Experimental mortality

Differences subsequent testing sessions may occur because the composition of the group has changed.

a) Care was taken by the researcher/facilitator that no participant should leave the educational programme without a valid reason.

b) If a participant had to leave the room/venue the researcher made sure that it was not because of the educational programme.

c) The researcher tried to have the full complement of participants until the end of the educational programme.

Pretesting

The experience of taking the pre-test may sensitize subjects towards the post-test.

a) Both groups received the same pre-test at the same time, although at different campuses.

b) No boredom as stated by Vockell and Asher

(1995, p. 243) was observed.

Instability

Chance fluctuations in scores arising from unreliability may cause changes in performance during various tests.

An independent rater was used to secure inter-rater reliability of the scoring rubric of the case scenario questions before the rubric was finalized and utilized for scoring answers to the case scenario. Cohen Kappa’s coefficient was determined to indicate inter?rater reliability.

Social? psychological threats

Dynamics of the experimental situation may set up alternative treatments that may account for differences.

a) Groups selected for the experimental and control groups were similar in compilation and characteristics.

b) Normal lectures went on for the control group while the experimental group underwent the educational programme.

c) Participants did not give any indication that a sense of unfairness existed among them because they were not chosen to be the experimental group.

Expectancy effects

Outcomes may occur because experimenter or subjects expected those outcomes.

a) The researcher did not have any expectation for the educational programme.

b) The researcher did not verbalize any expectations towards participants.

c) Case scenario given to students was in line with their academic standing since they were in their 4th year of study.

d) The answers to the pre-test and post-test were a true reflection of their internal processes.

e) The outcome of the educational programme was therefore not distorted because of researcher expectations.

f) The researcher tried to refrain from unwittingly influencing the participants towards the desired outcome.