Terracotta: A Tool for Conducting Experimental Research on Student Learning

Autor/inn/en	Motz, Benjamin A.; Üner, Öykü; Jankowski, Harmony E.; Christie, Marcus A.; Burgas, Kim; del Blanco Orobitg, Diego; McDaniel, Mark A.
Titel	Terracotta: A Tool for Conducting Experimental Research on Student Learning
Quelle	(2023), (18 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Zusatzinformation	ORCID (Motz, Benjamin A.) ORCID (Üner, Öykü) ORCID (Jankowski, Harmony E.) ORCID (Christie, Marcus A.) ORCID (Burgas, Kim) ORCID (del Blanco Orobitg, Diego) ORCID (McDaniel, Mark A.) Weitere Informationen
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Monographie
Schlagwörter	Learning Analytics; Experiments; Learning Processes; Learning Management Systems; Educational Research; Randomized Controlled Trials; Open Source Technology; Online Courses; Informed Consent; Learning Activities; Research Design; Demonstration Programs; Undergraduate Students; Indiana + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Erprobung; Learning process; Lernprozess; Bildungsforschung; Pädagogische Forschung; Online course; Online-Kurs; Lernaktivität; Forschungsdesign
Abstract	For researchers seeking to improve education, a common goal is to identify teaching practices that have causal benefits in classroom settings. To test whether an instructional practice exerts a causal influence on an outcome measure, the most straightforward and compelling method is to conduct an experiment. While experimentation is common in laboratory studies of learning, experimentation is increasingly rare in classroom settings, and to date, researchers have argued it is prohibitively expensive and difficult to conduct experiments on education in situ. To address this challenge, we present Terracotta (Tool for Education Research with RAndomized COnTrolled TriAls), an open-source web application that integrates with a learning management system to provide a comprehensive experimental research platform within an online class site. Terracotta automates randomization, informed consent, experimental manipulation of different versions of learning activities, and export of de-identified research data. Here we describe these features, and the results of a live classroom demonstration study using Terracotta, a preregistered replication of McDaniel et al. ("Journal of Applied Research in Memory and Cognition," 1(1), 18-26, 2012). Using Terracotta, we experimentally manipulated online review assignments so that consenting students alternated, on a weekly basis, between taking multiple-choice quizzes (retrieval practice) and reading answers to these quizzes (restudy). Students' performance on subsequent exams was significantly improved for items that had been in retrieval practice review assignments. This successful replication demonstrates that Terracotta can be used to experimentally manipulate consequential aspects of students' experiences in education settings. [This is online version of an article published in "Behavior Research Methods."] (As Provided).
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01