This is an exercise that I used in an AP Psych class at a high school. First I explained the different scales and how they worked. Then I had the class get partners and come up with four questions that would have answers that would fit each of the scales. (i.e. hair color for nominal, height for ordinal, etc.) The partnerships then surveyed those around them to collect data and then reported the data to the class, using methods appropriate for each of the scales (rankings, pie chart, or graphs.)
I liked having the students report, because then I was able to find out where the students had misunderstandings and correct them. The students were able to remember the distinctions between the scales because this exercise got them thinking, and they had concrete examples. This could also be done individually, or in large groups depending on the size and logistics of your classroom. The main point of this exercise is to get the students involved. Sometimes students will understand a concept that a peer explains to them, while working in a group, better than they will from listening to a lecture. Sarah Wagstaff -----Original Message----- From: Payam Heidary [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Wednesday, October 10, 2001 12:01 PM To: Teaching in the Psychological Sciences Subject: RE: Levels of Measurement Dear Colleagues, It appears that I have instigated a nice good discussion on this topic but many of you are forgetting about OUR STUDENTS who need to understand these concepts and not us. It is good that we are having these conceptual discussions but the main reason I sent to the post was because I wanted to get some feedback on how to best explain these issues at the "student level" of comprehension and if any of you have any teaching guides or handouts on these topics you could share with me. Regards, Payam Heidary --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
