Who would be able to complete this in a timely manner?

The fact that learning is achieved through a number of ways best explains why different methods are tested in order to know the best method that can be applied. Project-based learning is thought to be a solution used to improve students’ state assessment scores when relating to the Common Core State Standards especially in comprehending non-fiction text. However, this method has to be tested in order to be recommended.

Purpose of the study

This study is meant to get the best data collection tool that can be used in a research. Before making any decision on what learning and teaching method to be used in teaching non-fiction texts, it is important to understand how each method works and how it can be used to improve learning. In order to be sure about how a method works, one needs to experiment or collect data that will be used as a base for making conclusions (Eodice, Geller, & Lerner, 2017). The purpose of this study is thus to provide the best data collection tool to be used in getting information that can be used in making viable conclusions.

The research question is; Will the inclusion of project-based learning improve student application of comprehending non-fiction text at a high depth of knowledge level?

Data collection

The researcher will use a number of data collection tools in order to recommend this learning method. The data needed should be quantitative so as to give the researcher the way forward to make a decision. One of the data collection tools to be used is the pre-test and post-tests. This is a type of experiment that will use two groups; where one group is given a treatment while the other group is left to be the control group.

In this sort of experiment, the researcher will collect a random number of people from the community who can be able to read and write. The people will be divided into two groups, the test group, and the control group. The conditions for the test will be set and the treatment applied to the test group. The control group will not be given treatment and after a given period of time, the researcher will collect the results. The results will measure ow the treatment affected the group as differentiated by the control group. The result from the group will be recorded exactly depending on the number of people who participated and how the experiment affected each one of them. This can enable the researcher to know whether the method can be used to improve student assessment.

Another data collection tool that can be used is interviewing (Phillips & Stawarski, 2016). The researcher can organize for short and structured interviews. The interviews should have a given number of people and the result expected should be quantitative. The researcher needs numbers to be able to qualify or disqualify the thesis. The same kind of questions is asked the all the people who participate in the interview so their responses could be negative or positive depending on the question given. When using interviews as data collection tools, it is very important that the researcher observes uniformity of interaction. This is because if some interviewees feel that they are not dignified and their responses may not be appropriate. Thus as much as possible, the researcher should try to balance his or her relationship and interaction will all the people.

Interviews are much easier and better compared to pre-tests and post-tests. This is because it can be cheap since there is no treatment required, and there are not many conditions applied. The results also got from interviews are straightforward and needing no interpretations whatsoever. On the other hand, pre-tests and post-tests provide more tangible and more concrete results than any other method used to test this topic. In fact, the results from pre-tests and post-tests will not be doubted.

Treating information from data collection tools

In most cases, a researcher may use more than one data collecting tool in order to collect data and make viable conclusions. The way the researcher treats the data collected will help he or she makes good or bad conclusions. This is why the researcher should plan on what interpretation method to be used in order to get better results. In most cases, quantitative data is used using tables, charts, and pie-charts. Graphs can also be used to show the trends in the issue that is being tackled (Pawar, 2014). These are the interpretation techniques that can help interpret quantitative data ensuring that the researcher is presented with percentages of the sample is in the negative and the percent that is in the positive, the numbers and whether the issue can be a success or not.

Conclusions

In testing whether learning method project-based learning can be effective, it is better to use experimental techniques to collect data. The pre-tests and post-tests can be very important in collecting this kind of data. Interviews can also be important in getting such data.

References Eodice, M., Geller, A. E., & Lerner, N. (2017). The Meaningful Writing Project: Learning, Teaching and Writing in Higher Education. Utah State University Press, 2017. Pawar, M. S. (2014). Data Collecting Methods and Experiences: A Guide for Social Researchers. Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd, 2014. Phillips, P. P., & Stawarski, C. A. (2016). Data Collection: Planning for and Collecting All Types of Data. John Wiley & Sons, 2016.