Smarter tools to enhance learning: why the Cal State University is using Intellectus Statistics software for a second year to accelerate Ed.D. candidates.

California State University Doctor of Education degree programs are designed to achieve the following goals:  

• Prepare administrative leaders for possible service in one of the following settings: (A) public elementary and secondary schools, or (B) community colleges;
• Focus on the knowledge and skills needed by administrators to be effective leaders in California public schools and community colleges;
• Offer programs through partnerships in which California public elementary and secondary schools and community colleges, as appropriate, shall participate substantively in program design, candidate recruitment and admissions, teaching, dissertation development, and program assessment and evaluation;
• Enable professionals to earn the degree while working full time.

The professional development, education, and training for working professionals pursuing an Ed.D. is critical for the CSU graduating its candidates.  The statistical analyses, understanding the results of their analyses, and writing up the results required for their projects and dissertations are significant barriers for working professionals.  Selecting between basic parametric and non-parametric statistical analyses, or conducting and interpreting more advanced statistical analyses, has kept faculty and students away from the using of these powerful techniques.  The goals of the workshop are:

1. Showcase how usable, intelligent technologies can be key enablers for professional development in teacher preparation programs.
2. Enable participants to become more confident in appropriating selecting, accurately conducting and confidently presenting statistical analyses for an institutional research project. Participants will be able to statistically test a hypothesis and share the results of their findings with others using Intellectus Statistics.
3. Draft strategies for using the Intellectus Statistics for their institutional initiative   

Using Intellectus Statistics for a second year, the workshop will begin with a case study using Ed.D. students from California State University system, some of which used Intellectus Statistics and others that did not, will illustrate the overcoming of barriers to selecting, conducting and presenting statistical analyses, while working with the diffusion of innovation challenges.  The case study will compare different types of analyses used, the length of time to conduct analyses, and the benefits of working with a findings draft.  Further, a comparison to traditional modes of data screening, selecting and conducting of the analyses and assumptions, and the preparation of a results draft will be shown.  

The hands-on component of the workshop will begin with a brief introduction to Intellectus Statistics will be presented through four mini-lessons.  The mini-lessons are: (1) data management and screening: composite scores and their reliability, imputing of missing data, and more, (2) selecting the appropriate analyses by using plots to assess the shape of the data, (3) conducting, interpreting, and presenting the statistical findings in the proper APA format, and (4) explanatory tables and figures.  Examples will be worked through in each mini-lesson. 

Finally, users will get hands-on experience with the online tool by using either their own data or one of several mock datasets.  They will conduct analyses and work through each of the four mini-lessons.  The participants will learn to easily impute missing data, create subscales in their dataset, and examine numerous plots.  Next, participants will develop several hypotheses and then statistically test each of them.  After downloading the findings in narrative, tables and figures, each participant will present those findings to a peer. The workshop will finish with participants discussing possible applications to the participants’ own institutional initiatives. 

For workshop submissions, include Workshop Interaction / Take-aways (100 words--describe participant learning objectives and plans for interaction): 

The participants will recognize the value of Intellectus Statistics to overcome challenges facing the completion of advance degree programs in teacher education and other applied disciplines. Participants will engage with peers and presenters and have hands-on experience with the online tool to create a statistical findings draft in just seconds.  Participants will develop the knowledge, skills, and confidence of selecting, conducting and presenting of statistical analyses to test hypotheses so they can share the tool when they return to their institution.