Survey Says: Using Course Long Projects to Connect Statistics to the Real WorldAMATYC MeetingNovember 2007Minneapolis, MN

Johnny Duke, Ph.D.Georgia Highlands CollegeRome, Georgiajduke@highlands.eduwww.highlands.edu/academics/divisions/math/SurveySays.ppt

Survey SaysConnections

NCTM Process Standard

Connections among the various areas of mathematics.

Connections between mathematics and the real world.

Survey SaysAdvice from the American Statistical Association

students should have the experience of applying their learning in settings as real as possible during their education. This could include co-ops, summer jobs, class projects Ritter, Starbuck, and Hogg

Survey SaysIntroduction to Statistics is a service course at Shorter College and at Georgia Highlands.A variety of majors: Business, Biology, Ecology, Middle Grades Education, Mathematics, Social Sciences, HistoryConcern that learning was disjointed and isolated from real life.First conceived of a semester long project while working with Service Learning.

Survey SaysGoalsConnect what was being learned in class with a real life application.Connect the various elements of introductory statistics to each other.Learn to use technological tools (calculators and computers) to organize and present data.Give students an experience that would help prepare them for the use of statistics in their future careers.

Survey SaysVolunteerism Survey: Collecting DataCreation of a survey instrumentWhat types of data are needed?How to word the instrument for clarity.Types of sampling techniquesRandom SampleSystematic SampleStratified SampleCluster SampleConvenience Sample

Survey SaysVolunteerism Survey: Organizing DataDatabase EntryStandardize entry for consolidationFrequency DistributionsCategoricalUngrouped and GroupedGraphsBar graphsPie Charts

Survey SaysVolunteerism Survey: Analyzing DataMeasures of Central TendencyMeasures of VariationConfidence IntervalsSingle Population Hypothesis TestingTwo Population Hypothesis TestingDid the sampling method appear to make a difference?How do religious and non-religious volunteers compare?

Survey SaysVolunteerism Survey: Presenting Data

Graphs and ChartsWritten reportConnection with EnglishConnection with skills in Introduction to Computers

Survey SaysOther projectsTelevision Sex and Violence Survey 1999Data Collection DifferentThe need for training became apparentCould be combined with literature researchPresidential Election Polls 2000 and 2004Intersected with current political eventsVery similar process to Volunteerism SurveyStudents learned to use Minitab in 2000 and Excel in 2004

Survey SaysOther ProjectsSpring 2001The groups proposed projects that I could approve or not approve.I provided a list to help them brainstorm.This made it easier for students to apply statistics to their field/particular interests.There was unevenness in the amount of statistics used in the projects in terms of correlating to the topics covered in class.

Survey SaysOther ProjectsStatistical Analysis of SAFE 2002An after-school program of the Rome City SchoolsCombined Service LearningUsed this project to teach SPSSBy far the most important projectDisappointment with testing error that caused the data to be thrown out

Survey SaysOther ProjectsStatistical Analysis of the Tax Assessments for Residential Property in Floyd County 2003Collection of data from the public records at the Tax Assessors OfficeComparison of actual selling prices with the appraised prices in 2002

Survey SaysOther projectsHuman Body Proportions and the Golden Ratio 2005Testing the claims from Internet sites on the Golden RatioData Collection and Entry into ExcelDescriptive StatisticsConfidence Intervals and Hypotheses TestingCorrelation and Linear Regression

Survey SaysOther ProjectsLocal WeatherLocal high, low, and precipitation for a month from weather.comDescriptive stats and graphs using ExcelProbability and probability distributionsConfidence IntervalsHypothesis TestingCorrelation and Linear Regression

Survey SaysOther ProjectsSkittles (M&Ms)Used in MaymesterA much lighter projectYou can eat the data

Survey SaysIdeas from othersSalaries of Major League Baseball Players from USA Today Wiseman & ChatterjeeSex, Drugs, and Rock & RollBolstad, Hunt, & McWhirterBirth records from North CarolinaHolcomb & Ruffer

Survey SaysLedotlers ListSalaries of Professors at the University of IowaPredicting future student enrollment at U of IowaACT and College PerformanceSports statisticsAutomotive StudiesSafety of Iowa RoadsHealth-related IssuesReal Estate listing and selling pricesSales and attendance analysis of a local restaurantRadio station preferences

Survey SaysGradingSeries of worksheetsTotal generally equivalent to 1.5 to 2 test gradesBoth individual and group work

Survey SaysResult of One Student Survey94% agreed with These projects helped me to better understand statistical concepts.82% agreed with Using the same data set repeatedly has helped me to see there is a range of statistical procedures (techniques) that may be used to investigate/answer the same question.97% agreed with These projects helped me to learn how to construct graphs and tables for statistical analysis.82% agreed with Working in groups helped me to learn to communicate statistical ideas.Holcomb & Ruffer, p. 52

Survey SaysWhat are your questions?

What are your ideas and/or experiences?

Print Resources

Bolstad, W. M., Hunt, Lyn A., and McWhirter, Judith L. Sex, Drugs, and Rock & Roll Survey in First-Year Service Course in Statistics, The American Statistician, 55, 145-149.

Duke, Johnny I. Service Learning: Taking Mathematics into the Real World, The Mathematics Teacher, 92, 794-796.

Holcomb, John P. And Ruffer, Rochelle L., Using a Term-Long Project Sequence in Introductory Statistics, The American Statistician, 54, 49-53.

Kvam, Paul H. The Effect of Active Learning Methods on Student Retention in Engineering Statistics, The American Statistician, 54, 136-140.

Print ResourcesLedolter, Johannes. Projects in Introductory Statistics Courses, The American Statistician, 49, 364-367.

Ritter, Mary Ann, Starbuck, Robert R., and Hogg, Robert V. Advice From Prospective Employers on Training BS Statisticians, The American Statistician, 55, 14-18.

Root, Rob and Thorme, Trisha. Community-Based Projects in Applied Statistics: Using Service-Learning to Enhance Student Understanding, The American Statistician, 55, 326-331.

Wiseman, Frederick and Chatterjee, Sangit. Major League Baseball Player Salaries: Bringing Realism into Introductory Statistics Courses, The American Statistician, 51, 350-352.

Internet Resourceshttp://www.cis.ysu.edu/~jholcomb/projects/projects.htm This site provides the database and materials that accompany the project described in Holcomb and Ruffers article.

http://asp.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/salaries/ This is the USA Today site for Major League Baseball salaries from 1988 through the current season.

http://asp.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/salaries/ This is the USA Today site for NFL salaries from the 2000 season to date.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/nba/salaries00.htm This is the USA Today site for NBA salaries for the 2000/2001 year.

http://www.census.gov/ The official site of the US Census Bureau, which contains a wealth of statistical information.

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