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Introduction to Statistical Modelling Module

Overview

The Introduction to Statistical Modelling module is designed for first-year Science students. The module aims to provide students with the basic tools to think about their ideas in a rigorous statistical manner and to understand that statistics is not a dry subject, but a necessity of life that can be of huge benefit to all.

Module Details

• Module Title: Introduction to Statistical Modelling
• Module Coordinator: Andrew Parnell
• Module Code: STAT10050
• Target Audience: First-year Science students

Background

Statistics is often perceived as a boring subject by students when they enter university, and many keep this view throughout their career. However, statistics is a fascinating intersection of philosophy, maths, and science that enables us to turn our ideas into scientific evidence and is a foundational method in fields as diverse as medicine, finance, and meteorology.

Goals

The main goal of this module is to keep students interested in the subject while also enriching their understanding of the mathematical background in probability and statistics. Students are encouraged to critically evaluate findings that appear in the media and to think about how they might have presented such work better by following the statistical approach presented in lectures.

Innovative Approach

The module incorporates two key teaching innovations:

• Including a non-assessed activity each week as part of each 2-hour lecture.
• Incorporating elements of interactivity so that all students can feel part of the material and are expected to contribute.

The weekly activities include designing an experiment to find Newton's gravitational constant, learning how to count cards in Blackjack, and estimating popularity from a Facebook network. Each activity introduces new concepts and challenges that are not part of the standard lecture material.

Results

The module has become very popular according to module feedback forms. The attendance rate of the module is very high, regularly staying above 80% even into weeks 11 and 12. This has encouraged more students to stay on for second-year statistics modules, which will hopefully bring benefit to the branches of science that they pursue.