Press Releases
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Al Renshaw
Phone: (800) 577-9040, Ext. 201
e-Mail: Al Renshaw
COMPELLING RESEARCH SHOWS QUANTUM® IMPROVED STUDENT PERFORMANCE NEARLY TWO FULL LETTER GRADES IN INTERMEDIATE ACCOUNTING COURSE
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania – September 11, 2013, Quantum Simulations, Inc., a leading researcher and developer of adaptive learning and assessment software, announced results of a research paper published by the AAA Accounting Association demonstrating substantial improvement in student performance in Intermediate Accounting as a result of its adaptive learning software.
Intermediate Financial Accounting I (Intermediate I), the first accounting course in the accounting major, generally results in a high failure rate, sometimes as high as 50 percent or more, and is often referred to as the ‘‘weed-out’’ course for the major. The retention goals placed on administrators have increased pressure to improve the pass rates without changing academic standards. When students enter the Intermediate course sequence without a solid foundation in Principles of Accounting, they struggle to keep up with the pace of the advanced accounting courses.
The paper, titled, “Find it, Fix it, and Thrive – The Impact of Insisting on Proficiency in Prerequisite Knowledge in Intermediate Accounting”, was written by Carol Springer Sargent, Ph.D., Associate Professor and researcher at Middle Georgia State College (MGSC) who has successfully used Quantum with her students for over five years at MGSC and previously at Georgia State University.
In the study, Professor Sargent focused on students achieving high proficiency in core prerequisite accounting topics and used Quantum’s adaptive learning and assessment software to assess student understanding. Using an “all or nothing” grading approach combined with Quantum’s individualized tutoring help and targeted practice tools, the treatment group improved nearly two full letter grades over the control group.
“Because the intervention was an existing educational product (Quantum®), it required no institutional resources and involved no changes to instruction, classwork, exams, or the project. This study is good news for schools that cannot impose a pretest, a one-credit accounting cycle course, or high grade point average requirement for enrolling in Intermediate I,” comments Professor Sargent. “Students have a convenient, face-saving, and effective way to find and fix their weak prerequisite knowledge with Quantum®.”
The full paper is available on the Quantum® web site at:
http://www.quantumsimulations.com/pdfs/sargent2013IssuesInAccountingEducation.pdf
About Quantum®
Dedicated to its mission to improve education, Quantum Simulations, Inc. is a leading researcher and developer of intelligent adaptive learning, tutoring, assessment and professional development software for business, mathematics, and science subjects that empowers instructors and inspires students in high school, postsecondary, adult learning and distance education programs to achieve more. Quantum's software is available stand-alone or integrated with web-based homework products and learning management systems. Through funding from the U.S. Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences, including the SBIR program, the National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health and in collaboration with educators nationwide, Quantum® is realizing its vision of inquiry-based learning to teach students how to become better learners and independent thinkers.
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