Research Project in Statistics: Implications of a Case Study for the Undergraduate Statistics Curriculum

Abstract

A Research Project in Statistics is proposed as a major requirement of undergraduate statistics curricula to provide hands-on experience to students and equip them with the tools they will need after graduation. Such a requirement will train students to solve real-life problems by choosing a statistical model suitable to a problem, learning the details of that model, collecting and analyzing appropriate data, and interpreting the results obtained. After completing the project, students will have the ability to learn new techniques on their own, to do a literature review, and to carry out sample and survey design, and they will have enhanced their oral and written reporting skills. The case study reported in this paper suggests that students tend to learn more by doing such a project than in any regular coursework. The project is motivating and gives students a feeling of working in an almost real-life environment on a real problem. Such a project incorporates many aspects of the nonmathematical courses suggested by Higgins (1999a) and is expected to better prepare students to meet the needs of potential employers.