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I'm comparing two groups of students by their course activity and I'm struggling a little to determine the best way to test for significant difference.

The data is non-normal, and very prevalent with zeros, so it doesn't work well with many of the more common tests.

I've tried Mood's median but the median most often ends up being zero because of the prevalence of that number. Is this OK?

If not, can anyone recommend a test which would be suitable for comparing the two rows of data above?

EDIT: Here is some sample data - apologies for not including copy/pastable numbers originally. I'm comparing activity on a daily basis, so Group 1 Day 1 vs Group 2 Day 1. And then comparing each day in the 5 days of the course. Each number logged within the groups records the number of times an individual student has accessed learning materials within a course. So, each number shows how 'involved' a particular student has been within a course. Each number is an individual student on that particular day. Group 1 and Group 2 have separate samples of students, but the course is the same, barring one small difference in delivery style.

Group 1 Day 1

17 29 24 40 31 96 24 31 31 30 0 0 18 16 0 0 9 12 20 29 11 6 22

Group 2 Day 1

20 24 12 74 36 54 21 74 37 21 5 12 15 0 0 0 14 0 0 0 12 36

Group 1 Day 2

82 49 11 11 79 0 31 0 61 13 0 26 51 4 6 70 40 10 0 0 0 0 0

Group 2 Day 2

28 25 0 61 14 13 0 17 0 0 61 0 22 0 0 0 0 15 8 20 0 0

Group 1 Day 1
17  29  24  40  31  96  24  31  31  30  0   0   18  16  0   0   9   12  20  29  11  6   22

Group 2 Day 1
20  24  12  74  36  54  21  74  37  21  5   12  15  0   0   0   14  0   0   0   12  36  

Group 1 Day 2
82  49  11  11  79  0   31  0   61  13  0   26  51  4   6   70  40  10  0   0   0   0   0

Group 2 Day 2
28  25  0   61  14  13  0   17  0   0   61  0   22  0   0   0   0   15  8   20  0   0   

I'm comparing two groups of students by their course activity and I'm struggling a little to determine the best way to test for significant difference.

The data is non-normal, and very prevalent with zeros, so it doesn't work well with many of the more common tests.

I've tried Mood's median but the median most often ends up being zero because of the prevalence of that number. Is this OK?

If not, can anyone recommend a test which would be suitable for comparing the two rows of data above?

EDIT: Here is some sample data - apologies for not including copy/pastable numbers originally. I'm comparing activity on a daily basis, so Group 1 Day 1 vs Group 2 Day 1. And then comparing each day in the 5 days of the course. Each number logged within the groups records the number of times an individual student has accessed learning materials within a course. So, each number shows how 'involved' a particular student has been within a course. Each number is an individual student on that particular day. Group 1 and Group 2 have separate samples of students, but the course is the same, barring one small difference in delivery style.

Group 1 Day 1

17 29 24 40 31 96 24 31 31 30 0 0 18 16 0 0 9 12 20 29 11 6 22

Group 2 Day 1

20 24 12 74 36 54 21 74 37 21 5 12 15 0 0 0 14 0 0 0 12 36

Group 1 Day 2

82 49 11 11 79 0 31 0 61 13 0 26 51 4 6 70 40 10 0 0 0 0 0

Group 2 Day 2

28 25 0 61 14 13 0 17 0 0 61 0 22 0 0 0 0 15 8 20 0 0

I'm comparing two groups of students by their course activity and I'm struggling a little to determine the best way to test for significant difference.

The data is non-normal, and very prevalent with zeros, so it doesn't work well with many of the more common tests.

I've tried Mood's median but the median most often ends up being zero because of the prevalence of that number. Is this OK?

If not, can anyone recommend a test which would be suitable for comparing the two rows of data above?

EDIT: Here is some sample data - apologies for not including copy/pastable numbers originally. I'm comparing activity on a daily basis, so Group 1 Day 1 vs Group 2 Day 1. And then comparing each day in the 5 days of the course. Each number logged within the groups records the number of times an individual student has accessed learning materials within a course. So, each number shows how 'involved' a particular student has been within a course. Each number is an individual student on that particular day. Group 1 and Group 2 have separate samples of students, but the course is the same, barring one small difference in delivery style.

Group 1 Day 1
17  29  24  40  31  96  24  31  31  30  0   0   18  16  0   0   9   12  20  29  11  6   22

Group 2 Day 1
20  24  12  74  36  54  21  74  37  21  5   12  15  0   0   0   14  0   0   0   12  36  

Group 1 Day 2
82  49  11  11  79  0   31  0   61  13  0   26  51  4   6   70  40  10  0   0   0   0   0

Group 2 Day 2
28  25  0   61  14  13  0   17  0   0   61  0   22  0   0   0   0   15  8   20  0   0   
added 285 characters in body
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I'm comparing two groups of students by their course activity and I'm struggling a little to determine the best way to test for significant difference.

The data is non-normal, and very prevalent with zeros, so it doesn't work well with many of the more common tests. Here's an example, comparing two groups by their access stats on a given day:

Each row represents a group of students in comparable courses. Each cell represents one student's activity on that day.

I've tried Mood's median but the median most often ends up being zero because of the prevalence of that number. Is this OK?

If not, can anyone recommend a test which would be suitable for comparing the two rows of data above?

EDIT: Here is some sample data - apologies for not including copy/pastable numbers originally. I'm comparing activity on a daily basis, so Group 1 Day 1 vs Group 2 Day 1. And then comparing each day in the 5 days of the course. Each number representslogged within the groups records the number of actions taken bytimes an individual student has accessed learning materials within a course. So, each number shows how 'involved' a particular student onhas been within a course. Each number is an individual student on that givenparticular day. Group 1 and Group 2 have separate samples of students, but the course is the same, barring one small difference in delivery style.

Group 1 Day 1

17 29 24 40 31 96 24 31 31 30 0 0 18 16 0 0 9 12 20 29 11 6 22

Group 2 Day 1

20 24 12 74 36 54 21 74 37 21 5 12 15 0 0 0 14 0 0 0 12 36

Group 1 Day 2

82 49 11 11 79 0 31 0 61 13 0 26 51 4 6 70 40 10 0 0 0 0 0

Group 2 Day 2

28 25 0 61 14 13 0 17 0 0 61 0 22 0 0 0 0 15 8 20 0 0

I'm comparing two groups of students by their course activity and I'm struggling a little to determine the best way to test for significant difference.

The data is non-normal, and very prevalent with zeros, so it doesn't work well with many of the more common tests. Here's an example, comparing two groups by their access stats on a given day:

Each row represents a group of students in comparable courses. Each cell represents one student's activity on that day.

I've tried Mood's median but the median most often ends up being zero because of the prevalence of that number. Is this OK?

If not, can anyone recommend a test which would be suitable for comparing the two rows of data above?

EDIT: Here is some sample data - apologies for not including copy/pastable numbers originally. Each number represents the number of actions taken by a student on a course on that given day.

Group 1 Day 1

17 29 24 40 31 96 24 31 31 30 0 0 18 16 0 0 9 12 20 29 11 6 22

Group 2 Day 1

20 24 12 74 36 54 21 74 37 21 5 12 15 0 0 0 14 0 0 0 12 36

Group 1 Day 2

82 49 11 11 79 0 31 0 61 13 0 26 51 4 6 70 40 10 0 0 0 0 0

Group 2 Day 2

28 25 0 61 14 13 0 17 0 0 61 0 22 0 0 0 0 15 8 20 0 0

I'm comparing two groups of students by their course activity and I'm struggling a little to determine the best way to test for significant difference.

The data is non-normal, and very prevalent with zeros, so it doesn't work well with many of the more common tests.

I've tried Mood's median but the median most often ends up being zero because of the prevalence of that number. Is this OK?

If not, can anyone recommend a test which would be suitable for comparing the two rows of data above?

EDIT: Here is some sample data - apologies for not including copy/pastable numbers originally. I'm comparing activity on a daily basis, so Group 1 Day 1 vs Group 2 Day 1. And then comparing each day in the 5 days of the course. Each number logged within the groups records the number of times an individual student has accessed learning materials within a course. So, each number shows how 'involved' a particular student has been within a course. Each number is an individual student on that particular day. Group 1 and Group 2 have separate samples of students, but the course is the same, barring one small difference in delivery style.

Group 1 Day 1

17 29 24 40 31 96 24 31 31 30 0 0 18 16 0 0 9 12 20 29 11 6 22

Group 2 Day 1

20 24 12 74 36 54 21 74 37 21 5 12 15 0 0 0 14 0 0 0 12 36

Group 1 Day 2

82 49 11 11 79 0 31 0 61 13 0 26 51 4 6 70 40 10 0 0 0 0 0

Group 2 Day 2

28 25 0 61 14 13 0 17 0 0 61 0 22 0 0 0 0 15 8 20 0 0

added 285 characters in body
Source Link

I'm comparing two groups of students by their course activity and I'm struggling a little to determine the best way to test for significant difference.

The data is non-normal, and very prevalent with zeros, so it doesn't work well with many of the more common tests. Here's an example, comparing two groups by their access stats on a given day:

Each row represents a group of students in comparable courses. Each cell represents one student's activity on that day.

I've tried Mood's median but the median most often ends up being zero because of the prevalence of that number. Is this OK?

If not, can anyone recommend a test which would be suitable for comparing the two rows of data above?

EDIT: Here's a better set ofHere is some sample data to answer the questions below- apologies for not including copy/pastable numbers originally. I hope this is more clearEach number represents the number of actions taken by a student on a course on that given day.

enter image description here Group 1 Day 1

17 29 24 40 31 96 24 31 31 30 0 0 18 16 0 0 9 12 20 29 11 6 22

Group 2 Day 1

20 24 12 74 36 54 21 74 37 21 5 12 15 0 0 0 14 0 0 0 12 36

Group 1 Day 2

82 49 11 11 79 0 31 0 61 13 0 26 51 4 6 70 40 10 0 0 0 0 0

Group 2 Day 2

28 25 0 61 14 13 0 17 0 0 61 0 22 0 0 0 0 15 8 20 0 0

I'm comparing two groups of students by their course activity and I'm struggling a little to determine the best way to test for significant difference.

The data is non-normal, and very prevalent with zeros, so it doesn't work well with many of the more common tests. Here's an example, comparing two groups by their access stats on a given day:

Each row represents a group of students in comparable courses. Each cell represents one student's activity on that day.

I've tried Mood's median but the median most often ends up being zero because of the prevalence of that number. Is this OK?

If not, can anyone recommend a test which would be suitable for comparing the two rows of data above?

EDIT: Here's a better set of data to answer the questions below. I hope this is more clear.

enter image description here

I'm comparing two groups of students by their course activity and I'm struggling a little to determine the best way to test for significant difference.

The data is non-normal, and very prevalent with zeros, so it doesn't work well with many of the more common tests. Here's an example, comparing two groups by their access stats on a given day:

Each row represents a group of students in comparable courses. Each cell represents one student's activity on that day.

I've tried Mood's median but the median most often ends up being zero because of the prevalence of that number. Is this OK?

If not, can anyone recommend a test which would be suitable for comparing the two rows of data above?

EDIT: Here is some sample data - apologies for not including copy/pastable numbers originally. Each number represents the number of actions taken by a student on a course on that given day.

Group 1 Day 1

17 29 24 40 31 96 24 31 31 30 0 0 18 16 0 0 9 12 20 29 11 6 22

Group 2 Day 1

20 24 12 74 36 54 21 74 37 21 5 12 15 0 0 0 14 0 0 0 12 36

Group 1 Day 2

82 49 11 11 79 0 31 0 61 13 0 26 51 4 6 70 40 10 0 0 0 0 0

Group 2 Day 2

28 25 0 61 14 13 0 17 0 0 61 0 22 0 0 0 0 15 8 20 0 0

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Nick Cox
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