Evaluating the Impact of a Statistical Quality Control Case

Nick Evaggelopoulos, Stanley A. Taylor, and Manfred W. Hopfe (presenting)
College of Business Administration
California State University, Sacramento
Sacramento, CA 95819-6088

Abstract

This study uses a model of students’ perceptional view of statistics originally suggested by Evaggelopoulos and Sidorova.  The model draws from the Theory of Reasoned Action (Planned Behavior) in psychology and the Technology Acceptance Model in information systems.  The model attempts to explain and relate the beliefs and the attitudes of business students that describe their appreciation of a statistics course.  A survey of undergraduate students enrolled in five sections of a second-level business statistics course (Data Analysis for Managers), taught during the Spring 2002 semester, provided the material for model validation.  The constructs of this model are (1) the perceived ease of the statistical techniques taught in the class, (2) the perceived usefulness of the statistical techniques taught in the class, (3) the students’ intention to use these techniques in the future, and (4) the students’ overall attitude towards statistics.  Based on this theoretical framework, our study attempts to assess the impact of a Statistical Quality Control case on student appreciation for the data analysis course.  Such an effect is based on the assumption that a data analysis case study should increase the perceived usefulness of the statistical techniques used therein through reference to their real world applicability.  The survey was introduced right before the students’ exposure to the case  and was repeated shortly after its conclusion, about two weeks later.  The results show strong support of the proposed framework.  Analysis of the survey data is conducted using Structural Equation Modeling and the computer package LISREL.  Our study can serve as a documentation of the pedagogical value-adding capabilities of a data analysis case and can serve as a basis for comparison of this added value for other instructional elements, such as a term project.  The particular Statistical Quality Control case used here was developed by one of the authors and is presented in the paper.