Reaching Students with Passion-Driven, Project-Based Statistics

CAUSE Teaching & Learning webinar

June 11, 2013

Economics Psychology

Mathematics

The challenge….

Economics Psychology

Mathematics

NS&B

Government

Sociology

College/Social Science

The challenge….

Economics Psychology

Mathematics

NS&B

Government

Sociology

College/Social Science

The challenge….

Yet another challenge….

The goal ….

EVERYONE

Public Access Data

Project-based approach

Faculty Data

Community Data

Weeks 1 and 2

Generate testable hypothesis from available data

Conduct a literature review

Week 3 and 4

Statistical software basics

Formatting and managing data in the service of a question

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

Outline of Inquiry

In Class and Out of Class Support

Monday1-on-1 support

in small

workshopsections

Wednesday

Fridaypeer tutoring

1/5 ratio

1-on-1 support

in small

workshopsections

Lecture clips

Open Learning Initiative

Syntax

Peer Tutors

QuestionsData documentation

Instructor Office Hours

Statistics Writing Models

Core Features

• The students set the topic and do the work (no sage on the stage)

• Didactic portions heavier out of class and support for active engagement heavier in class

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

• Flexible speed/end point for all types of learners (Gestalt of the experience had by all students)

• Just in time (need to know) content knowledge

Transition to MOOC Environment

4000+ weeks 1-6

Bring learning from the inside out

Create new dynamics for encouraging engagement

Make connections within a community of learners and teachers

The MOOC experience taught me how to better …

Blogs…(e.g. http://spintocoursera.tumblr.com/))

Creating new dynamics to encourage engagement

FORUM POST:

I need some help with moderation:

I am trying to determine if gender is a moderator in the association between family type and depression. The output of my chi-square is not what I expect to see. because it is showing me first values when MALE=. and said all data is missing; and my value labels are not appearing.

Thank you very much.

libname mydata "/courses/u_coursera.org1/i_1006328/c_5333" access=readonly;

DATA new; set mydata.addhealth_pds;

/* Recode as missing data the unusable data*/

IF H1GI4 = 6 THEN H1GI4=.;

IF H1GI4 = 8 THEN H1GI4=.;

IF H1SU1 = 6 THEN H1SU1=.;

IF H1SU1 = 8 THEN H1SU1=.;

IF H1SU1 = 9 THEN H1SU1=.;

PROC sort; by AID;

PROC sort; by MALE;

PROC FREQ; TABLES H1SU1*H1GI4 DEPRESS*H1GI4 SAD*H1GI4 WORTHLIV*H1GI4/CHISQ; BY MALE;/*DEPRESS SAD WORTHLIV*/

Making connections with a community of learners and teachers

AccessAccess is more than the availability of seats. It is about providing a welcoming place at the table.

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, 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.