At a Large University,a Group of Education Specialists Tested the Effectiveness

At a large university,a group of education specialists tested the effectiveness of a new academic improvement course.Students seeking help at the university counseling center because of academic difficulties were asked to participate in this 4-week program.Only students who were judged to be deficient in reading comprehension and other study-related skills were chosen for the program.Students who sought help at the counseling center for emotional difficulties were included in the study as a comparison group.These students received the usual treatment offered at the counseling center.A group of 30 students completed the academic-improvement program at the counseling center.Average test grades from the students' courses for the two groups were compared before (midterm exams)and after (final exams)the program.Analyses revealed that a statistically significant majority of the students were doing better in school after completing the academic-improvement program than before.
What type of research design was used for this study?