Data Analysis of Collaborative Unit

The collection data reveal that the collaborative unit on APA and Preventing plagiarism was very effective
in increasing student knowledge about the topic. The students responded very well during this unit and
offered input and feedback throughout the unit. They showed significant improvement from the pre-test
to the post-test. The positive evaluations are further proof of the success of the unit.
The learner analysis and pre-test I carried out for this unit revealed some important facts about the
learning styles and knowledge of the students. Most students reported average or poor APA skills before
the unit began. Another interesting finding was that most students did not use the automatic citations
generated in Galileo even though they are more accurate than Easybib. The pre-unit questionnaire
revealed a lack of understanding of APA and plagiarism. The post-test showed that the students made
gains in their knowledge about APA and the mostly positive evaluations showed that the students were
satisfied with the class. Below are the results of the pre and post-test data:
Pre and Post-test Data
1. The title page has a different header in APA than the rest of the paper.
a.

True

b. False

Pre-Test 60% of students answered correctly Post Test 93% of students answered correctly.
2. Which of the following has more accurate automatic APA citing?
a.

EasyBib

b. Galileo

Pre-Test 67% of students answered correctly Post Test 100% of students answered correctly.
3. When there is no author for a source, begin the citation with:
a.

Title

b. Sponsoring organization

Pre-Test 47% of students answered correctly Post Test 93% of students answered correctly.
4. Reusing/Recycling an old research paper to turn in for a new assignment without instructor approval is
plagiarizing.
a.

True

b. False

Pre-Test 80% of students answered correctly Post Test 100% of students answered correctly.
5. How long does a quote have to be before it must be a block quote?
a.

One line

b. Two lines

c. Three lines

d. Four lines

Pre-Test 20% of students answered correctly

answered correctly.

Post Test 86% of students

Evaluation Data
The evaluations completed about the unit revealed that the students learned a
great deal of new knowledge and they were mostly happy with the format and
organization of the unit:
1. Unit content was at a level that I understand.
a.Strongly Agree 87%
b. Agree

13%

c. Neutral
d. Disagree
e. Strongly Disagree
2. My understanding of the subject matter has increased as a result of this unit.
a.Strongly Agree 80%
b. Agree
c. Neutral

13%
7%

d. Disagree
e. Strongly Disagree
3. The course outline was useful in guiding me through the unit.
a.Strongly Agree 67%
b. Agree

33%

c. Neutral
d. Disagree
e. Strongly Disagree
4. I found this unit to be a valuable learning experience.
a.Strongly Agree 33%
b. Agree
c. Neutral

67%

d. Disagree
e. Strongly Disagree

5. The instructor was willing to help students with problems associated with this
unit.
a. Strongly Agree

93%

b. Agree

7%

c. Neutral
d. Disagree
e. Strongly Disagree
6. The instructor graded assignments and tests in a timely manner
a. Strongly Agree

87%

b. Agree

13%

c. Neutral
d. Disagree
e. Strongly Disagree
7. The instructor was courteous and respectful when communicating with students.
a. Strongly Agree

93%

b. Agree

7%

c. Neutral
d. Disagree
e. Strongly Disagree
Revisions and Summary
Overall, this unit was a successful attempt to make learning APA and plagiarism
interesting and meaningful. Although the data show that this was a successful unit,
there are changes that should be made. For example, it would work better next time
to integrate APA information with plagiarism together instead of focusing on each
one at different times. Another change would be to have more formative exercises
in the presentation instead of just having a lecture. While the students were

engaged, I believe there were times where I could have kept their attention longer
by having an exercise where they could practice what they were learning.