As a culmination of your learning experience in this course, I would like you to reflect on what you learned, how you learned, and what you will be able to do with statistics in your future. As you reflect, try to think about big ideas and NOT just the formulas and calculations you learned. As a reminder, here is some of my goals for our work together.
- Students should become critical consumers of statistically-based results reported in popular media, recognizing whether reported results reasonably follow from the study and analysis conducted.
- Students should be able to recognize questions for which the investigative process in statistics would be useful and should be able to answer questions using the investigative process.
- Students should be able to produce graphical displays and numerical summaries and interpret what graphs DO and DO NOT reveal.
- Students should recognize and be able to explain the central role of variability in the field of statistics.
- Students should recognize and be able to explain the central role of randomness in designing studies and drawing conclusions.
- Students should gain experience with how statistical models, including multivariable models, are used.
- Students should demonstrate an understanding of, and ability to use, basic ideas of how a sample can be used to make claims about a population through statistical inference, both hypothesis tests and interval estimation, in a variety of settings.
- Students should be able to interpret and draw conclusions from standard output from statistical software packages.
- Students should demonstrate an awareness of ethical issues associated with sound statistical practice.
Please respond to the following prompts honestly and thoughtfully. Responses need to include statistically accurate terms and concepts where appropriate. I will use it to help determine your final exam grade.
Question 1
How has this course changed how you feel about statistics? Summarize how you felt before taking this course and how you feel now. What statistical ideas are you curious to know more about as a result of taking this class?
Here are some questions and ideas that might help to start you off:
- You might describe how ability to analyze information and data has grown.
- When you hear Statistics being used to convince others, are you more or less skeptical about what they are saying?
- Did you develop an appreciation for how Statistics is useful in making better decisions when used correctly?
- Do you recognize that many things such as your class grade is an example of a statistic where your graded assignments are just a sample of data that demonstrates your learning, and that sample might have variation that doesn’t always truly represent your learning?
- Do you ask questions and think about how you might analyze it?
- Do you see statistical results and start asking more questions?
- Take one of the topics (make sure to name it) we have studied that you would like to explore further and describe why this is interesting to you.
Question 2
Take one of the topics we have studied (see the course goals above), and find how it can be applied to your field of study. Provide details of how you would use this in your future endeavors. What other problems will you be able to solve with the statistical tools you have learned in this class? Give as many examples as you can. This will require to do research to find where statistics can apply to your field of study!
For example, if you were interested in agriculture you might summarize research from the University of Nebraska about how farmers use statistics to study plant yields, predict demand for crops, and making recommendations for future seasons.
Question 3
Take one topic you have worked on this semester that you struggled to fully understand and explain how the struggle itself was valuable or indicative or learning. In the context of this question describe the struggle and how you overcame the struggle.
Here are some questions and ideas that might help to start you off:
- Did your struggle build aspects of character in you such as endurance, self-confidence, or competence to solve new problems, and how might those virtues benefit you later in school, work, or life.
- What resources or people did you use to overcome your struggles and how did getting help change you? Did it change the way you understand Statistics? Did it change the way you perceive the struggle in others?
Question 4
One of things I consistently reminded you throughout the semester was the importance of the discussion boards. The discussion boards purpose was to build community, collaboration, and giving and exchanging ideas to learn. I also am aware that occasionally online learners will collaborate outside of the discussion boards (Pronto, Zoom, Math Center). Discuss how have you improved in your ability to collaborate on difficult problems over the course of the semester.
Here are some questions and ideas that you might help to start you off:
- Can you describe any problems you worked on or any particularly memorable moments of collaboration with your fellow online learners, either on discussion boards or outside of Canvas?
- You might discuss how you worked to step outside of your comfort zone and how this impacted you.
- You might consider some of the difficulties you faced trying to participate in discussions and what you learned from it.
- Did you ever have to rethink the way you communicate or what words you use to help others make sense of your ideas?
- What advice and guidance would you communicate to future students?
Question 5
Pretend there were no guidelines in the syllabus for calculating your final grade. Based on the work you have done all semester and our goals for the course; what grade do you think you have earned? Make sure to state why you think you have earned that grade, but keep in mind that learning is not always measured accurately by quizzes and exams. What other evidence is there of your learning? This could include the following:
- The number of assignments completed.
- A description of your participation in class, both within your group and with the whole class.
- Which assessments (quizzes, exams, projects) best reflect what you have learned, and which are outliers that should be ignored.
- Additional evidence of your understanding of topics that may not have been accurately captured on assessments.
- Your final self-assessment of your understanding of the content.
Note: Studies show that first generation college students are more likely to grade themselves lower than their instructor does. Please don’t suggest you deserve a lower grade. This is your chance to make an argument for a higher grade. If you are happy with your current grade then give examples of assignments and assessments that show why you deserve that grade.
