The informal letter-writing assignment significantly improved scores on a midterm exam containing both multiple-choice and essay components¶
Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · causalr2·q3·i3large
Currency · newest study 2013 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person
Subclaims¶
Reading the evidence codes
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q3 i3 Students in the writing condition scored significantly higher than controls on the multiple-choice plus essay midterm (partial η² = .14). → Bersamin 2013
Evidence¶
Bersamin 2013¶
Bersamin, M., Zamboanga, B.L. & Orsak-Neff, N. (2013). Understanding course content through letter writing: Do informal writing assignments improve grades? Psychology Teaching Review, 19(1). https://www.bps.org.uk/journal/psychology-teaching-review
q3 · i3 · causal · r2
ANCOVA on post-test 2 (multiple-choice and essay midterm) in the counterbalanced experiment, controlling for pre-test scores; Table 3 reports experimental group F=5.89, partial η²=.14, p=.02. The writing group's adjusted mean was "significantly higher" than controls, an eight-point difference.
"respondents in the writing condition scored significantly higher (adjusted means: M =80.03, SE=2.03) than those in the control group (adjusted means: M=72.71, SE=2.09)"
Discussion¶
Related Claims¶
- When controlling for number of letters completed (treatment intensity), the writing treatment effect on the midterm remained statistically significant, highlighting the role of student effort — related
- Participating in an informal letter-writing assignment did not significantly improve scores on a multiple-choice-only quiz — related
- Evaluating GenAI-generated solutions produced no significant differences on midterm scores, final exam scores, course percentages, or normalized exam change relative to solving problems directly — related
- College students assigned free online games as homework scored significantly higher on the midterm than students given traditional assignments — related
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