Analyzing Student Data in a Spreadsheet

I took a somewhat convoluted route to analyzing student data in a spreadsheet.  I copied the raw test data (tests 1-10) for all students and pasted these into an Excel spreadsheet, since I am already an experienced Excel user.  I deleted the test scores for tests 1-5, since we are only interested in looking at scores from the second half of the testing period.  I entered formulas to calcute each student's average score (tests 6-10) at the end of each row containing the student scores.  I entered formulas to calculate the average of all student test scores for each test at the bottom of the column for each test.  I also calculated the overall average score on all of the tests by all of the students.

Since we are interested in looking at only those students whose average on all tests was below the overall average, I sorted the students and their test scores based on their averages on all tests.  I then deleted student records for those students whose average on all tests was above the overall average.  Finally, I sorted the remaining student files alphabetically by last name.

Now that I had the  particular students records with scores on tests 6-10 in the order that I wanted to look at, I copied and pasted this data into a Google Docs spreadsheet.  I opened a second sheet and created a line chart, indentifying the individual students by line color and plotting their test scores on the y-axis and the test numbers on the x-axis.  For each student, his/her line represents the increase or decrease in test performance over the second half of the testing period.

Finally, I posted the student data and line chart in this blog, embedding the html code  in the blog.  For those who cannot view the spreadsheet or line chart, it is available at:
https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0Alj58Q_Hg8ItdHVmYk9BWXF4cXlHbm9VNXdXejZ0cGc&hl=en#gid=0

In retrospect, I could have performed the student data and test scores averaging, sorting, and cullling within a Google Docs spreadsheet, instead of doing this in an Excel spreadsheet and then copying it into Googe Docs.  I could have opened a new page at each step in Google Docs, copying info from the previous page and manipulating data via the functions available there.

The final result of my efforts:

If I were a the teacher in the above class, what might these scores and line graphs tell me about these selected students' performance?  As a group, their performance improved consistently during the second half of the period, fairly dramatically for some, not very dramatically for others (Isabella and Scott).  Hepburn stands out as being all over the map, although finishing fairly strong.  Special counseling or tutoring might be in order for weaker or inconsistent performers.

My favorite Web 2.0 tools

Web 2.0 can be defined as the process of accessing selected web-based software tools and services and using these to create, edit, and store web-based documents.  The software applications and web services  include word processing, spreadsheets, powerpoint-like presentations, audio and video conferencing and productions, online calendars and scheduling, and others.  These applications can be invaluable in the creation and editing of group projects, since the common document can be accessed and edited anywhere via computer.  They can also enhance personal productivity because time is not wasted on trying to track changes in a document or project—these are made in real time.

One example of a free Web 2.0 tool is a personal productivity software application called Tiny URL.com.

Functions of tinyURL.com:

In a web-based era when communications often include directing others to particular web sites or links, TinyURL.com can be a useful tool.  Briefly, what this application does is to convert a long URL into a much shorter one.

How can tinyURL.com improve productivity for teachers and students?

• It dramatically cuts down the number of keystrokes needed to access a site and thereby reduces the possibility of keying errors (which would require doing it all over again) by teacher and students
• A teacher could give several tiny URLs to students to guide them in their research or in a group project, or students could share their findings among themselves using tiny URLs as they work on a project
• An example:  the link to the document in the blog post “Google Docs,” below, could have been easily converted to the following link using tinyURL.com:   http://tinyURL.com/googledocstiny123

Another example of a Web 2.0 tool is the screen recorder tool called TokBox.com.

Functions of TokBox.com:

Using TokBox.com, you can use a video camera and microphone to communicate with others on the web, to do video conferencing, to record and post speeches or presentations, or to send streaming video email.  Invitations to video conferences only require you to know the other person’s email address.

How can TokBox.com improve productivity for teachers and students?

• The potential uses for this tool in doing presentations are almost unlimited, and these can be simultaneously viewed and recorded for future playback
• Online discussions or debates would be especially amenable to the TokBox format
• Input from the teacher or from other students would be in real time, and the presentation can be tweaked accordingly
• There would be no time wasted in individually viewing the presentation, emailing comments, revising the script, further revising etc.
• Teachers could question students in real time to assess their understanding of the subject matter in the presentation

Google Docs

A powerful collaborative tool for teachers and students is GOOGLE DOCS.  In brief, Google Docs can be defined as a web-based word processing tool.

Google Docs has tremendous potential for improving productivity and for enhancing teaching and learning:

• A user can create a document that can be instantly shared by others and edited by others 
• To view or edit the document, a participant only needs to have a computer with access to the web and only needs to access a single web site
• Each participant can take part in the process simultaneously
• Productivity is improved because time is not wasted emailing a document back and forth among participants each time someone tweaks the document--updates are in real time
• By allowing instant feedback on shared documents, it promotes collaboration among students working on a group project
• It also provides a great tool for a teachers, who can use students' documents to assess their level of understanding and who can offer instant suggestions for improvement, allowing students to make changes where recommended

In my experience, Google Docs is easly to learn.  Anyone who has used a popular word processor such as Microsoft Word will find Google Docs intuitively familiar.  Google Docs may not have all of the "bells and whistles" that have been incorporated into MS Word, but it is powerful enough for most word processing applications.

Kristeen B. and I created a sample document with Google Docs, tentatively finding our way together during the project.  It includes a summary of Google Docs features, plus an unrelated image that we pulled off the web (for purposes of demonstration).  The sample document can be viewed at:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1lUj510-6VTm5yvt8NvZRFMNxf4NsgLwBwZgQtOZu15c/edit?hl=en

OTEN Inspiration Conference in Forest Grove, Oregon, on September 25,2010

Along with other MAT colleagues, I attended a half-day conference on technology in education held at the Berglund Center at Pacific University.  Tim Lauer was the opening Keynote Speaker.  He presented an interesting historical overview of the use of technology in the classrom.  He also described a class project from his days as a teacher at Buckman Elementary School, where his students constructed a hovercraft and posted their project on the web.

I also attended a session on Using Technology in Social Studies Classrooms, presented by Jeff Barlow from Pacific University.  He described a class project where his students set up a web site for black Korean War veterans.  He shared his outline of how to implement such a project.

Finally, I attended a session on using GoogleApps in the Classroom presented by Willamette's own Steve Rhine.  He demonstrated the usefulness of several Google applications, plus a few non-Google applications, all of which are free and readily avialable.

A good conference--I only wish that I could have attended more sessions!

An audio summary of these sessions is available using the Yodio link embedded above (also available at:
http://yodio.com/yo.aspx?cardId=hXFn9QlMx56GvHUhbToA5J).

Blogging Applications for Teachers and Students

Blogging can be a useful tool for both teachers and students.  Here are some possible applications:

Teachers

• Classroom management applications such as calendar, class roster, syllabus, assignments, and attendance
• Collaborative applications with students such as maintaining folders for students' work, with instant teacher critiques and suggestions for revision
• Enable additional opportunities for mentoring individual students
• Communicating with other teachers, administrators, and parents regarding student performance and evaluation
• Use of blogs as a centralized library to pull together instructional materials relevant to the course
• Can give parents access to students work (and assignments) and encourage their involvement

Students

• Learn to collaborate with other students on projects
• Get instant feedback on submitted projects from their teachers
• Get feedback on their work from other students
• Get more involved in the educational process and more motivated to succeed
• Improve their reading and writing skills
• Can use blogs as a forum to hone their communication skills and develop their critical reasoning abilities

Example of a possible assignment:  Students would be separated into small groups.  One group would post information about the US system of government, its structure and functions, in outline form.  Each of the remaining groups would choose one of a few selected countries with a different model (the British parliamentary system, the French system, the Chinese system, for example) and post information about that country's system of government.  The blog discussion topic would be to compare and contrast the different systems via postings.