Empowering Introductory Statistics Students with a Passion-Driven, Project-based Curriculum USCOTS, 2015

EconomicsPsychology Mathematics NS&B Government Sociology College/Social Science Background…. Biology E&ES

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

Creation…. Students feasible attractive inspirational Institution feasible/sustainable affordable policy Instructors easy 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 TUES 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.