# MethodSpring student guide

Research methods, measurement, and statistics—step by step.

## Begin at your starting point

Choose **Start from the basics**, **Support my course**, or **Prepare for an exam**. The beginner bridge introduces research questions, variables, distributions, graphs, algebra, probability, sampling, causal reasoning, uncertainty, effect size, measurement, and reproducibility.

All learning activities are free during the beta. You can read a lesson, practise, and interpret a lab without an account or paid statistical software. A free account saves progress across devices. Verify your email to access AI assistance once its quality gate is approved.

After signing in, **My next step** offers an explicit guest-progress import if this browser contains earlier work. Import only your own work on a shared device. Account caches are cleared when you sign out; pending work is synchronized first, or exported as a recovery backup if the server cannot be reached.

## A productive study session

1. Read the lesson and revisit any linked prerequisites.
2. Work through an example before revealing its explanation.
3. Explain the idea in your own words.
4. Try independent practice without opening a hint first.
5. Interpret a supplied output table and compare with its rubric.
6. Return to due review after a delay.

The Method Wizard helps identify an analysis family. Confirm its recommendation against the research question, data structure, and assumptions. Measurement paths are available directly in Study paths.

## Curriculum

The original REMS curriculum is retained: ANOVA and ANCOVA, repeated measures and mixed designs, OLS regression, MANOVA, classification, reliability, validity, EFA, CFA, dichotomous/polytomous/multidimensional IRT, SEM, two-level HLM, and longitudinal growth models.

Lessons and examples have review-status labels. Imported material is pending qualified subject review; report questionable content through Settings. Item-count coverage is not evidence that the content has been validated.

## Labs and optional software

The required labs display instructional outputs in the browser. They do not run SPSS or analyze uploaded data. Switch output variants to compare decisions under different conditions. Record your interpretation, then compare it with the rubric.

Resources provides CSV datasets, data dictionaries, self-contained R scripts, and expected descriptive checks. R is optional. A script embeds its synthetic data, sets a seed, and prints software/package versions. Some exercises require psych, lavaan, mirt, or lme4. Install optional packages in your own R environment if you choose to run them. Synthetic datasets and illustrative walkthrough tables may describe different cases: compare results only after matching the dataset and model specification.

## Understand your progress

Lesson completion, independent objective accuracy, assisted attempts, self-assessment, and delayed retention are shown separately. Speed never affects mastery or review scheduling. A hint marks an activity as assisted. Self-assessed explanations are not counted as objectively correct answers.

Diagnostic, practice, post-test, and delayed-test items use separate pools. Previously attempted check items are excluded. A short check covers its selected topic, not the whole curriculum. The delayed check becomes available at least seven days after a post-test in the topic.

## Save, export, and restore

Guest data stays in this browser. Export a JSON backup before changing devices or clearing browser data. Account data syncs to the server; pending work remains in your browser while offline. Settings shows sync status and provides Retry sync.

Account data and guest data use separate storage. Sign in, then explicitly import a guest backup to carry it into your account. Original REMS backups are retained as legacy history. Credentials and AI keys are never imported. Historical REMS records remain distinct from new-bank mastery.

Use Settings to export data, restore a backup, report a content issue, resend verification, or delete MethodSpring learning progress. Deleting MethodSpring progress does not delete separate historical REMS records or account/security/AI usage records.

## Accessibility and recovery

Use the Text size control for larger text. All practice is untimed. Keyboard users can navigate links, choices, disclosure panels, and forms. Browser-print a lesson for a paper copy. Illustrations have descriptions and accompanying text/tables.

If a connection fails, keep the browser open and retry sync. If storage is unavailable or full, export a backup before closing. If email verification fails, use Resend verification; core learning remains available. If AI is paused or cannot validate feedback, use the supplied explanation and rubric.