David Brown Learner Analysis 1

Learner Analysis
COMM 3500 Students
Dalton State College
APA citations and Plagiarism Unit
Assessment of 15 Communications 3500 Students at Dalton State College before a Digital
Citizenship Unit on APA citations and Plagiarism Session.
Standard: The national standard I used is from the ACRL, Association of College and Research
Libraries standard 3 for information literacy: The information literate student acknowledges the
use of information sources in communicating the product or performance. Outcomes Include:
A. Selects an appropriate documentation style and uses it consistently to cite sources

Table of Contents
Introduction.....Page 1
Results Questions 1-5..Page 2
Results Questions 6-11....Page 3
Statistics....Page 4
Gardners Multiple Intelligences.......Page 4
Special NeedsPage 3
Cultural/Ethnicity.....Page 5
ARCS Motivation.....Page 5
Appendix: Learner Analysis Questionnaire .....Page 7
Appendix: Gardners Multiple Intelligence Questionnaire..Page 8
I completed a learner analysis of 15 students in an COMM 3500 class at Dalton State College who were
part of a collaborative teaching effort about APA citations and Preventing Plagiarism. These students will
complete a unit on APA and plagiarism. In a questionnaire with 15 questions (See page 7), I was able to
gather valuable information about the learners. I had the students answer 11 questions about
demographics, APA citation knowledge, and a variety of other questions. I also had the students answer
questions for the Gardner multiple intelligences (See page 8).
The results of my learner analysis revealed interesting facts about the students. Most learners reported
average or poor APA skills. Most reported Easybib as their number one source for citing. Another
interesting finding was that most students did not use the automatic citations generated in Galileo even
though they are more accurate than Easybib.

David Brown Learner Analysis 2

Regarding demographics there were several other interesting findings in the learner analysis. Most of the
students were from homes with parents who had attended college. Also noteworthy was that there were
five African-American students but just one Hispanic students in the class. This was different finding
from the general Dalton State student body which is only five percent African-American but twenty
percent Hispanic. Another important finding was that four students had a disability with two having
ADHD and the other 2 having a visual disability.
RESULTS QUESTIONS 1-5

Learner
1
Learner
2
Learner
3
Learner
4
Learner
5
Learner
6
Learner
7
Learner
8
Learner
9
Learner
10
Learner
11
Learner
12
Learner
13
Learner
14
Learner
15

1Age

2.
Parents
Degree?

3.Special
Needs

4. Learner Type

5.Race

21

Yes

No

Visual

Cauc

22

No

Vision

Kinesth

AA

21

No

No

Auditory

Cauc

24

Yes

No

Kinesth

AA

22

Yes

No

Auditory

Cauc

21

Yes

No

Visual

AA

34

Yes

Vision

Kinesth

Cauc

22

No

No

Visual

AA

25

Yes

ADHD

Auditory

Cauc

22

Yes

No

Visual

AA

21

No

No

Kinesth

Cauc

26

Yes

No

Visual

Cauc

19

Yes

No

Auditory

Hisp

23

No

ADHD

Visual

Cauc

22

Yes

No

Auditory

Cauc

David Brown Learner Analysis 3

RESULTS QUESTIONS 6-11

Asked a
librarian
for help
with APA
before?

Learning
Style

APA Skills

How
often do
you
find
APA
answer
?

Have
you
used
Easybib
e?

Have you
used the
auto
citation
features in
Galileo?

Learner1

No

Doing

Average

Yes

No

Learner2

No

Watching

Average

Yes

No

Learner3

No

Doing

Poor

Yes

No

Learner4

Yes

Watching

Average

No

Yes

Learner5

No

Doing

Average

Yes

No

Learner6

No

Doing

Excellent

No

No

Learner7

Yes

Watching

Average

Yes

Yes

Learner8

No

Watching

Average

No

No

Learner9

Yes

Doing

Poor

Yes

No

Learner10

Yes

Doing

Excellent

No

No

Learner11

No

Doing

Average

No

Yes

Learner12

No

Doing

Average

Some
of the
time
Most
of
Time
Almost
Never
Most
of
Time
Some
of the
time
Most
of the
time
Most
of the
time
Some
of the
time
Some
of the
Time
Most
of the
Time
Some
of the
time
Some
of the
Time

Yes

No

Learner13

No

Doing

Poor

No

No

Learner14

Yes

Watching

Average

No

Yes

Learner15

Yes

Watching

Average

Almost
Never
Most of
the time
Most of
the

Yes

No

David Brown Learner Analysis 4

Time

Result Statistics
Question 1 Average Age: 23.1
Question 2 Parents degree: Yes 67% No 33%
Question 3 Special needs: No 74% , ADHD 13% , Visual 13%
Question 4 Learner type: Visual 47%
Question 5 Race: Caucasian 60%

Auditory 16%

Kinesthetic 37%

African American 33%

Question 6 Asked librarian for APA help: Yes 40%

Hispanic 7%
No 60%

Question 7 Preferred instruction: Watching 40% Doing 60%

Question 8 APA skills: Excellent 13%

Average 67% Poor 20%

Question 9 How often finding APA info:Most of time 46% Some of the time 40% Almost never14%
Question 10 Used Easybib: Yes 57%

No 43%

Question 11 Used automatic citations in Galileo: Yes 27%

No 73%

Gardners multiple intelligences survey results.

I had the students answer 48 questions measuring Gardners multiple intelligences. There were a wide
variety of results. The results show that most students were.

Learner1
Learner2
Learner3
Learner4
Learner5
Learner6
Learner7
Learner8
Learner9
Learner1
0
Learner11
Learner1
2

Linguisti
c
15
15
10
14
20
11
17
12
19
23

Math/Logi
c
11
12
16
12
11
10
11
13
18
11

Verbal/Spatial

Body

Music

Inter

Intra

Nature

20
14
17
17
19
15
17
21
22
20

12
14
14
16
11
10
14
17
11
14

15
17
17
15
17
13
20
19
15
21

16
18
18
20
15
20
14
16
21
21

9
10
8
12
9
14
12
12
10
11

11
10
9
14
12
11
18
12
10
9

15
11

16
10

12
21

9
12

17
14

17
14

8
11

15
13

David Brown Learner Analysis 5

Learner1
3
Learner1
4
Learner1
5

20

13

16

11

13

12

18

17

11

16

20

15

18

17

15

12

10

17

10

17

20

10

Special Needs
The most common special needs were ADHD and visual impairments. Two of the 15 students reported
having ADHD and two reported being visually impaired. There were no students who reported having a
physical handicap. Another interesting result was that no students reported being on the autism spectrum
even though it is a growing issue on campus.
ADHD ideas
I plan to use several methods to gain and maintain the attention of the ADHD students. I will use
PowerPoint with short and to the point text on each slide. I will also use short videos explaining APA
and giving tips to avoid plagiarism. I will remind the students that the materials for the unit are all online
on the course website so if they miss some information they can get it on the website. Students could also
be given the printouts of the PowerPoint presentations ahead of time to study in advance.
For the visually impaired students, the instructors computer Window Easy Access can be used to make
text and images easier to see. Visually impaired student can use seats near the front can be moved closer
to the screen where the instructors computer is shown. The instructor could be sure to use a loud clear
voice to emphasize what is being taught instead of relying solely on visuals and gestures.
Culture/Ethnicity
Dalton State College has one of the highest Hispanic populations (20%) in Georgia. However, in this
particular class only one student reported being of Hispanic origin. Five students reported being African
American nine students reported their race as being Caucasian.
One interesting finding regarding cultural background was that the majority (ten out of fifteen) of the
students had parents who graduated from college. Dalton State College has a low retention rate and first
generation college students are more likely to drop out than students with parents who attended college.
One reason for the low number of first generation college students in this class could because a great deal
of the first generation college students had already dropped out of school in the first two years of the
program.
ARCS Model to identify and describe motivational strategies
Attention- I will gain the attention of these students by describing the importance of using correct APA
citing and formatting to avoid plagiarism. I will open the class detailing the campus policy on plagiarism.
I will explain that knowing how to use the librarys APA information will help immensely when it comes
time to writing their research papers.

David Brown Learner Analysis 6

Relevance- I will show that the session is relevant by demonstrating how important APA and preventing
plagiarism is. When the students hear the instructor explaining how using correct APA can prevent
plagiarism, they will know it is relevant information.
Confidence By demonstrating how to properly cite in APA, I will give the students confidence to write a
research paper in APA. I will give them contact information for APA assistance in the future, making them
more confident since they know who to turn to when they have problems.
Satisfaction- By tailoring the class to information gathered from the learners analysis, I will be
increasing student satisfaction. It will also satisfy them by seeing that APA citing and preventing
plagiaries is important for the real world not just this class. In addition to showing them the APA libguide,
I will verify they know how to efficiently use the APA libguide. At the end of the class, they will be given
a test over APA and preventing plagiarism. Doing well on this test will give them satisfaction that they
learned something in the unit.

David Brown Learner Analysis 7

APPENDIX

Questionnaire
1. What is your age?
2. Do either of your parents have a college degree?
a. Yes

b. No

3. What is your race (circle)?

Hispanic

Caucasian

African-American Asian

Other

4. Do you have any special needs (e.g. ADD, visual impairment)?

a. Yes ______________________________ b. No
5. What type of learner do you think you are (circle)?
Visual
Auditory
Kinesthetic (hands-on)
6. Have you ever asked a librarian for help with APA before?
a. Yes
b. No
7. Which format of library instruction would you respond to best (circle)?
a. Watching a PowerPoint presentation followed by a librarian demonstrating how to use
library resources.
b. Getting on a computer and accessing library resources under librarians guidance.
8. How would you rate your APA skills?
a. Excellent
b. Average

c. Poor

9. How often are you able to find the APA information you are looking for?
a. most of the time
b. some of the time c. almost never
10. Have you used Easybib before?
a. Yes
b. No
11. Have you used the automatic citation features in Galileo?
a. Yes
b. No

David Brown Learner Analysis 8

MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES SURVEY
Rate each of the following items, in terms of how much it applies to you, using the following scale:
0 = Not like me 1 = Slightly like me 2 = Somewhat like me 3 = Like me 4 = Very much like me
Linguistic Intelligence
_____ I read everything..books, magazines, newspapers, etc.
_____ I can easily express myself either orally or in writing.
_____ I pepper my conversation with frequent allusions to things Ive read or heard.
_____ I like to do crossword puzzles, play Scrabble or other word puzzles and games.
_____ I can hold my own in verbal arguments or debates.
_____ I can readily absorb information from the radio or audio cassettes.
Logical / Mathematical Intelligence
_____ I enjoy working with numbers and can do mental calculations.
_____ I like to put together a detailed itinerary for vacations or business trips.
_____ I tend to find the logical flaws in things people say and do.
_____ Math and Science were among my favorite subjects in school.
_____ I take a systematic, step-by-step approach to problem solving.
_____ I need to categorize, group or quantify things to properly appreciate their relevance.
Verbal / Spatial Intelligence
_____ I tend to make a visual record of events with a camera or camcorder.
_____ I find myself doodling when taking notes or thinking through something.
_____ I have no problem reading maps and navigating.
_____ I am quite adept at taking things apart and putting them back together.
_____ In school, I liked lessons in art and preferred geometry to algebra.
_____ I prefer reading material that is heavily illustrated.
Body / Kinesthetic Intelligence
_____ I take part in a sport or regularly perform some kind of physical exercise.
_____ I am quite adept at do-it-yourself projects.
_____ I dont mind getting up on the dance floor.
_____ I like the most thrilling rides at the amusement parks.
_____ I use hand gestures or other kinds of body language to express myself.
_____ I like rough and tumble play with children.
Musical / Rhythmic Intelligence
_____ I can play a musical instrument well.
_____ Usually, I can remember a tune after hearing it just a couple of times.
_____ I often listen to music at home and in the car.
_____ I can identify different musical instruments.
_____ I cant imagine life without music.
_____ I like music in the background when I am working.
Interpersonal Intelligence
_____ I enjoy working with other people as part of a group or committee.
_____ I take great pride in being a mentor to someone else.
_____ I like games involving other people such as Monopoly, Trivial Pursuit or bridge.
_____ I am a social butterfly. I would prefer to be at a party rather than at home alone watching TV.
_____ I have several very close personal friends.
_____ I communicate well with people and can help resolve disputes.
Intrapersonal Intelligence
_____ I keep a personal journal or diary to record my innermost thoughts.
_____ I am an independent thinker, I make up my own mind.
_____ I have a private hobby or interest which I dont really share with anyone else.
_____ I like to go fishing by myself, or take a solitary walk. I am happy with my own company.
_____ My idea of a good vacation is an isolated hilltop cabin rather than a five-star resort with lots of other people.
_____ I work for myself, or have seriously contemplated doing so.
Naturalistic Intelligence
_____ I can recognize and name many different types of flowers, plants, or animals.
_____ I have an interest in, and good knowledge of, how the body works, and keep up with the latest health issues.
_____ I am aware of animal tracks, nests and wildlife while on a walk, and can read weather signs.
_____ I could envision myself as a farmer, forest ranger or other natural occupation.
_____ I have an understanding of, and interest in, the main global environmental issues.
_____ I am interested in social issues, psychology and human motivations.