Enhancing Motivation in Basic Statistics - Tips and Examples (Hayes Hall 109)

Sherri L. Quinones

Capital University

Statistics is a required course for many non-STEM majors.  Many students not only come to the class with low expectations and low motivation, but, post-COVID, some are also coming with deficiencies in basic math skills.  With these challenges, how does one not only 'get students through' this course, but help them to thrive and see the value of the content to their future career?  One of the best ways to get students motivated is to collect data in class.  This session will provide an overview of various techniques and then dive into two examples of how to collect real-time data to teach students basic statistical concepts.

Self-Authoring Activity for STEM Courses (Tomsich Hall 101)

Simon Garcia

Kenyon College

A "Student Prospectus" is a structured, long-term assignment that builds on the "values-affirmation" strategy developed and popularized by social psychologists and educational leaders (e.g. Steele, Cohen, Verschelden). Students reflect on their personal values at the beginning of the semester. After practical instruction on how to express both the meaning and impact of their values, each student drafts narrative statements of their values, abilities, experiences, and aspirations. Throughout the course, they update these statements with examples of their work and behavior in course activities. The instructor assesses these statements on generalized criteria three times throughout the semester, offering each student feedback to make their statements meaningful and compelling to both themselves and others. Through this process the student perceives unconditional affirmation of their values by an authoritative figure, and gradually recognizes the expectations of their instructor; they may also perceive any gap between values and expectations and begin to negotiate. Conversely, the instructor gradually learns more about each student's self perception; they may also detect students' misconceptions about academic or professional success. This assignment can serve as a mechanism to incorporate student agency in their learning process, and as a differentiated assessment of multiple learning objectives. It is compatible with many practices labeled as "ungrading". I have implemented this assignment in chemistry courses taught at both introductory and advanced levels. [This presentation / poster will feature examples of instructional activities and related materials used to implement the assignment in an introductory chemistry course.] [This workshop will feature an overview of instructional activities and practical simulations of these activities; followed by discussion among participants to offer critique, share ideas, or suggest further study.]

If You Are Not Teaching DOE, You Are Not Teaching Your Students How to Perform Experiments (Samuel Mather Hall 201)

Rob Thompson

Oberlin College

Design of Experiments (DoE) is a pre-planned, statistical approach to method/process development and optimization, more effective and efficient than the standard approach, and useful in all areas of chemistry. DoE is widely practiced and valued in industry, but sadly lacking in the undergraduate curriculum. The basic concepts and stages of DoE are: brainstorming, screening of factors, factor characterization, and optimization of levels. Experimental examples from analytical chemistry will illustrate full and fractional factorial designs. Content and skills will transfer to the participant's teaching and research.