growth in the course of the semester. The researcher suggests that there is a significant difference in scores when analyzing interdisciplinary studies class as compared to traditional studies classes. The reader does not see a remarkable difference in percentage rate when the curriculum of both studies is compared. The researcher does not compare the curriculum. However, the curriculum in interdisciplinary studies class is supposed to be more advanced and stimulating making it conducive to student achievement.

Discussion

There is not a discussion section in the article; there is a conclusion portion where the researcher shares her thoughts about the experiment. The researchers starts off talking about the benefits of using pre and posttest to determine growth within the course. Halverson (2014) then goes on to discuss the percentage of improvement using one- minute papers and interdisciplinary studies methods. The experiments that are discussed in the article do not show a significant growth above the percentage of the control groups score (received no intervention). The lack of significant growth questions the idea of the one-minute paper and interdisciplinary studies to promote student achievement. It could be assumed that because the researcher combined the experiments significant focus was not placed on the studies as a whole.

14. Is the reference list done correctly according to APA guidelines and is there a reference for every piece of material cited in the study? Is every reference properly cited in the paper? Provide examples to justify your answer. (4pts)

There was a total of three references used within the article and cited on the reference list. The reference is not properly cited within the article. The reference list was in alphabetical order which is a correct format for APA. However, the reference list was not placed on a separate page which does not follow APA guidelines (could be the result of being in a journal). The reference list is not doubled spaced as the APA guidelines suggest (could be the result of being in a journal). There is not supposed to be a comma between the volume and the parentheses of the issue numbers.

Example of reference from the list:

Chizmer, J.F. & Ostrosky, A.L. (1998). The one-minute paper: some empirical findings.Journal of Economic Education, 29, (1), 3-10. The Harvard Assessment Seminars describe minute papers as modest, relatively simple and low-tech innovations [that] can improve students learning and active participation in class (qtd in Chizmar & Ostrosky, 1998). (Halverson, 2014, p. 44)The in-text citation is not formatted correctly (the authors name, publication year, and the page), qtd in should not be included in the citation. APA, Section 6.22-6.25, p. 180-183

Question #15-17 refer to the overall quality of a good research paper. 15. State the limitations of the study (i.e., maturation, regression, history, subject characteristics, and data collector characteristics); these should be acknowledged in the study or inferred from your knowledge about the threats to validity. (3pts)

The study began with three groups created from the three courses that the researcher taught. There was not a lot of information on the two topics she was researching. So there is a subject limitation as for as material. There was a limitation when it came to data collection. There could be some question of data validity because the students were allowed to track their scores. The researcher had to obtain research board approval to let the student track their scores. It would seem this is a conflict and puts the scores in questions how can she be sure that the students maintained accurate scores. The situation with the scores/grade collection calls into question the validity the experiment. (Halverson, 2014, p. 46) Also, the fact that she is the teacher, researcher, and this is her project on a subject with limited information there could be the concern about basis as far as her opinion goes.

16. Analyze the use of the ethical procedures or absence thereof. (Is any mention made of informal consent or permission to conduct the study?) If not, What Procedures would have been appropriate?) (5pts)

It is suggested that the researcher/teacher gave the students a choice of rather or not to participate in the experiment. It does not state in the article if a disclaimer was made on the college registration page about the experiment taking place. Was it really much of a choice after the students have registered for the course and they are told the first day of class? No. Also, because this is a college class, and student age would have to be considered parental agreement had to be obtained for some students who were not 18 years of age. The one and only procedure that I feel should have been implemented is a disclaimer about the experiment on the registration page before the students signed up for the class. Many students after signing up for the class might have felt they had to participate in order to pass the class. (Halverson, 2014, p. 46)

17. Analyze the qualities of the research in terms of worth. Was the topic clearly written, relevant, and a contribution to educational knowledge? (This should be an in-depth exploration of what you discovered as you read and should be between 150-200 words.) (10 pts)

The research that the instructor performed was quality and worthwhile research for the educational community. The research study was a two-part experiment analyzing ways to promote classroom readiness through student preparedness. The first part discussed one-minute papers where she changed the concept of the original use of this educational instrument. The second way was through the techniques used in the interdisciplinary studies classroom. The sections of the article are appropriately labeled. Each experiment is discussed as a separate entity. The topic could have been written in clearer terms. The researcher did not fully develop either experiment. Yes, she got results that she could use to compare to the dependent group, but the data on the minute paper could have been discussed in more detail. The scores and more one-minute test given out to truly see a difference. As a result of the researcher only giving out 6 one-minute test during the course she does not know if that really promoted student readiness they might have only studied when they knew that they were going to have a test. The researcher did not let the reader know if the participants in experimental Group A knew the dates that these tests were given on. There was also, a lack of knowledge as to how many subjects participated in each group.

In the 2nd experiment conducted in the article on interdisciplinary education, the researcher looked how the activities in the interdisciplinary studies class promote student readiness. There is a list of general ways the participants are graded, but not explained in depth. The study is comprised of two experiments that should not be immersed together in one article. In the article groups, A and B are never compared. In fact, each group is separately compared to the control group. Also, the researcher should have included another instructor as a monitor, or someone else to observe the groups. The information could be thought of as bias because she was the experimenter, researcher, and instructor.

For questions, 18-20 select a passage written by the author(s) which is not from a secondary source. Please double space so that the quotation format is accurate.

18. Quote, a passage of fewer than 40 words directly from the article as though it were the first time you had cited the article. Be sure to use appropriate punctuation and reference citation format. (5 pts)

Halverson (2014) suggested one of the challenges colleges instructors often face in the classroom is that many times students do not read the assigned materials in the textbook or handouts prior to the class period in which it will be discussed (p. 44).

19. Paraphrase the quotation from the previous question as though you had cited it in a previous paragraph. Use the appropriate punctuation and reference citation format. (5 pts)

A serious problem that many teachers tackle is getting learners to study the class material before class time. (Halverson, 2014, p. 44)20. Quote a passage of 40 or more words directly from the article as if you had cited it in a previous paragraph. Be sure to use appropriate punctuation and reference citation format. (5 pts)

Halverson (2014) concluded the following:It does not appear that research has been conducted regarding the use of one-minute papers at the beginning of the class to encourage students to complete the required assigned reading prior to class. Some research describes the limitations of one-minute papers. In his research, Kwan (2011) suggests that a daily or frequent quiz is preferable to the use of the one-minute paper because it supports a more focused retrieval of specific information. (p. 45)