Question

Learning biology with computers An educator wants to compare the effectiveness of computer software for teaching biology with that of a textbook presentation. She gives a biology pretest to each student in a group of high school juniors, then randomly divides them into two groups. One group uses the computer, and the other studies the text. At the end of the year, she tests all the students again and compares the increase in biology test scores in the two groups. Identify the explanatory and response variables in this study. Then determine if it is an experiment or an observational study. Explain your reasoning.

Short answer

Given research is an Experiment. it is not an observational study.

Step-by-step solution

Given information

We need to find if given study is Experiment or observational study.

Simplify

The teacher seeks to compare the results of biology with the methods of teaching habits, including such computer or text studies, in this study.
The computer/text study is the independent variable since it is unaffected by other factors, whereas the exam results of the two groups are the dependent variable because they are reliant on how the biology subject is taught.
As a result, the computer/text research is the explanatory variable, while the subject's test score is the study's response variable.
In addition, the teacher is testing the kids and purposefully imposing some therapy on them in order to acquire information.
As a result, this research is a test.