Software Analysis

A professor designed a new software package to help her students with their statistics assignments.
One class used the software package for their homework (experimental group) and one group did not use the software package (control group).
One statistics quiz score per student for the control group (no software help) are as follows (Be sure to click enter or return after each score or the system will view the groups as one participant):
45 39 36 34 34 33 31 31 30 30 28 28 28 27 27 25 23 22 21 21 20 18 8.
One statistics quiz score per student for the experimental group (software users) are as follows (Be sure to click enter or return after each score or the system will view the groups as one participant):
72 65 47 44 41 40 34 33 33 30 29 28 27 27 25 24 24 23 22 21 21 17.
Using the vassarstat link below, analyse the data and answer questions 1 to 3.
Calculate the mean and standard deviation for the experimental and control groups (see step 1).
Compare the means for the two groups. Use a t-test for independent sample means at a .05 level of significance (see step 2 below). Note the t, df, and p. Indicate whether you accept or reject the null hypothesis and why. What does this mean in terms of your research hypothesis?
Step 1. Use VassarStats located here: http://vassarstats.net/Links to an external site. Choose the link that says t-tests and procedures from the left menu.
Step 2. Then choose the link at the far left in blue that says Two-Sample t-Test for Independent or Correlated Samples (and again at the top centre of the page). Once the analysis page pops up, In “Set Up” select the Independent Means at the top of the grid. This will allow you to enter the raw data in “Data Entry” (copy and paste in one data point at a time and hit return) and have the computer complete the required calculations.
Step 3. At the bottom in red (“Print This Window”) choose “printable format” to be taken to a screen that you can print, or you can just copy that screen, paste it into a Word document, adjust the columns so I can read them, and use that as the basis for your answers to questions 1 to 3 below. Send your resulting sheet with your discussion as an attachment.
Analysis Questions

1. Before performing data analyses, make a prediction (hypothesis) about the pattern of results you expect to see and why. Which condition do you think will result in the highest test scores, on average? Note any personal biases that may have influenced your beliefs or expectations.
2. Write out your hypothesis that reflects the data that have been collected (descriptive, comparative, or relationship). Hypotheses are usually written like this

• “Students who used the software package with homework will score higher.” (directional hypothesis because it predicts the direction of the result).
• “There will be no difference in results for students who did or did not use the software package.” (null [“no difference”] hypothesis

1. What are the independent and dependent variables in the study?
2. Respond to each of two classmates about the ideas they expressed.