Example: Factorial design applied in optimisation technique.
To meet the ethical considerations, you need to ensure that.
Collect the data by using suitable data collection according to your experiment’s requirement, such as observations, case studies , surveys , interviews , questionnaires, etc. Analyse the obtained information.
Write the report of your research. Present, conclude, and explain the outcomes of your study .
What is the first step in conducting an experimental research.
The first step in conducting experimental research is to define your research question or hypothesis. Clearly outline the purpose and expectations of your experiment to guide the entire research process.
This introductory guide looks at what quantitative observation is in research, how it’s carried out, its purpose, and the methods involved.
Ethnography is a type of research where a researcher observes the people in their natural environment. Here is all you need to know about ethnography.
A variable is a characteristic that can change and have more than one value, such as age, height, and weight. But what are the different types of variables?
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Experimental research.
The goal of the experimental method is to provide more definitive conclusions about the causal relationships among the variables in a research hypothesis than what is available from correlational research. Experiments are designed to test hypotheses , or specific statements about the relationship between variables . Experiments are conducted in a controlled setting in an effort to explain how certain factors or events produce outcomes. A variable is anything that changes in value . In the experimental research design, the variables of interest are called the independent variable and the dependent variable. The independent variable in an experiment is the causing variable that is created or manipulated by the experimenter . The dependent variable in an experiment is a measured variable that is expected to be influenced by the experimental manipulation.
A good experiment randomly assigns participants to at least two groups that are compared. The experimental group receives the treatment under investigation, while the control group does not receive the treatment the experimenter is studying as a comparison. For instance, to assess whether violent TV affects aggressive behavior the experimental group might view a violent television show, while the control group watches a non-violent show. Additionally, experimental designs control for extraneous variables , or variables that are not part of the experiment that could inadvertently effect either the experimental or control group, thus distorting the results.
Despite the advantage of determining causation, experiments do have limitations. One is that they are often conducted in laboratory situations rather than in the everyday lives of people. Therefore, we do not know whether results that we find in a laboratory setting will necessarily hold up in everyday life. Second, and more important, is that some of the most interesting and key social variables cannot be experimentally manipulated because of ethical concerns. If we want to study the influence of abuse on children’s development of depression, these relationships must be assessed using correlational designs because it is simply not ethical to experimentally manipulate these variables. Characteristics of descriptive, correlational, and experimental research designs can be found in Table 1.5.
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Descriptive | To create a snapshot of the current state of affairs | Provides a relatively complete picture of what is occurring at a given time. Allows the development of questions for further study. | Does not assess relationships among variables. May be unethical if participants do not know they are being observed. |
Correlational | To assess the relationships between and among two or more variables | Allows testing of expected relationships between and among variables and the making of predictions. Can assess these relationships in everyday life events. | Cannot be used to draw inferences about the causal relationships between and among the variables. |
Experimental | To assess the causal impact of one or more experimental manipulations on a dependent variable | Allows drawing of conclusions about the causal relationships among variables. | Cannot experimentally manipulate many important variables. May be expensive and time consuming. |
Source: Stangor, C. (2011). (4th ed.). Mountain View, CA: Cengage. |
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Ever wondered why scientists across the world are being lauded for discovering the Covid-19 vaccine so early? It’s because every…
Ever wondered why scientists across the world are being lauded for discovering the Covid-19 vaccine so early? It’s because every government knows that vaccines are a result of experimental research design and it takes years of collected data to make one. It takes a lot of time to compare formulas and combinations with an array of possibilities across different age groups, genders and physical conditions. With their efficiency and meticulousness, scientists redefined the meaning of experimental research when they discovered a vaccine in less than a year.
Characteristics of experimental research design, types of experimental research design, advantages and disadvantages of experimental research, examples of experimental research.
Experimental research is a scientific method of conducting research using two variables: independent and dependent. Independent variables can be manipulated to apply to dependent variables and the effect is measured. This measurement usually happens over a significant period of time to establish conditions and conclusions about the relationship between these two variables.
Experimental research is widely implemented in education, psychology, social sciences and physical sciences. Experimental research is based on observation, calculation, comparison and logic. Researchers collect quantitative data and perform statistical analyses of two sets of variables. This method collects necessary data to focus on facts and support sound decisions. It’s a helpful approach when time is a factor in establishing cause-and-effect relationships or when an invariable behavior is seen between the two.
Now that we know the meaning of experimental research, let’s look at its characteristics, types and advantages.
The hypothesis is at the core of an experimental research design. Researchers propose a tentative answer after defining the problem and then test the hypothesis to either confirm or disregard it. Here are a few characteristics of experimental research:
Experimental research is equally effective in non-laboratory settings as it is in labs. It helps in predicting events in an experimental setting. It generalizes variable relationships so that they can be implemented outside the experiment and applied to a wider interest group.
The way a researcher assigns subjects to different groups determines the types of experimental research design .
In a pre-experimental research design, researchers observe a group or various groups to see the effect an independent variable has on the dependent variable to cause change. There is no control group as it is a simple form of experimental research . It’s further divided into three categories:
This design is practical but lacks in certain areas of true experimental criteria.
This design depends on statistical analysis to approve or disregard a hypothesis. It’s an accurate design that can be conducted with or without a pretest on a minimum of two dependent variables assigned randomly. It is further classified into three types:
True experimental research design should have a variable to manipulate, a control group and random distribution.
With experimental research, we can test ideas in a controlled environment before marketing. It acts as the best method to test a theory as it can help in making predictions about a subject and drawing conclusions. Let’s look at some of the advantages that make experimental research useful:
Even though it’s a scientific method, it has a few drawbacks. Here are a few disadvantages of this research method:
Experimental research design is a sophisticated method that investigates relationships or occurrences among people or phenomena under a controlled environment and identifies the conditions responsible for such relationships or occurrences
Experimental research can be used in any industry to anticipate responses, changes, causes and effects. Here are some examples of experimental research :
Experimental research is considered a standard method that uses observations, simulations and surveys to collect data. One of its unique features is the ability to control extraneous variables and their effects. It’s a suitable method for those looking to examine the relationship between cause and effect in a field setting or in a laboratory. Although experimental research design is a scientific approach, research is not entirely a scientific process. As much as managers need to know what is experimental research , they have to apply the correct research method, depending on the aim of the study.
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Experimental design refers to how participants are allocated to different groups in an experiment. Types of design include repeated measures, independent groups, and matched pairs designs.
Probably the most common way to design an experiment in psychology is to divide the participants into two groups, the experimental group and the control group, and then introduce a change to the experimental group, not the control group.
The researcher must decide how he/she will allocate their sample to the different experimental groups. For example, if there are 10 participants, will all 10 participants participate in both groups (e.g., repeated measures), or will the participants be split in half and take part in only one group each?
Three types of experimental designs are commonly used:
Independent measures design, also known as between-groups , is an experimental design where different participants are used in each condition of the independent variable. This means that each condition of the experiment includes a different group of participants.
This should be done by random allocation, ensuring that each participant has an equal chance of being assigned to one group.
Independent measures involve using two separate groups of participants, one in each condition. For example:
Repeated Measures design is an experimental design where the same participants participate in each independent variable condition. This means that each experiment condition includes the same group of participants.
Repeated Measures design is also known as within-groups or within-subjects design .
Suppose we used a repeated measures design in which all of the participants first learned words in “loud noise” and then learned them in “no noise.”
We expect the participants to learn better in “no noise” because of order effects, such as practice. However, a researcher can control for order effects using counterbalancing.
The sample would be split into two groups: experimental (A) and control (B). For example, group 1 does ‘A’ then ‘B,’ and group 2 does ‘B’ then ‘A.’ This is to eliminate order effects.
Although order effects occur for each participant, they balance each other out in the results because they occur equally in both groups.
A matched pairs design is an experimental design where pairs of participants are matched in terms of key variables, such as age or socioeconomic status. One member of each pair is then placed into the experimental group and the other member into the control group .
One member of each matched pair must be randomly assigned to the experimental group and the other to the control group.
Experimental design refers to how participants are allocated to an experiment’s different conditions (or IV levels). There are three types:
1. Independent measures / between-groups : Different participants are used in each condition of the independent variable.
2. Repeated measures /within groups : The same participants take part in each condition of the independent variable.
3. Matched pairs : Each condition uses different participants, but they are matched in terms of important characteristics, e.g., gender, age, intelligence, etc.
Read about each of the experiments below. For each experiment, identify (1) which experimental design was used; and (2) why the researcher might have used that design.
1 . To compare the effectiveness of two different types of therapy for depression, depressed patients were assigned to receive either cognitive therapy or behavior therapy for a 12-week period.
The researchers attempted to ensure that the patients in the two groups had similar severity of depressed symptoms by administering a standardized test of depression to each participant, then pairing them according to the severity of their symptoms.
2 . To assess the difference in reading comprehension between 7 and 9-year-olds, a researcher recruited each group from a local primary school. They were given the same passage of text to read and then asked a series of questions to assess their understanding.
3 . To assess the effectiveness of two different ways of teaching reading, a group of 5-year-olds was recruited from a primary school. Their level of reading ability was assessed, and then they were taught using scheme one for 20 weeks.
At the end of this period, their reading was reassessed, and a reading improvement score was calculated. They were then taught using scheme two for a further 20 weeks, and another reading improvement score for this period was calculated. The reading improvement scores for each child were then compared.
4 . To assess the effect of the organization on recall, a researcher randomly assigned student volunteers to two conditions.
Condition one attempted to recall a list of words that were organized into meaningful categories; condition two attempted to recall the same words, randomly grouped on the page.
Ecological validity.
The degree to which an investigation represents real-life experiences.
These are the ways that the experimenter can accidentally influence the participant through their appearance or behavior.
The clues in an experiment lead the participants to think they know what the researcher is looking for (e.g., the experimenter’s body language).
The variable the experimenter manipulates (i.e., changes) is assumed to have a direct effect on the dependent variable.
Variable the experimenter measures. This is the outcome (i.e., the result) of a study.
All variables which are not independent variables but could affect the results (DV) of the experiment. Extraneous variables should be controlled where possible.
Variable(s) that have affected the results (DV), apart from the IV. A confounding variable could be an extraneous variable that has not been controlled.
Randomly allocating participants to independent variable conditions means that all participants should have an equal chance of taking part in each condition.
The principle of random allocation is to avoid bias in how the experiment is carried out and limit the effects of participant variables.
Changes in participants’ performance due to their repeating the same or similar test more than once. Examples of order effects include:
(i) practice effect: an improvement in performance on a task due to repetition, for example, because of familiarity with the task;
(ii) fatigue effect: a decrease in performance of a task due to repetition, for example, because of boredom or tiredness.
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Participatory enterprise modeling (PEM) means that stakeholders become directly involved in the process of creating enterprise models. Based on their different perspectives, they discuss and exchange knowledge and ideas in joint meetings and, with the support of modeling experts, they collaboratively create the models. Although there is a lot of empirical and theoretical work on group work and collaboration that we can build on, there are still many aspects of PEM that we should research. The participatory approach is claimed to lead to higher model quality and commitment, empirical evidence is, however, still scarce. Moreover, there are many factors that might influence productivity and the outcome of participatory modeling projects, such as facilitation methods or the tools used for modeling. In this paper, I will discuss the special value, but also methodical challenges and limitations of experimental studies on PEM compared to surveys and case studies. I will give methodical recommendations on how to design and implement experiments on PEM and discuss how they can eventually add to case studies carried out in companies.
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Gutschmidt, A. (2022). Advantages and Limitations of Experiments for Researching Participatory Enterprise Modeling and Recommendations for Their Implementation. In: Barn, B.S., Sandkuhl, K. (eds) The Practice of Enterprise Modeling. PoEM 2022. Lecture Notes in Business Information Processing, vol 456. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-21488-2_14
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Experimental research uses a scientific method for conducting research, employing the most methodical research design. Known as the gold standard, it involves performing experiments to reach conclusions and can be conducted based on some of the findings from previous forms of research.
Logically, it would follow correlational research, which studies the relationships between variables. It can also follow causal research , a kind of experimental research in itself, as it establishes cause and effect relationships between previously studied variables.
Experimental research is typically used in psychology, physical and social sciences, along with education. However, it too can be applied to business.
This article expounds on experimental research, how it is conducted, how it differs from other forms of research, its key aspects and how survey studies can complement it.
Experimental research is a kind of study that rigidly follows a scientific research design. It involves testing or attempting to prove a hypothesis by way of experimentation . As such, it uses one or more independent variables, manipulating them and then using them on one or more dependent variables .
In this process, the researchers can measure the effect of the independent variable(s) on the dependent variable(s). This kind of study is performed over some time, so that researchers can form a corroborated conclusion about the two variables.
The experimental research design must be carried out in a controlled environment .
Throughout the experiment, the researcher collects data that can support or refute a hypothesis, thus, this research is also referred to as hypothesis testing or a deductive research method.
There are various attributes that are formative of and unique to experimental research in addition to its main purpose. Understanding these is key to understanding this kind of research in-depth and what to expect when performing it.
The following enumerates the defining characteristics of this kind of research:
Experimental research encompasses three subtypes that researchers can implement. They all fall under experimental research, differing in how the subjects are classified. They can be classified based on their conditions or groups.
This entails a group or several groups to be observed after factors of cause and effect are implemented.
Representing half or pseudo, the moniker “quasi” is used to allude to resembling true experimental research, but not entirely.
This kind of experimental research design studies statistical analysis to confirm or debunk a hypothesis.
There are various benefits to conducting experimental research for businesses. Firstly, this form of research can help businesses test a new strategy before fully engaging in/ launching it.
The strategy can involve anything from content marketing strategy, to a new product launch. This is especially useful for technology companies, which conduct experimentation frequently. In fact, this kind of research is essential to an R & D (research and development) department.
This makes experimental research a much-needed effort when it comes to spurring innovation. Whether it involves a slight rebranding or an upgrade of products, experimental research guides these campaigns in a science-backed manner.
Secondly, a business must excel in meeting customer needs. Customer experience is an overwhelmingly important side of any business, as customers are willing to make on-the-stop purchases and pay more for a good CX .
As such, each product addition and change in a customer journey must be carried out wisely. Businesses ought to avoid creating unwanted services, or those that cause any aversion within customers. Instead, they should only invest in the most profitable services, products and experiences, a feat that cannot be accomplished solely on guesswork.
Experimenting allows brands to understand customer preferences and changes in their behaviors , as the experiments create stimuli and changes in independent variables.
Additionally, experimental research grants companions an understanding of their business environment. In turn, this helps them predict outcomes, or create hypotheses about outcomes to guide them in further research, if need be. For example, a business may consider testing the reactions of its competitors should it raise its costs on various offers.
Aside from discovering if this yields a profitable change, it can discover how companies in the same niche respond and if those responses drive more sales, etc.
Market researchers can apply experimental research to a wide breadth of testing needs. Virtually anything that requires proof, confirmation, or is clouded by uncertainty can put experimentation into practice.
The following is an example of how a business can use this research:
A product manager needs to convince the higher-ups in a denim company to launch a new product line at a particular department store. The objective of this launch is to increase sales, expand the company’s floor presence and widen the offerings.
The manager has to prove that this line is needed in order for the company to pitch the idea to the department store. The product manager can then conduct experimental research to provide a strong case for their theory, that a new line can raise sales.
The product manager performs experimental research by executing a test in a few stores, in which the new line of denim is sold. These stores are varied in location to signify the target market sales before and after the launch. The test runs for a month to determine if the hypothesis (the new line resulting in increased attention and sales) can be proven.
This represents a field experiment. The product manager must heed the sales and foot traffic of the new product line, paying attention to spikes in revenue and overall sales to justify the new line.
Survey research runs contrary to experimental research, unlike the other main forms of research such as exploratory, descriptive and correlational research. This is because the nature of surveys is observational, while experimental research, as its name signifies, relies on experimentations, that is testing out changes and studying the reactions to the changes.
Despite the contrast of survey research to experimental research, they are not completely at odds. In fact, surveys are a potent method to gain further insight into an existing experiment or understand variables before conducting an experiment in the first place.
As such, businesses can adopt a wide variety of surveys to complement their experimental research. Here are some of the key forms of surveys that work in tandem with experimentation:
Experimental research differs from exploratory, descriptive and correlational research in self-evident ways. It is, however, often conflated with causal research. However, they too have notable differences.
Causal research involves finding the cause-and-effect relationships between variables. Thus, it too employs experimentation. However, this means that causal research is a form of experimental research, not the other way around.
Experimental research, on the other hand, is fully science and experiment-based, as it chiefly seeks to prove or disprove a hypothesis. While this largely involves studying independent and dependent variables, as it does in causal research, it is not solely based on these aspects. Instead, it can introduce a new variable without knowing the dependent variable or experiment on an entirely new idea (as in the example used in the previous selection).
Causal research looks into the comparison of variable relationships to find a cause and effect, while experimental research states an expected relationship between variables and is bent on testing a hypothesis.
As far as comparisons to correlational research go, while experimental research also studies the relationships between variables, it functions far beyond this by manipulating the variables and virtually all subjects involved in experiments .
On the contrary, correlational research does not apply any alterations or conditioning to variables. Instead, it is a purely observational research method. As such, it merely detects whether there is a correlation between only 2 variables. In contrast, experimental research studies and experiments with several at a time.
Exploratory research is vastly different from experimental research, as it forms the very foundation of a research problem and establishes a hypothesis for further research. As such, it is conducted as the very first kind of research around a new topic and does not fixate on variables.
Descriptive research , like exploratory research and unlike experimental research, is conducted early in the full research process, following exploratory research. Like exploratory research, it seeks to paint a picture of a problem or phenomenon , as it zeros in an already-established issue and delves further, in pursuit of all the details and conditions surrounding it.
Thus, unlike experimental research, it only observes; it does not manipulate variables in any capacity or setting.
Experimental research offers several benefits for researchers and businesses. However, as with all other research methods, it too carries a few disadvantages that researchers should be aware of.
Experimental research is often the final form of research conducted in the research process and is considered conclusive research. The following explains the general steps required to successfully complete experimental research.
Although experimental research can be very complex, this research method is the most conclusive. Using a scientific approach, it can help you form tests on various business matters. While it is critical for understanding your target market’s and customers’ existing behaviors, it can also be used to experiment on a wide variety of other matters.
Before launching a new product, or an updated one, for example, you can conduct an experiment to understand the product in action. This helps you avoid any glitches or undesirable qualities that will incur problems for your customs and a bad reputation for your brand.
Experimental research is not for every business, yet if you decide to implement this form of research, consider using surveys in tandem. An online survey platform can help you establish and distribute your surveys to a wide network via organic sampling to avoid biases.
Although it isn’t a requirement, in today’s age of excelling in customer experience (CX), it is of the essence to have as much data on your target market as possible. An online survey tool makes this possible.
Do you want to distribute your survey? Pollfish offers you access to millions of targeted consumers to get survey responses from $0.95 per complete. Launch your survey today.
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6. Experimental research allows cause and effect to be determined. The manipulation of variables allows for researchers to be able to look at various cause-and-effect relationships that a product, theory, or idea can produce. It is a process which allows researchers to dig deeper into what is possible, showing how the various variable ...
List of Disadvantages of Experimental Research. 1. It can lead to artificial situations. In many scenarios, experimental researchers manipulate variables in an attempt to replicate real-world scenarios to understand the function of drugs, gadgets, treatments, and other new discoveries. This works most of the time, but there are cases when ...
1. Experimental research offers the highest levels of control. The procedures involved with experimental research make it possible to isolate specific variables within virtually any topic. This advantage makes it possible to determine if outcomes are viable.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Experimental Research: Discussion In educational research, experimentation is a way to gain insight into methods of instruction. Although teaching is context specific, results can provide a starting point for further study.
Study, experimental, or research design is the backbone of good research. It directs the experiment by orchestrating data collection, defines the statistical analysis of the resultant data, and guides the interpretation of the results. When properly described in the written report of the experiment, it serves as a road map to readers, 1 helping ...
The Advantages of Experimental Research. 1. A High Level Of Control. With experimental research groups, the people conducting the research have a very high level of control over their variables. By isolating and determining what they are looking for, they have a great advantage in finding accurate results. 2.
Experimental research design is a framework of protocols and procedures created to conduct experimental research with a scientific approach using two sets of variables. Herein, the first set of variables acts as a constant, used to measure the differences of the second set. ... Advantages of Experimental Research. Experimental research allows ...
The classic experimental design definition is: "The methods used to collect data in experimental studies.". There are three primary types of experimental design: The way you classify research subjects based on conditions or groups determines the type of research design you should use. 01. Pre-Experimental Design.
10 Experimental research. 10. Experimental research. Experimental research—often considered to be the 'gold standard' in research designs—is one of the most rigorous of all research designs. In this design, one or more independent variables are manipulated by the researcher (as treatments), subjects are randomly assigned to different ...
Experimental research serves as a fundamental scientific method aimed at unraveling. cause-and-effect relationships between variables across various disciplines. This. paper delineates the key ...
Advantages and disadvantages of experimental research. Just as with any other study, experimental research also has its positive and negative sides. It is up to the researchers to be mindful of these facts before starting their studies. Let us see some advantages and disadvantages of experimental research: Advantages of experimental research:
1. Lab Experiment. A laboratory experiment in psychology is a research method in which the experimenter manipulates one or more independent variables and measures the effects on the dependent variable under controlled conditions. A laboratory experiment is conducted under highly controlled conditions (not necessarily a laboratory) where ...
Research design Goal Advantages Disadvantages; Descriptive: ... Two advantages of the experimental research design are (1) the assurance that the independent variable (also known as the experimental manipulation) occurs prior to the measured dependent variable, and (2) the creation of initial equivalence between the conditions of the experiment ...
Experimental research refers to the experiments conducted in the laboratory or observation under controlled conditions. Researchers try to find out the cause-and-effect relationship between two or more variables. The subjects/participants in the experiment are selected and observed. They receive treatments such as changes in room temperature ...
In the experimental research design, the variables of interest are called the independent variable and the dependent variable. ... Advantages. Disadvantages. Descriptive. To create a snapshot of the current state of affairs. Provides a relatively complete picture of what is occurring at a given time. Allows the development of questions for ...
The three main types of experimental research design are: 1. Pre-experimental research. A pre-experimental research study is an observational approach to performing an experiment. It's the most basic style of experimental research. Free experimental research can occur in one of these design structures: One-shot case study research design: In ...
Advantages And Disadvantages Of Experimental Research . With experimental research, we can test ideas in a controlled environment before marketing. It acts as the best method to test a theory as it can help in making predictions about a subject and drawing conclusions. Let's look at some of the advantages that make experimental research useful:
Experimental research uses the scientific method to find preferable ways of accomplishing a task for providing a service. Businesses typically use experimental analysis to test new products, production methods, marketing techniques or even scientific or technological advancements. For example, if a company working in the technology sector to ...
Three types of experimental designs are commonly used: 1. Independent Measures. Independent measures design, also known as between-groups, is an experimental design where different participants are used in each condition of the independent variable. This means that each condition of the experiment includes a different group of participants.
List of Advantages of Experimental Research. 1. Control over variables. This kind of research looks into controlling independent variables so that extraneous and unwanted variables are removed. 2. Determination of cause and effect relationship is easy.
Experimental design is the process of deciding how to implement scientific research. There are many types of experimental design, all of which have advantages and disadvantages.
To sum up, every research approach - survey, case study and experiment - have their own advantages and disadvantages while at the same time, PEM causes very complex and challenging situations that researchers have to handle. ... To support future experimental research and help other researchers in designing experiments in the context of PEM ...
The Advantages and Disadvantages of Experimental Research. Experimental research offers several benefits for researchers and businesses. However, as with all other research methods, it too carries a few disadvantages that researchers should be aware of. The Advantages. Researchers have a full level of control in an experiment.
We aim to provide guidelines for studying the environmental stability of infectious respiratory viruses. First, the advances and limitations of the experimental techniques on viral infectivity are introduced; these include the generation, storage, and collection of viral aerosols as well as the other experimental settings.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Primary Market Research Advantages. Primary market research provides several significant advantages. One of the most crucial is data ownership, which gives ...
The experimental results of this study showed that the experimental group showed significant improvement in the learning self-efficacy dimensions after the experimental intervention in the social ...