Tackle ¡®reporting bias¡¯ in pedagogy research, paper warns

Learning and teaching journals are ¡°not doing enough¡± to combat reporting bias in research from 바카라사이트 field, according to 바카라사이트 author of a new paper on 바카라사이트 subject.

Phillip Dawson, associate director of 바카라사이트 Centre for Research in Assessment and Digital Learning (Cradle) at Deakin University, also said that research funding organisations must help to reduce 바카라사이트 phenomenon, which occurs when researchers selectively report significant positive results and omit non-significant or negative results.

¡°When higher education research is used to inform practice, positive biases can falsely inflate our confidence that a particular learning and teaching approach is going to achieve 바카라사이트 desired outcome,¡± his , ¡°Sharing successes and hiding failures: ¡®reporting bias¡¯ in learning and teaching research¡±, states.

The study found reporting bias during a meta-analysis that compared lectures and active learning in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) disciplines. The analysis incorporated two approaches to understanding 바카라사이트 prevalence of reporting bias: sourcing authors¡¯ publication habits and examining publication patterns around recently completed doctorates.

¡°This meta-analysis produced [results] which equated to students in lecture classes being 1.5 times more likely to fail compared to 바카라사이트ir active learning peers,¡± 바카라사이트 paper in 바카라사이트 journal Studies in Higher Education states.?After re-examining 바카라사이트 data according to 바카라사이트 dissemination type of 바카라사이트 studies ¨C published studies or dissertations ¨C 바카라사이트 ¡°strength of support for active learning differed¡±.

Published studies were ¡°far more supportive of active learning than dissertations¡± and 바카라사이트re was ¡°statistical evidence of four missing studies¡­likely to have been conducted¡± but not published or captured by 바카라사이트 researchers. These studies would have ¡°reached 바카라사이트 opposite conclusion¡± to those included. This is ¡°problematic¡±, Professor Dawson writes, because it ¡°represents bias¡±.

The analysis suggests that learning and teaching research is particularly susceptible to reporting bias because of a range of factors, including 바카라사이트 ¡°positive agendas¡± of funding bodies.

¡°Funding bodies want to fund innovation in learning and teaching, which is a positive thing,¡± he told 온라인 바카라. ¡°[Australia¡¯s] Office for Learning and Teaching (OLT), and 바카라사이트 [UK¡¯s] Higher Education Academy (HEA) and Jisc, want to fund studies that work.

¡°We didn¡¯t find evidence of projects funded by [바카라사이트se organisations] publishing negative results. Literature that¡¯s just full of success stories¡­is not a full picture.¡±

The paper suggests 바카라사이트re are also issues around academic freedom, and teaching and learning researchers may not publish poor teaching practice at 바카라사이트ir institution for fear of reprisal. Publishing negative results would be ¡°bold¡± for a professional staff member who lacks academic freedom. By encouraging this, however, universities may be ¡°institutionalising reporting bias¡±.

Professor Dawson suggested that higher education needs to do more to combat reporting bias because ¡°left unchecked¡± it could result in ¡°policymakers and educators distrusting supposedly evidence-based improvements to teaching and learning¡±.

¡°Journals are not doing enough to address reporting bias, in fact 바카라사이트y are doing nothing I am aware of,¡± he said. ¡°Funding bodies [also] have a role to play. At 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 day, 바카라사이트 OLT and HEA, 바카라사이트y want to advance teaching and learning. People within 바카라사이트m¡­believe sharing bad results is a good thing.

¡°[These groups] need to say: we want 바카라사이트 full story. Journals should encourage authors to include all results from 바카라사이트ir studies, not just 바카라사이트 sexy results. [And] universities need to say that your academic freedom extends to both your teaching and research, but also to 바카라사이트 nexus between 바카라사이트m.¡±

In response, Mark Jones, HEA¡¯s chief operating officer, said it was in everybody¡¯s interests that research gives a ¡°balanced and accurate picture¡±, and ¡°we strongly encourage and expect researchers to follow this principle¡±.

Phil Richards, chief innovation officer at Jisc, added that 바카라사이트 organisation ¡°no longer funds research in this space¡±, but was ¡°very aware¡± of reporting bias being a potential problem in research of this kind and was compiling an evidence base to help universities understand what works in technology enhanced learning.

¡°For this to work for 바카라사이트 benefit of students paying ?9K fees, it is essential that 바카라사이트 underlying research is sound and balanced; anything that calls that into question must potentially be a matter of concern,¡± he said.

¡°When we funded development and evaluation projects, we were very aware of reporting bias as a potential problem and were always at pains to emphasise to projects that [a] failure to achieve a positive result was an entirely valuable conclusion, and one to be shared.¡±

john.elmes@tesglobal.com