There's Always Room for Improvement

When I asked myself what I could do to improve this course, I thought of aspects of the class that I did not like. Then I realized I shouldn't do a project just because I dislike something, but because a majority of students in the statistics classes see a problem with something. This idea is what jump started my project. I decided that before I try to address an issue, I should find out what students think the major issues are. To do this, I made a survey using Google Forms which asked students about videos, practice problems, and the current structure of the class (group lessons, hybrid, etc.). 33 students between second and fourth block took the survey, and the results I received were very telling.

Once I received the results, I discovered the best way to prepare for module tests and how the structure of the class contributes to students' success in the class. Additionally, I was able to see what aspects of the class were negative and positive according to students. What did I do with these results? I made a list of ways I thought we could improve the negative results. Ultimately, I created course improvement projects that students and Mr. Pethan could do to improve the learning opportunities in the course.

After getting such constructive feedback, I decided this would be the project to share with the class and Mr. Pethan. When preparing to present my results, I realized that no one wants to see lists of numbers or wordy explanations. So, I made an infographic using Piktochart to effectively relay my findings. Below, you can see the infographic as well as the most significant results from the survey.

This project was a long process, so I did not have much time to improve the areas students found problematic. However, I picked one need that over 75% of students said they wanted addressed. Students said they wanted videos in the solution key explaining how to find answers using an online application called StatKey. I made videos for 3 modules that use this application, using the scenarios from practice problems so students could see how to reach the answer. Here is an example of one of the videos I made.

Overall, I have found this statistics class to be a new, innovative way to approach education. Whether using new teaching methods or traditional ones, there will always be aspects to improve upon. In my opinion, it is crucial to ask students where improvements can be made so classes can offer the most effective learning opportunities.