A collaborative effort involving the Department of Statistics, the Schreyer Institute for Innovation in Learning, and Information Technology Services (ITS) is changing the way students learn Elementary Statistics at Penn State. With William Harkness, professor of Statistics, providing the impetus, the three collaborators transformed a traditional, lecture-style Statistics class into a highly-interactive learning environment which uses computer-based activities to promote increased involvement and greater learning for the students. Because STAT 200 is a required course in nearly 60 academic majors, the changes are impacting large numbers. Approximately 2,200 students at University Park, plus an additional 400 students from other University locations, participate in the class each year.
Originally, STAT 200 was taught using three lecture periods and two recitations per week. After years of using this traditional teaching method, Harkness started incorporating small group activities into the classroom. Eventually, the Statistics Department submitted a proposal to the Pew Learning and Technology Program and a $200,000 grant was awarded in September 1999 to provide seed money to support the complete redesign of the course. Using grant money, the three collaborating departments developed a new course structure designed to make the learning process both more engaging and relevant to students. Students participating in the redesigned course now attend one lecture and two lab meetings per week, take part in a new testing process supported by University Testing Services, and use newly created course materials including 50 technology-based activities. In addition, Information Technology Services created an extensive Web-based tool including study guides, activity listings, on-line quizzes, surveys, and readiness assessment testing capabilities, which students and instructors report as a useful and effective resource.
In contrast to the lecture-style recitations previously held in classrooms, the hands-on sessions are now held in technology labs and consist of computer-based activities that give students the opportunity to work with problems simulating real-life applications. Students now spend less time in lecture classes and more time getting hands-on experience with statistical analysis.
To determine the effectiveness of the new course structure, the collaborating team built an assessment process into the restructured design. The assessments, which began Spring 2000 and continued through Fall 2001, show significant improvements in learning by the students participating in the new structure. For example, students participating in the redesigned course demonstrated a 10% to 13% improvement on final content tests and an 11% improvement in their ability to choose correct statistical techniques in specified situations.
In June 2001, several members of the Statistics department were honored with a Schreyer Institute Collaborative Award in recognition of their combined efforts in the restructuring of the STAT 200 course. Harkness, one of the award recipients, believes that making course content relevant to students is a key to involving them more fully in the learning process while the innovative use of technology in the restructuring of the course played an important role in the overall success of the project. "We found the technology-based activities one of the best resources for learning in the redesign," he explains. "We're always going to have lectures and they're important, but the structure of the class should provide a wider variety of opportunities for serving the students."
The Statistics Department has additional plans for restructuring three other courses currently being taught in the large lecture-style format. With the support of a recently approved grant from the National Science Foundation, an Engineering Statistics and two Biostatistics courses are slated for redesign. A public demo showcasing some of the online materials used in STAT 200 is available at http://ets.cac.psu.edu/projects/stat200/about/publicdemo/index.html