I am working with collaborators who are conducting an education research study to see if there is a difference in learning outcomes between two learning experiences, one with a technology tool (let’s call it Tech) and without (let’s call it Read).
The researchers designed the study to be a crossover design, but I am not sure that it fits this definition, and as a result, I am struggling with the best way to analyze the data. The researchers split a class into two groups, one group studied topic A with Tech and the other group studied topic A with Read. Then, the groups were switched and they studied topic B with the other method. Pre- and post-tests for topics A and B were given after the learning sessions for each topic.
Since the topics, and thus the content of the pre-/ post-tests are different, should this be considered a crossover trial? Or is it just two separate experiments?
I think the crossover was done to make the experience similar between the two groups for human research ethics reasons, but this doesn’t mean that statistically the study is a crossover design similar to how a drug trial would be conducted (which uses just one drug).
I hope I am clearly describing what was done. Thank you for your help.
