Cronbach

Cronbach for Dummies (like me)

//aptitude// - characteristic affects response to treatment //treatment// - instructional method


 * Everybody is different and trying to make education homogeneous is pointless and unfair. Learning does not take place when instruction is tailored for the “average” student.
 * Different instructional methods work for different learners. Adaptations of instruction are necessary and must take into consideration the aptitudes of the learners - “for each individual the treatment to which he can most easily adapt.”
 * "constructively motivated student who seeks challenges and takes responsibility is at his best when an instructor challenges him and then leaves him to pursue his own thoughts projects" (Ai - Achievement via Independence) while the low-performing student benefit from a highly-structured treatment (Ac - Achievement via Conformance) that would hinder the former independent learner.


 * Methods for identifying aptitudes must not be generalized either, and must have “interaction for the treatment.” In other words, tests that determine what instruction may be necessary, must relate directly to the instruction and content that is being taught.
 * Measuring aptitude is new and still being formed, and we need to work towards identifying which aptitudes correspond to which successful instructional methods. “We require a measure of aptitude that remains to be discovered. Ultimately we should design treatments, not to fit the average person, but to fit groups of students with particular aptitude patterns. Conversely, we should seek out the aptitudes which correspond to (interact with) modifiable aspects of the treatment.”
 * This research lays the groundwork for learning orientation research - explores the dominant power of emotions and intentions on guiding and managing the cognitive processes (aptitudes) described by Cronbach.

**Cronbach’s Alpha**

This part is NOT for dummies, and I still don’t quite get it myself, as it is a very intimidating and rather Stargate-ish looking formula. [[image:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/math/0/c/6/0c6aa1b10452949ccc3bc0d76dcc9f4a.png caption=" \alpha = {K \over K-1 } \left(1 - {\sum_{i=1}^K \sigma^2_{Y_i}\over \sigma^2_X}\right) "]] Essentially, what I understand is that Cronbach’s Alpha is a statistic that helps measure reliability and internal consistency, specifically in tests or measures. In other words, it measures how well a set of variables measures a single aspect of individuals. This connects back to Cronbach’s general learning theory in it’s connection to the idea that aptitudes must be reliably identified in order to tailor instruction.


 * **Cronbach's alpha** || **Internal consistency** ||
 * α ≥ .9 || Excellent ||
 * .9 > α ≥ .8 || Good ||
 * .8 > α ≥ .7 || Acceptable ||
 * .7 > α ≥ .6 || Questionable ||
 * .6 > α ≥ .5 || Poor ||
 * .5 > α || Unacceptable ||