Evaluation of Instruction Using Exploratory Data Analysis

This article describes a way to evaluate students in their classroom performance while taking a computer aided instruction course. This method is known as exploratory data analysis. Exploratory data analysis is a way of thinking about data analysis and also a way of doing it. The exploratory approach to data analysis seeks to have the user identify relationships among data that may go unnoticed with more traditional techniques. Exploratory data analysis is an alternative method to evaluate a student's performance in the classroom. The major benefits in utilizing EDA are: 1) the distribution better represents the typical student performance; 2) order statistics are more resistant to outliers; 3) the grade assignment process is more objective; 4) the technique is intuitively understood by instructors and students alike; and 5) a series of application programs are available for computerization.