Statistical and Practical Significance: Too Many Problems

Statistical and Practical Significance: Too Many Problems with Method

Not enough tests

Different methods

Role of the technology

Target audience was different

Different times of year

Quick Polls

Gender oriented

Not enough participants

Quick polls

Teens were given a different set of standards for their book club, specifically, they were given "Quick polls" which allowed them to compare their answers to others. The two clubs, therefore, were too different to compare.

Role of technology

The Moodle platform gave students the opportunity to connect in ways they may not have been able to previously. The authors even stated that some of the time was spent community building and discussing things outside of the books. This may be why the club was exciting, rather than the task of reading.

Target audience was different

Preteens madeup one club while teens particpated in the other. This, again, makes comparrison difficult especially since the authors even stated that preteens and teens of the era already had different reading habits.

Not enough participants

There were less than 20 students signed up for either book club. This is not enough of a data set from which to make any significant assumptions.

Different times of year

One club took place during the summer, when students had more time on their hands. The other took place during the school year, making it harder for students to have time to dedicate to their reading and the book club.

Different methods

The two clubs were run differently: one was run by a librarian while the other depended more on the participants themselves. This makes comparison of the two instances problematic.

The preteen book club was only for girls. This could affect the results because maybe girls are more prone to read or participate in activities like book clubs.

Gender oriented

Not enough tests

Two examples of book clubs is not enough infromation from which to make claims.