Teaching Method201920212023collaborative projects15.832.447.9standardized lectures8.212.718.3peer-to-peer learning18.535.151.2textbook assignments7.91...
GMAT Information and Ideas : (Ideas) Questions
| Teaching Method | 2019 | 2021 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| collaborative projects | 15.8 | 32.4 | 47.9 |
| standardized lectures | 8.2 | 12.7 | 18.3 |
| peer-to-peer learning | 18.5 | 35.1 | 51.2 |
| textbook assignments | 7.9 | 11.4 | 16.8 |
Educational research on student engagement during the late 2010s and early 2020s found that interactive learning approaches, which require students to actively participate in knowledge construction and collaborative problem-solving, produced significantly higher retention rates than traditional passive methods that primarily involve individual information absorption. This trend becomes apparent when examining ______
Which choice most effectively uses data from the table to illustrate the claim?
the 2021 performance rate of standardized lectures compared with the 2023 performance rate of standardized lectures.
the 2023 performance rate of collaborative projects compared with the 2023 performance rate of textbook assignments.
the 2019 performance rate of peer-to-peer learning compared with the 2019 performance rate of collaborative projects.
the 2021 performance rate of textbook assignments compared with the 2019 performance rate of textbook assignments.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| Table showing teaching method performance rates across years |
|
| "Educational research on student engagement during the late 2010s and early 2020s found that interactive learning approaches, which require students to actively participate in knowledge construction and collaborative problem-solving, produced significantly higher retention rates than traditional passive methods that primarily involve individual information absorption." |
|
| "This trend becomes apparent when examining ______" |
|
Part B: Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Research shows interactive learning methods produce significantly better retention rates than traditional passive methods.
Argument Flow: The passage presents data on four teaching methods, then states a research finding that interactive approaches outperform passive ones, and indicates this trend can be demonstrated through examining specific data comparisons.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
This is a fill-in-the-blank question asking us to choose the best logical connector. The answer must create the right relationship between what comes before and after the blank.
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- The research claim states that interactive learning approaches (collaborative projects and peer-to-peer learning) produce "significantly higher retention rates" than traditional passive methods (standardized lectures and textbook assignments)
- To illustrate this effectively, we need a comparison that shows: One interactive method directly compared to one passive method from the same time period with a substantial numerical difference
the 2021 performance rate of standardized lectures compared with the 2023 performance rate of standardized lectures.
✗ Incorrect
- Compares standardized lectures in 2021 vs 2023
- This shows one passive method improving over time, not interactive vs passive comparison
the 2023 performance rate of collaborative projects compared with the 2023 performance rate of textbook assignments.
✓ Correct
- Compares collaborative projects (47.9) vs textbook assignments (16.8) in 2023
- Perfect illustration: interactive method significantly outperforms passive method (nearly 3x higher)
- Shows exactly what the claim states
the 2019 performance rate of peer-to-peer learning compared with the 2019 performance rate of collaborative projects.
✗ Incorrect
- Compares peer-to-peer learning vs collaborative projects in 2019
- Both are interactive methods, so this doesn't demonstrate interactive vs passive superiority
the 2021 performance rate of textbook assignments compared with the 2019 performance rate of textbook assignments.
✗ Incorrect
- Compares textbook assignments in 2021 vs 2019
- Shows one passive method improving over time, irrelevant to interactive vs passive comparison