How to Create a Unique Statistics Project that

Mount Saint Mary College • Small liberal arts college • Located in the Hudson

MTH 207 Elementary Statistics Required for: • Business majors • Nursing majors • Psychology

Final Project • 30% of overall grade • No final exam • Students involved

Six Step Process 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Decide on a topic. Write

Example Timeline 15 Week Semester • Week 1: Topic Ideas • Week 2: Submit

Example Timeline • Weeks 7 -8/9: Compile data and return to students • Weeks

Step 1: Creating a Topic • 5% of project grade • First day of

Step 2: Writing the Questions • Each student writes 3 questions: one qualitative, one

Step 3: Writing the Survey • • Sort and group student questions Design survey

The Codebook • Create common name for all variables • Code all nominal and

Step 4: Gathering the Data • • 25% of project grade Each student required

Example Surveys • The Dating Survey: – Diving into the Dating Pool • The

For more information… Dr. Jennifer Bready Division of Math/CS 330 Powell Ave Newburgh, NY

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How to Create a Unique Statistics Project that Students will Enjoy: Part I Dr. Jennifer Bready Associate Professor of Mathematics Mount Saint Mary College

Mount Saint Mary College • Small liberal arts college • Located in the Hudson Valley, NY • Large education, business, and nursing programs (including Master’s programs for each)

MTH 207 Elementary Statistics Required for: • Business majors • Nursing majors • Psychology majors • Recommended for science majors • SPSS is integrated throughout the course

Final Project • 30% of overall grade • No final exam • Students involved from day one • Goal of course: for students to be able to apply and understand statistics

Six Step Process 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Decide on a topic. Write the questions. Create the survey. Gather the data. Compile the data. Analyze the results.

Example Timeline 15 Week Semester • Week 1: Topic Ideas • Week 2: Submit questions • Week 3: Write survey and get student feedback • Weeks 4 -6: Give students the surveys to gather the data

Example Timeline • Weeks 7 -8/9: Compile data and return to students • Weeks 9 -13/14: Students write paper, due one week before end of semester • Weeks 14 -15: Grade and return to students

Step 1: Creating a Topic • 5% of project grade • First day of class show students articles from newspapers containing statistics • Tell students to think about a topic that interests them, due next class • Discuss results and democratically vote on topic

Step 2: Writing the Questions • Each student writes 3 questions: one qualitative, one quantitative, and one choice • Students must identify measure of each question • Cannot ask basic demographic questions • Answer choices must be included for all nominal and ordinal questions

Step 3: Writing the Survey • • Sort and group student questions Design survey Add appropriate demographic questions Present rough draft of survey, ask students for feedback • Ask students for appropriate art work and title for cover • Write a code book for students to set up variables

The Codebook • Create common name for all variables • Code all nominal and ordinal variables • Students are graded on variable set up and measures of each variable

Step 4: Gathering the Data • • 25% of project grade Each student required to complete 6 -10 surveys Students must set up the variables in SPSS and enter the data Students turn in: 1. 2. 3. 4. Data on disk Printout of data view Printout of variable view Completed surveys

Example Surveys • The Dating Survey: – Diving into the Dating Pool • The Driving Survey: – Driving Yourself Crazy • Social Live Survey – Crunch Time: Books or Beers? • The Music Survey – Rock the Music, Speak Your Mind

For more information… Dr. Jennifer Bready Division of Math/CS 330 Powell Ave Newburgh, NY 12550 845 -569 -3268 bready@msmc. edu