On December 22, 2021, the Measurement & Evaluation Unit — led by Abdullah Al-Rezgi — organized a webinar under the supervision of the Measurement and Evaluation Center (MEC) on end-of-semester tasks to complete in the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). Over a dozen teachers in the Faculty of Languages and Translation and consultants from the Measurement and Evaluation Center attended. The purpose of the webinar was to provide step-by-step instructions along with some information on the interpretation of skewness and the Pearson correlation coefficient.
Hassan Costello began the webinar demonstrating how to do data cleaning in SPSS, from converting data types, removing duplicates and outliers in data view to why missing values appear. He stressed the need to watch out for numeric values being designated as string variables in variable view. Costello then showed the step-by-step procedures to take in descriptive statistics, correlation analyses, the Independent Samples t-Test, and One-Way ANOVA. While he mainly focused on SPSS, he also mirrored all procedures in Jeffrey's Amazing Statistics Program (JASP). "Using JASP is only for staff members who do not have the SPSS program. With the implementation of the Assessment Gourmet Platform, analysis will be automatic in the coming semesters," he said. Towards the end of his part of the webinar, Costello spoke briefly on skewness and how that illustrates deviation from the symmetrical bell curve. He also noted specific numerical categories in the significance level (alpha) of the Pearson correlation coefficient, explaining that if the correlation between the year work and the final exam is not significant, instructors should justify the lack of correlation.
Dr. Mazeegha Al-Tale', who also serves as an assistant to the Measurement & Evaluation Center director, then provided more context and theoretical information on the three different types of analysis. She noted the similarities and differences among descriptive statistics, correlation analyses, parametric tests, and nonparametric tests. Along with a brief but very comprehensive summary on how to interpret results, Dr. Al-Tale' explained that statistical analysis will help our decision-makers improve policies and the learning process. She then pivoted to discuss the recently adopted Assessment Gourmet Platform at King Khalid University, noting that it is important to write course learning outcomes properly because each question of each exam will have to be related to a specific course learning outcome (CLO). Moreover, Dr. Al-Tale' explained that each question will also be related to a topic and tagged with a level of difficulty. "In the coming semester, we will conduct workshops on how to deliver your exams using the Assessment Gourmet Platform, which is obligatory for all faculty members in all colleges. In this platform, you will be able to assess and analyze results automatically by following certain steps," she concluded. Please click here to view a recording of the event.
As an interesting aside from our main story, earlier in the day, Hassan Costello, took a pivotal step towards shaping the future of the Bachelor of Arts in English program. His journey through various high schools in Abha and Khamis Mushait was far from a series of routine academic engagements. Instead, Costello's mission was to engage with educational administrators to solicit their insights on the key components of the program: its mission statement, graduate attributes, program learning outcomes, and the specific learning outcomes of several major courses.
In these insightful exchanges, Costello laid out the core aspects of the program and encouraged administrators to share their perspectives. This dialogue was essential; it was not merely about conveying information but about fostering a collaborative environment where the subtleties of educational goals could be openly discussed. The aim was to ensure that the program's mission not only aligns with the needs of its direct stakeholders, the students, but also resonates with those who guide these students before they enter university. The feedback obtained from these sessions is invaluable, steering the program towards a more integrated and comprehensive approach in its upcoming revision, one that aligns the aspirations of future university students with the evolving demands of the global academic and professional landscape.
Date: 12/22/2021
Source: Faculty of Languages and Translation