Empowering Introductory Statistics Students with a Passion-Driven, Project-based Curriculum

USCOTS, 2015

Economics Psychology

Mathematics

NS&B

Government

Sociology

College/Social Science

Background….

Biology E&ES

This was a direction no one was interested in going in….

Creation….

Studentsfeasible

attractive

inspirational

Institutionfeasible/sustainable

affordable

policy

Instructorseasy

attractive

inspirational

Large numbers

Diverse backgrounds

Competing pressures

flat/shrinking resources

“boxes”

“priority fear”

Small numbers

Diverse backgrounds

Competing pressures

Public Access Data

Project-based approach

Faculty Data

Community Data

Weeks 1 and 2

Generate testable hypothesis from available data*

Conduct a literature review (and writing)

Week 3 and 4

Statistical software basics

Formatting and managing data in the service of a question

Descriptive statistics and Graphing

Week 5 through Week 10

Conduct analyses

Univariate, bivariate, testing for confounding, moderation

Week 11 through Week 14

Reconciling study limitations

Presenting and interpret results

Syllabus: Outline of inquiry

Schedule:

MW – class

F – peer mentoring

Software: As many as possible

Our modifiable iBook

Transition to the MOOC environment

Support…

Collaborative space for 50+ students

Instructor(s)

Peer mentors (1:5)

What needs to be fixed?

There is always lots of room for tinkering…

So what does NOT need to be fixed?

Use of real, interesting and flexible data

The student sets the topic and does the work (no sage on the stage)

Just in time (need to know) content knowledge

As much one-on-one support as needed and expectations that it will be needed.

Flexible end point for all types of learners

Introductions

Open floor for questions

Overview of steps - handout

Schoology

Opportunities to collaborate…

Who: Statistics instructors (and their students)

How: Instructor MOOC, Student/instructor MOOC, discussion forums, Skype support, intensive teacher/training.

Acknowledgements

TUES0942246 from the National Science Foundation

Center Grant (NIDA DA010075) awarded to the Methodology Center, Penn State University

Numerous colleagues and advisors have generously contributed to the development of this course: Drs. George Cobb, Lisa Harlow, Nick Horton, Daniel Long, Michael Singer, Wendy Rayack, Erika Fowler, Manolis Kaparakis and Jennifer Rose.

Lauren B. Dachs Grant in Support of Interdisciplinary Research in the Social Impacts of Science.