Measuring which support systems really work to improve students learning in your class – A case study on quantitative methods courses in the social sciences

Abstract

[EN] While the so-called “datafication of society” increased the societal relevance of quantitative data analysis, social science students – who should use such data to understand and explain society – are often skeptical towards quantitative methods and overwhelmed by it. Thus, universities around the world should find means to help their students improve their corresponding analytical skills. The paper uses a case study from the University of Salzburg – Austria – to illustrate which aspects actually improve student-learning outcomes in the field of quantitative methods. The researched aspects focus on the program and institutional levels and address two specific issues: The evaluation and feedback on student performance and the introduction of additional support structures. While homework and feedback still show the best results additional – technology based – approaches like video-tutorials have a significant impact on student performance.