1. How do I compare thee? An evidence-based approach to the presentation of class comparison information to students using Dashboard
Dr Annelie Harvey
Dr Helen Keyes
Project funded by Anglia Learning and Teaching Project Award

2. Social Comparisons
Festinger (1954) proposed that we are motivated to accurately evaluate our abilities via the opinions of others
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People learn about themselves through other people. People need to be confident about the validity of their perceptions, attitudes, feelings and behaviours to function adequately in life. There is often no objective way to measure the validity of such artefacts so people look for validation for their thoughts, feelings and behaviours from others. In particular we seek out others that are similar to us to validate our perceptions – usually those who belong to our social groups.

3. Social Comparisons
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Who we choose to seek validation or compare ourselves with can have a huge impact on how we rate ourselves and how we feel about ourselves.

4. Are you good at basketball?
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5. Are you good at basketball?
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6. Are you good at basketball?
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Musseiler et al. (2004) found that when participants compared themselves with such extreme comparisons, their estimates of physical abilities were affected. Participants thought they could do more push ups if they had been primed with the pope but less when they had been primed with Michael Jordan.

7. Image source: https://www.gettyimages.in/license/1286125
Aug 1992: Jose Perinan of Spain wins gold ahead of Shane Kelly of Australia (silver) and Erin Hartwell of the USA (bronze) in the kilometer time trial event at the Barcelona Olympic Games in Spain. \ Mandatory Credit: Gray Mortimore /Allsport
Medvec et al. (1995) videotaped the silver and bronze medallists from the 1992 Olympics and asked naïve participants to rate how happy they thought each medallist winner was immediately after the win and at the podium stand. Participants rated the Bronze medallists as happier than the Silver medallists both immediately after the event and on the podium.

8. If only I would have tried a bit harder, I could have won gold!
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Aug 1992: Jose Perinan of Spain wins gold ahead of Shane Kelly of Australia (silver) and Erin Hartwell of the USA (bronze) in the kilometer time trial event at the Barcelona Olympic Games in Spain. \ Mandatory Credit: Gray Mortimore /Allsport
Medvec et al. (1995) videotaped the silver and bronze medallists from the 1992 Olympics and asked naïve participants to rate how happy they thought each medallist winner was immediately after the win and at the podium stand. Participants rated the Bronze medallists as happier than the Silver medallists both immediately after the event and on the podium.

9. If only I would have tried a bit harder, I could have won gold!
At least I won a medal!
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Aug 1992: Jose Perinan of Spain wins gold ahead of Shane Kelly of Australia (silver) and Erin Hartwell of the USA (bronze) in the kilometer time trial event at the Barcelona Olympic Games in Spain. \ Mandatory Credit: Gray Mortimore /Allsport
Medvec et al. (1995) videotaped the silver and bronze medallists from the 1992 Olympics and asked naïve participants to rate how happy they thought each medallist winner was immediately after the win and at the podium stand. Participants rated the Bronze medallists as happier than the Silver medallists both immediately after the event and on the podium.

10. Social Comparisons Comparing yourself to someone better than you
Comparing yourself to someone worse than you
= Upward comparison
= Downward comparison

11. Social Comparisons in Academia
Students use social comparisons to gauge their academic abilities (Molloy, Guest, & Rulison, 2010)
Downward comparisons can bolster our self-esteem (Taylor & Lobel, 1989) and upward comparisons may lower self-esteem (Callan et al., 2014)
Student’s estimates of future performance and academic self-competence decrease after upward comparisons (Bissell-Havran, 2014; Raat, Kuks, Hell, & Cohen-Schotanus, 2013)
Upward comparisons can be inspiring and have a positive influence on students (Burleson, Leach, & Harrington, 2005)

12. Dashboard

14. Our Study
We wanted to see if relative upward and downward social comparisons on a hypothetical Dashboard would influence students…
Self-esteem
Willingness to engage in StudySkillsPlus
Motivation to work on hard tasks
260 ARU students participated online (Qualtrics)

15. You are performing above the class average

16. You are performing the same as the class average

17. You are performing below the class average

18. Self-esteem
Rosenberg (1965) self-esteem scale

19. Willingness to engage with StudySkillsPlus
4 items

20. Motivation to Work on Hard Tasks
Example, YBO = BOY
OLWGFNA
KDNITE
DNOEIG
GEIDLH
ALLRGON
Impossible anagram task

21. Demographics & Uplifting task
Please write down 3 of your best qualitied below:
To ensure any effects to self-esteem where annulled before participants left the survey

22. Results: Self-esteem *
Error bars indicate 1 standard error

23. Results: Willingness to Engage with SSP
Error bars indicate 1 standard error

24. Results: Motivation for Hard Tasks
Error bars indicate 1 standard error

25. Results
Students self-esteem decreases after making an upward comparison (i.e., they are performing below the course average) compared to a downward comparison (i.e., they are performing above the course average)
No effect of social comparisons on (1) the willingness to engage in StudySkillsPlus or (2) the motivation for hard (impossible) tasks
No interaction or effect with students grade level – failing students reacted the same way as 1st class students

26. Dashboard Implications
+ Dashboard can increase the self-esteem of students when they are making downward comparisons (i.e., performing better than the average)
- Dashboard can lower our student’s self-esteem when they are making upward comparisons (i.e., performing lower than the average)
+ Dashboard social comparisons do not demotivate students from engaging in hard tasks or support services
- Dashboard social comparisons do not motivate students to engage more in harder tasks or with support services

27. Limitations and Future Research
Engagement or performance?
How to increase self-esteem within Dashboard?
Engagement with the personal tutor?
Social comparison or low grade?
Lowered self-esteem predictor of Dashboard use?

28. Anglia Learning and Teaching Project Award for funding this project
Thank You
Dr Helen Keyes
Matt East
Anglia Learning and Teaching Project Award for funding this project