Bianca Arteaga and Jorge Moreno, students in the Statistics program at ESPOL’s Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics (FCNM), participated in an international research project alongside specialists from the University of Toronto, Canada.
The study, titled “Self Explanation: Does Timing Matter?”, examined the effectiveness of self-explanation in the performance of students enrolled in a computer science course, while also evaluating whether the timing of the self-explanation process influences outcomes. The research was supervised by FCNM professor Carlos Anibal Suárez and University of Toronto professor Michael Liut, who invited Bianca and Jorge to join the research team.
“It was the first time I had been offered an opportunity to work with a foreign university. I knew this was uncommon, so I had to make the most of it,” Bianca said.
The students conducted principal component analysis, t-tests, and descriptive statistical analyses to evaluate the behavior and distribution of response times, durations, and scores obtained throughout the study.
During the project, they faced several challenges, particularly when communicating statistical concepts to researchers from a different field. “The researchers we worked with did not have an extensive background in statistics, as they were computer engineers,” Jorge explained.
By using technical yet clear and accessible language, they successfully communicated the conclusions of their analysis. The statistical findings open new possibilities for future research exploring the relationship between self-explanation and academic performance.
For both students, the experience represented an invaluable learning opportunity.
“It was very useful in highlighting the applications and opportunities offered by the Statistics program, especially for motivating new students or those from other disciplines who may not be very familiar with our field,” Jorge commented.
Congratulations to Bianca and Jorge on this achievement! At FCNM, we reaffirm our commitment to providing academic and practical experiences that challenge our students and bring them closer to the real-world practice of their profession.
