Overview:

To kick off the semester, I introduced a discussion post/ meme competition related to course content. This was worth 5% of their final grade. This involved a 100-200 word critical reflection, with suitable APA references, to discuss one interesting application of Statistics in real life. It also included the use of an original, fun meme/creative artwork to illustrate the reflective piece that was connected to statistics concepts mentioned in the reflection. Students chose from topics of Weather Forecasting, Sales Tracking, Health Care, Traffic, Investing, Medical Studies, Manufacturing, Urban Planning, Education, Psychology, Sociology, Business, Politics. Therefore, students were encouraged to create memes that humorously represented psychological and statistical concepts and served as an icebreaker, stimulated interest in the subject, and set a positive tone for the course. The objective was to utilize scaffolding tools developed from Artificial Intelligence during the development of economic and financial models, discuss the philosophical issues that arise within Artificial Intelligence and its increasingly pivotal role in emerging and legacy economies, interpret and critically evaluate statistical results in the context of social science research in APA format and collaborate effectively, applying quantitative research insights to interdisciplinary fields.

Student Profiles: 

DISC 1011: Probability and Statistics Course

Level of Student: Undergraduate

Age Group: 18 to 23 years old

Class Size: 11 students

Mode: Online

Background: Students have a basic knowledge of Statistics and Calculus. Most are recent secondary school graduates who focused on STEM courses.

PSYC 6013: Advanced Statistics and Research Methods in Psychology

Level of Student: Postgraduate

Age Group: Adults aged 21 and over

Class Size: 11 to 12 students

Mode: In-person

Background: Students have a basic knowledge of Statistics from an introductory undergraduate course. The class includes diverse learners, such as recent BSc graduates and adults reentering university after several years.

Why was this used?:

Humour, when appropriately used, can reduce anxiety, increase student engagement, and create a positive learning environment. It can make challenging concepts more approachable and foster a sense of community in the classroom. Therefore, I employed a meme assessment to foster a good learning environment, build class cohesiveness, improve my connections with students, and increase the effectiveness of learning (Martinuzzi & Spoerk, 2023). Moreover, humour demands knowledge and can create a greater comprehension of the respective topic at hand. As such, my students did not locate the "right" answers or solve a case, but rather created something new. Ultimately, humour empowered my students, increased their creativity, encouraged critical thinking, enhanced communication skills, and prepared them to be change agents (Martinuzzi & Spoerk, 2023). Thus, Martinuzzi & Spoerk (2023) believed humour has great potential as a learning tool, particularly in courses or programmes where skills, group dynamics, creativity, and emotions are important, as well as in areas that demand unique and creative methods.

How was this done?:

My students' generally followed the rubric I provided to them. They used it as a roadmap for navigating the reflective piece as well as the meme creation process, ensuring their work aligned with the expectations I set forth. It served as a valuable tool for guiding their creativity while also promoting critical thinking and engagement with the academic material. Therefore, they mostly described the what, why, and how application of statistics to the respective topics, used examples, and created a meme connected to the concept in their critical reflection.

I gave constructive feedback to all students, noting that their downfalls centered around expanding on the why and how aspects of the application, lack of examples, review of the APA in-text and bibliographical citations, and absence of helpful feedback to peers. In terms of the memes, some of the students lacked originality, as they utilized meme templates from social media pages, while others needed to elaborate on their memes since they required additional explanation to be easily understood.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Interpret and critically evaluate statistical results in the context of social science research in APA format.

2. Collaborate effectively, applying quantitative research insights to interdisciplinary fields.

Impact on Students Learning
The meme competition received enthusiastic participation. Students enjoyed the creative process and appreciated the opportunity to express their understanding of concepts in a fun and engaging manner. It facilitated a relaxed atmosphere and encouraged open communication.

The students' feedback to their peers post increased interaction and camaraderie among students. As it relates to the topic of weather forecasting, some of them found that the description of how statistical approaches are employed in weather forecasting is extremely instructive and interesting. This is because meteorologists use multiple data sources and statistical analysis to anticipate weather trends, which is intriguing to learn about. They found that it also highlighted how weather forecasts influence daily decisions such as clothes, transportation, agriculture, and catastrophe preparedness. The inclusion of aviation, agricultural, and emergency services offers context. 

Concerning esports and statistics, a student found that many esports teams utilize statistics to improve their accuracy and tactical gaming. This is true because, when prepping for a competition, they began utilizing software that monitored their aim with various virtual guns. This allowed them to discover the best guns for both long and close ranges and enhanced their overall performance in the game.

Regarding traffic research, students found that it has the potential to improve roadway safety. The real-life application example from Houston, Texas demonstrated the practical ramifications of statistics findings. Data-driven choices can significantly enhance transportation networks. However, statistics have limitations, including inherent biases in data gathering. Moreover, highlighted the importance of statistics in optimising traffic flow, minimizing accidents, and upgrading transportation networks. 

Overall, the incorporation of the meme assessment enhanced students' learning experience by increasing engagement and motivation, promoting retention of knowledge, improved understanding of concepts through creative expression, encouraging application of knowledge to real-life scenarios, teaching valuable academic skills, and fostered a supportive and inclusive classroom environment. 

Addressing Diverse Student Needs:

Humour and creative activities cater to various learning styles, including visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learners. By incorporating these elements, I addressed the diverse needs of my students, making learning more accessible and enjoyable for everyone.

This assessement revelaed a diverse range of meme submissions showcasing different perspectives and interpretations. As such, the undergraduate students created more original, innovative and creative memes that were generally easy to understand and came from a personalized perspective. Additionally, since the undergraduates had a STEM background, they delved deeper into the statistical methodologies involved in the chosen real-life application. They focused on the technical intricacies, such as regression and probability analysis in weather forecasting and finance or hypothesis testing in medical studies. Their critical reflection highlighted the significance of accurate statistical modeling in making informed decisions and the potential consequences of flawed analyses. 

On the other hand, postgraduate Non-STEM students expounded more on their critical reflections but lack originality and ease of understanding in their use of the memes. They nevertheless, emphasized the broader implications of statistics in society. They explored how statistical findings shape public policy or influence social perceptions. For instance, using correlations to analyze the impact of violent music on young children, for projected crime prevention and estimation of an audience's interests and popularity of a certain movie. 

However, both groups needed to fine tune the errors made in the APA-style citations. Nevertheless, it enhanced inclusivity and accommodation of diverse learning styles and increased student participation and enthusiasm for the subject matter.

Impact on my Teaching Practice
The success of the meme competition reinforced the importance of innovative teaching strategies in enhancing student engagement and learning outcomes. It also highlighted the need for continuous reflection and adaptation of teaching methods to meet the evolving needs of students.

By incorporating this meme assessment and use of humour into my teaching practice I was able to allow my students to express themselves creatively whilst requiring them to think critically about the subject matter. Thus, it was necessary for them to understand the statistical concepts well enough to apply them in a humorous and relevant context which promoted deeper learning and application of knowledge.

I also captured their attention about Statistics by making the material more engaging. Hence, since the real-life applications of statistics are often abstract and difficult for students to grasp. By incorporating memes, I helped to bridge the gap between theory and practice by encouraging them to provide concrete, relatable examples that they can easily understand and remember.

Additionally, requiring students to accompany their memes with a critical reflection and APA references encouraged them to think deeply about the real-life applications of statistics. It also provided an opportunity for self-assessment and feedback and helped students develop their analytical and communication skills.

Overall, incorporating meme assessments into my teaching practice transformed the learning experience by fostering engagement, critical thinking, creativity, and real-world relevance. It added an element of fun and humour to the classroom while still promoting rigorous academic standards and learning outcomes.

Integration of Humour and Teaching Philosophy:

My teaching philosophy is deeply rooted in student-centered learning, recognizing my role as a facilitator and mentor. The integration of humour through activities like the meme competition aligns with this philosophy by creating an engaging, supportive, and inclusive learning environment. By using humour, I am able to connect with students on a personal level, making complex concepts more relatable and easier to understand. Consistent student feedback highlighted the positive impact of humour on their learning experience, and I have observed increased student engagement and participation in class activities. This approach has strengthened the relationship with mt students and improved their outcomes and satisfaction with the learning process.