The exam is scheduled to take place on Dec. 10th starting at 9 am and will last for 3 hours in total. Please be sure that you have 9 am – 12 pm blocked off to complete the exam without interruption or distraction, as all students must complete the exam at this time.
In addition, please have the Virtual Lab link open so that you can log in and open SPSS when needed. As well, to prepare for the exam, please save the Demo.sav file on your computer / in your Cabinet so that it can be easily opened when you reach the analyses questions on the exam. Specifically, 3 questions will require that you use this file, which can be access from the Sample Files tab in SPSS or by downloading it from the Course Documents folder on Canvas.
The format of the Final Exam is similar to the quizzes that we have been doing throughout the semester. There will be three types of questions:
* Multiple choice questions – choose the most suitable response in relation to the question posed. [worth 1 mark each; n=55]
* Short written answer based on interpreting statistics or explaining ideas related to statistics in your own words. [worth 3 marks each; n=10]
* Short written answer based on a multivariate analysis that you will need to perform using SPSS. A specific technique will be indicated, and you must conduct the analysis and report the relevant statistical results [worth 5 marks each; n=3]
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The questions will be presented one at a time, and there are 68 questions in total equaling 100 marks. The final exam is worth 35% of your total grade, so it is important to review and prepare for the final exam.
Here is a general overview of the question types and their nature:
The multiple choice questions exam your general knowledge of key concepts and statistical techniques frequently drawn upon across the course. It will be good to be familiar with foundational concepts in quantitative research and ideas related to preparing and manipulating data, preliminary analyses, and the different types of bivariate and multivariate analyses for comparing groups and identifying relationships among variables.
The short written answer questions will ask you to apply knowledge gained in the course by interpreting the statistics presented in the question. It will be important to identify what statistical values are important when given an SPSS output, and to be able to explain their meaning relative to the specific variables and purpose of the analysis.
Similarly, there will be three questions that will ask you to conduct statistical analysis using SPSS. These questions will be similar to ones that have appeared on the quizzes, with the addition of ideas from the last two modules.
It is okay to refer to your textbook or notes during the Final Exam, but you should still study thoroughly for the exam because of the time limit. I offer some suggestions below about preparing notes for quick reference. Otherwise, it is imperative to recognize that the need to uphold academic integrity as per the University and course policies. Note: online Final Exams are treated the same as any other exam and will be tracked and monitored for irregularities. Any collusion, collaborating, copying, cheating or any form of academic misconduct is a very serious offence at the University of Saskatchewan and could result in a failing grade, suspension, or even expulsion from the university.
I would encourage everyone to spend 1-2 hours preparing on most days leading up to the exam, with more intensive review on the 2-3 days prior. Frequent exposure to ideas about statistics is extremely helpful in building up your knowledge.
Ideas for studying:
Review the module materials and the learning activities, such as the learning highlights, concepts, and activities. Complete the learning activities and practice and review questions to assess your understanding of the main ideas. If you haven’t already completed these, there are certain activities for which you can share your results on the discussion forums - once you formulate and post your response, you can compare to your classmates to see if they found something similar. This is a great opportunity to evaluate your learning and work on improving your understanding if needed.
Create notes with explanation of the key concepts based on the learning materials and/or references to the page in the readings on which they can be found.
Create notes or diagrams that explain the nature of each technique, how variables should be measured to make them appropriate for the technique (the level of measurement of the IV and the DV), and any other important assumptions that need to be met. The Pallant textbook is a wealth of information, but developing your own notes/chart will help to reinforce the main ideas and be more timely to consult during the exam, if needed.
Review all of the quiz materials and ensure you are familiar with the different techniques. It is especially important to know when a certain technique is appropriate, and to be able to interpret the results of different types of analyses when presented with a statistical output.