10 thoughts on “Structural Equation modeling analysis using AMOS”
What an interesting course! Your course plan was beautifully presented with the table and figures. You explained throughly this course and one could get a clear picture of you course. However, I wondered if this course has enough work for 5 ECTS (135 hours)? Will they have a lot of individual work or group assignments where they learn how to use data analyzing etc. (and thus 5 ECTS)? I was also wondering that maybe you could add more references, there were only 2 references. Good luck with your course!
I highly thank for your feedback. As you mentioned, it demands more time from the student part for the allocation of 5 credits. I modified the credit points of the course.
I especially like that fact that is so much hand-on. By doing, analyzing and interpreting, the students will learn a lot. You have a clear structure for the sessions. It is also good that the students read some articles that have used this method, so they see how it can actually be implemented. It is also important that those articles are discussed at least in small groups, so the learning becomes more effective.
How is this course assessed? Do you give grades or is it pass/fail. And what are the criteria for the assessment?
In order to take part in the course, the students need to have their own data or data that they have access. Have you thought about the possibility that even those who don’t have the data (yet), could participate? They might want to learn about the method and are thinking of using it etc. So in that case a data set should be provided for them.
You use clear tables and figures to present the course and the didactical model, so this is very easy to read and comprehend.
Dear Päivi, I highly appreciated the helpful reflection. By your comment, I found the pass\fail will be the better option than grading. I think it will be more acceptable to decrease the credit point from 5 to 3. The aim of the course is to support students in writing down the methodology part of their thesis. After presenting the materials, students should be able to submit both, data analyze and result from interpretation. This assignment will be the criteria for the final assessment. I agree with the possibility of providing the database for researchers who are planning to get enough mastery to apply this method in their studies later.
I really like the course map you put together! It makes it clear what is happening when and what the students should do. I think the ASSURE model seems like a straightforward tool for actually designing teaching situations and I think you found excellent teaching methods and exercises for the course. I think the ideas you got from the VARK model are good ones, but accommodating for the different learning styles has been shown to have no measurable impact on student learning (see f.ex. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1539-6053.2009.01038.x). However, do you think using different media could help with accessibility? I also wondered about course credits, you write that 3 credits are awarded for participating in the seminar and another 2 when the assignment, but since each credit should require ~27h of work, do you think it would be better to award less credits for the seminars and more for the assignment, so that the number of credits match the work load better?
Dear Christian, I highly thank for sharing the link and supporting ideas. The content of the learning style article is so informative. I could read the abstract but I am planning to read it this week. I am sure to help me to develop my references after I read it precisely.
You are right, base on all comments, I found it will be more logical to allocate fewer credits points by consideration of seminar hours and students’ work-load. Thanks
This is an interesting course and indeed necessary, I have always thought ÅA needs to provide such a method course for students or even researchers who deal with quantitative data.
I think the course is very well structured and presented. The learning goal and the overall objectives have sufficiently been articulated. I was just wondering, if other competing tools such as SmartPLS will be introduced in the course to make sure the participants will be aware of other options too and not just to rely on AMOS.
How about providing a dataset and asking the participant to build their model and assess the model with AMOS.
Regardless of the course workload and the credits, the important point is to make sure the learning objectives will be met at the end of course.
Dear Shahrokh,
I highly appreciated for sharing your supportive comments and thoughts, It will be a great idea to present other SEM software in the courses. I have not used Mplus before, but I am also curious to find more about Mplus, Stata, and AMOS to compare. Among Lisrel and R, I found Amos, it is handy and friendly software.
It is good to support students with a database beforehand. The advantages of having their own data are to develop their real and strong hypothesis based on theory from the literature review they already have and to proceed with the completion of their methodology part of thesis or article, which time saving and also to find their answers and enough support when they run their data.
I agree that it requires to make a balance between credit points and work-load. Thanks
Thanks for the post!
I thought the course was very interesting, and speaking from my own experience: very neccessary as well!
The goals and the structure seemed to be very clear.
I thought maybe you could have elaborated more on the amount of the assignments. Also: I was wondering that maybe instead of asking the students to have data in order to participate, maybe the course could be open to all?
Hello, Highly thanks for your comments. All the comments is related to assessment part, I modified and revised it based on seminar allocating time and the students’ work-load. You are right it good the course registration to be open for all interested to apply this method in their studies. Thanks
Didactics in Higher Education 
What an interesting course! Your course plan was beautifully presented with the table and figures. You explained throughly this course and one could get a clear picture of you course. However, I wondered if this course has enough work for 5 ECTS (135 hours)? Will they have a lot of individual work or group assignments where they learn how to use data analyzing etc. (and thus 5 ECTS)? I was also wondering that maybe you could add more references, there were only 2 references. Good luck with your course!
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I highly thank for your feedback. As you mentioned, it demands more time from the student part for the allocation of 5 credits. I modified the credit points of the course.
LikeLike
Thank you for an interesting course design!
I especially like that fact that is so much hand-on. By doing, analyzing and interpreting, the students will learn a lot. You have a clear structure for the sessions. It is also good that the students read some articles that have used this method, so they see how it can actually be implemented. It is also important that those articles are discussed at least in small groups, so the learning becomes more effective.
How is this course assessed? Do you give grades or is it pass/fail. And what are the criteria for the assessment?
In order to take part in the course, the students need to have their own data or data that they have access. Have you thought about the possibility that even those who don’t have the data (yet), could participate? They might want to learn about the method and are thinking of using it etc. So in that case a data set should be provided for them.
You use clear tables and figures to present the course and the didactical model, so this is very easy to read and comprehend.
LikeLike
Dear Päivi, I highly appreciated the helpful reflection. By your comment, I found the pass\fail will be the better option than grading. I think it will be more acceptable to decrease the credit point from 5 to 3. The aim of the course is to support students in writing down the methodology part of their thesis. After presenting the materials, students should be able to submit both, data analyze and result from interpretation. This assignment will be the criteria for the final assessment. I agree with the possibility of providing the database for researchers who are planning to get enough mastery to apply this method in their studies later.
LikeLike
I really like the course map you put together! It makes it clear what is happening when and what the students should do. I think the ASSURE model seems like a straightforward tool for actually designing teaching situations and I think you found excellent teaching methods and exercises for the course. I think the ideas you got from the VARK model are good ones, but accommodating for the different learning styles has been shown to have no measurable impact on student learning (see f.ex. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1539-6053.2009.01038.x). However, do you think using different media could help with accessibility? I also wondered about course credits, you write that 3 credits are awarded for participating in the seminar and another 2 when the assignment, but since each credit should require ~27h of work, do you think it would be better to award less credits for the seminars and more for the assignment, so that the number of credits match the work load better?
LikeLike
Dear Christian, I highly thank for sharing the link and supporting ideas. The content of the learning style article is so informative. I could read the abstract but I am planning to read it this week. I am sure to help me to develop my references after I read it precisely.
You are right, base on all comments, I found it will be more logical to allocate fewer credits points by consideration of seminar hours and students’ work-load. Thanks
LikeLike
This is an interesting course and indeed necessary, I have always thought ÅA needs to provide such a method course for students or even researchers who deal with quantitative data.
I think the course is very well structured and presented. The learning goal and the overall objectives have sufficiently been articulated. I was just wondering, if other competing tools such as SmartPLS will be introduced in the course to make sure the participants will be aware of other options too and not just to rely on AMOS.
How about providing a dataset and asking the participant to build their model and assess the model with AMOS.
Regardless of the course workload and the credits, the important point is to make sure the learning objectives will be met at the end of course.
LikeLike
Dear Shahrokh,
I highly appreciated for sharing your supportive comments and thoughts, It will be a great idea to present other SEM software in the courses. I have not used Mplus before, but I am also curious to find more about Mplus, Stata, and AMOS to compare. Among Lisrel and R, I found Amos, it is handy and friendly software.
It is good to support students with a database beforehand. The advantages of having their own data are to develop their real and strong hypothesis based on theory from the literature review they already have and to proceed with the completion of their methodology part of thesis or article, which time saving and also to find their answers and enough support when they run their data.
I agree that it requires to make a balance between credit points and work-load. Thanks
LikeLike
Thanks for the post!
I thought the course was very interesting, and speaking from my own experience: very neccessary as well!
The goals and the structure seemed to be very clear.
I thought maybe you could have elaborated more on the amount of the assignments. Also: I was wondering that maybe instead of asking the students to have data in order to participate, maybe the course could be open to all?
LikeLike
Hello, Highly thanks for your comments. All the comments is related to assessment part, I modified and revised it based on seminar allocating time and the students’ work-load. You are right it good the course registration to be open for all interested to apply this method in their studies. Thanks
LikeLike