Serving the Community through Statistics: A Capstone Project

2015 AP Conference

Austin, TX

Joshua B. Wilkersonjwilkerson@regents-austin.com

Regents School of AustinMathematics Appreciation Teacher

Texas State UniversityDoctoral Student, Mathematics Education

www.GodandMath.com

Packet Contents:

1. Presentation Outline.......................................................................................3

2. Handouts1.......................................................................................................9

A. 10 Steps to a Service-Learning Project in AP Stats...........................9

B. Project Details....................................................................................13

C. Sample Calendar................................................................................17

D. Project Rubric....................................................................................19

E. Reflection Guide................................................................................21

3. Resources.......................................................................................................25

Abstract:

This session will equip participants to design, implement, and evaluate service-learning based statistics projects in which students partner with non-profit organizations in their local community. These projects synthesize the major concepts of experimental design, data analysis, and statistical inference in the real-world context of community service. Through these projects students integrate their conceptual understanding of statistics with the practical functioning of their local community, ultimately gaining a deeper appreciation for the role statistics plays in the organization and evaluation of service societies. In this session participants will explore several successful examples of such projects, identify the key components of a successful project, engage in discussion assessing the feasibility and logistics of implementing service projects in their own curriculum, and critique project evaluation rubrics.

1 Any additional documents referenced in the handouts that are not included in this printed packet can be found online at www.GodandMath.com/ap-conference-presentation-serving-the-community-through-statistics/

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Outline:

I. Introduction: Motivation for Utilizing Service-LearningA. Defining Service-Learning:

1. At a basic level, service-learning can be defined as a set of activities that have two characteristics:

a. they enhance either the delivery or the impact of the curricular material, usually, but not always, within the context of a specific course, and

b. they take place within a service framework where additional experience with civic engagement or social contribution will be obtained.

2. Hadlock, C.R. (2005). “Introduction and Overview.” In C.R. Hadlock (Ed.), Mathematics in service to the community: Concepts and models for service-learning in the mathematical sciences. Washington, DC: Mathematical Association of America.

B. In the context of AP Statistics: 1. Identifying a non-profit service agency which requires survey research

(program evaluation, client needs assessment, etc.)2. Students develop a survey instrument, conduct survey, compile and code

data, analyze data, present resultsC. Example project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=7UTrmBoVv7k&feature=youtu.beD. Discussion Notes:

II. Lessons from Experience: Exploring Sample ProjectsA. Timeframe

1. Introduced in course syllabus at beginning of the year2. Students equipped through fall projects

a. The first fall project is a study in response bias in which students work in teams and gain experience in giving surveys, analyzing bias, and producing a statistical poster.

b. The second fall project requires students to work in different teams to analyze data from the Census at School website. The second project gives students experience in working through real world data sets in Microsoft Excel, creating statistical charts and graphs, and developing an effective PowerPoint presentation.

c. In total by the end of the fall the students have given surveys (both good and bad), examined data sets, worked with Excel, and given two different forms of presentations, all with different classmates as partners.

3. Service project starts in full at the beginning of spring semester

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B. Organization1. Large Scale

a. Organization or cause selected by teacher or entire classb. Teams of students work on componentsc. More work for teacher but more reliability in community

partnershipd. Is every student involved in the entire statistical process?

2. Small Scalea. Organizations selected by individual student teamsb. Teams of students work on separate projectsc. Organization is meaningful to students but questions varyd. Is every student involved in the entire statistical process?

C. Sample Projects1. Large Scale

a. Evaluating the effectiveness of the county in providing aid to wildfire victims as compared to the aid provided by volunteer organizations

b. Comparing drug/alcohol abuse before and after establishing residence in an affordable housing community for the chronically homeless (forthcoming)

2. Small Scalea. Examining volunteer and camper retention in an inner city after

school programb. Analyzing adoption trends for a local no-kill animal shelterc. Determining community satisfaction in regards to new

developments by the city parks and recreation departmentD. Keys to Success

1. The Power of Choicea. Students have a vested interest in a personal topicb. “How can we apply the concepts learned in statistics to benefit our

local community/service agencies?”2. Meaningful Applications

a. Real life scenario with real peopleb. The “Aha Moment” - Deep connections drawn from course

material to project implementation3. Improving Civic Mindset, Professionalism, and Presentation Skills

a. Obligation is to the community/organization, not just a gradeb. Comfort levels stretched through community interaction

4. Required Reflection Beyond Calculationsa. Students chose the topic so they have to defend why it mattersb. Importance of statistics cemented

E. Discussion Notes:

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III. Lessons from Research: Identifying Keys to SuccessA. The enhancement of curricular impact can derive from different sources:

1. Exposure to new techniques and ideas2. Motivation from seeing curricular material in action3. Higher student energy level due to bonding with a client organization and

helping meet its needs4. More extensive discussion of course material due to the interactive nature

of most service-learning projectsB. Ultimately the motivation for service-learning is not only developing higher-order

critical thinking in real-world contexts but also increasing the feeling of engagement on the part of the student

C. KEY TO SUCCESS: REFLECTION1. “Some people may think that this reflection process refers to a kind of

‘touchy-feely’ exercise that might be quite foreign to the mathematics classroom. I prefer to think of it as the processing of a rather complex set of experiences to assure that students share and solidify their insights and thus obtain maximum lasting benefits. This has actually been one of the most important contributions of the service-learning initiative.”

Hadlock, C.R. (2005). “Introduction and Overview.” In C.R. Hadlock (Ed.), Mathematics in service to the community: Concepts and models for service-learning in the mathematical sciences. Washington, DC: Mathematical Association of America.

2. “Service-learning in its most effective and well-developed sense is more than another name for ‘real-world learning’ and consists of more than applied work in the public/non-profit sector. It involves a multilayered reflection process that can substantially increase its educational value in a broad sense…. Service-learning reflection asks the learner to become more aware of what he/she brings to the learning process: values, assumptions, biases – many of which are unexamined and potentially problematic….To leave these aspects unexplored would be to miss a vital educational opportunity, for they invariably stir up thoughts and feelings highly deserving of reflection and discussion.”

Zlotowski (2005) Zlotkowski, E. (2005). “Foreward.” In C.R. Hadlock (Ed.), Mathematics in service to the community: Concepts and models for service-learning in the mathematical sciences. Washington, DC: Mathematical Association of America.

D. Discussion Notes:

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IV. Putting it All Together: Implementing Service-Learning in your CurriculumA. STEP 1: Determine the learning objectives for your course and think of real-world

situations where students can apply the concepts studied in your course (How can mathematical models and ideas be applied to solve real-life problems?).

1. Identifying a non-profit service agency which requires survey research (program evaluation, client needs assessment, etc.)

2. Students develop a survey instrument, conduct survey, compile and code data, analyze data, present results

3. These projects synthesize the major concepts of experimental design, data analysis, and statistical inference in the real-world context of community service

4. Through these projects students integrate their conceptual understanding of statistics with the practical functioning of their local community

B. STEP 2: Determine a community partner that has the time to communicate on a regular basis with you and your students and where students will be addressing a real community need.

1. The community partner must be viewed as a co-instructor2. Discuss with the community partner:

a. The academic calendar the students are operating underb. The difference between SL and community servicec. The learning objectives from STEP 1d. Deadlines for stages of the projecte. Deadline for completion of the projectf. Plan for final presentation of deliverables to all stakeholders

3. Students already involved in community service can be an excellent resource

C. STEP 3: Prepare students for working on a SL project1. Clearly explain to students the learning objectives of the SL project and

how they tie into the learning objectives of the course (In other words: be sure to communicate to students what you determined as the instructor in STEP 1)

2. Discuss the expectations for the relationship between the students and the community partner from STEP 2 (Students should view this as a consulting project)

3. Discuss up front your assessment methods and provide a rubric (Grades should reflect the quality of work produced and the demonstration of the understanding of statistical concepts, not just number of hours spent on the project)

4. The instructor needs to treat the SL experience as integral to the course rather than a tacked on project

D. STEP 4: Equip students to successfully complete the SL project1. Be sure students have and understand:

a. Project description (Stemming from Step 3)b. A clear hierarchy for the projectc. Calendar delineating phases and important datesd. Rubric that outlines where the grade is coming frome. Examples of successful projects and insights as to what made them

successfulf. (See handouts)

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2. Be sure the project is managed in a way that provides students with regular (ungraded) feedback throughout the process (perhaps at the end of each phase)

3. Be sure students have sufficient time to work together, both in and out of the classroom (under your guidance or have interaction with expert consultants)

E. STEP 5: Reflection1. How often do you want to utilize it?

a. Should at least have a reflection pre-project, mid-project, and post-project.

b. Suggestion from literature is weekly to bi-weekly during the course of project

2. Through what means will you utilize it?a. Student notebooksb. Handout with questionsc. Google doc

3. What will you ask?a. Reflection on the statistical/mathematical skills involvedb. Reflection on the other skills/experiences involved

F. Discussion Notes:

V. Resources (See handout)

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HANDOUTS A:10 Steps to a Service-Learning Project for AP Statistics

1. Identifying Partner Organizations:

For one of the very last assignments of the fall semester I give students the handout “AP Statistics Spring Project Questionnaire.” I take time to discuss with them the underlying motivation and general structure of the project, as well as sharing examples of successful projects from previous years (either in my class or that I have come across in different sources). I then ask them to submit a list of preferred community organizations that they wish to partner with for their project and to also indicate which other students they would ideally like to work with.

I recommend compiling a list of local non-profit organizations for students to choose from but still allowing students a write-in option if an organization is not listed. It is easy to compile such a list through either the local newspaper or a simple google search on non-profits and volunteer opportunities in your city. I have yet to have an organization say “no thank you.”

Keeping it local is important! If the students are going to work with Habitat for Humanity, say, then partner with the local chapter of the organization, not the national entity. The personal interactions and local application of the project results each play a significant role in the students making meaningful connections with the statistics that underlie the project.

2. Assigning Groups:

The very first day of class in the spring is dedicated to officially assigning the project and revealing which groups students will participate in. I try my best to organize students together based on their requests for the organization with which they wish to partner. A shared passion amongst the group tends to lead to stronger teamwork amongst the group members.

I use my own discretion in assigning groups based on teammate preferences to ensure that every group does not have one person that carries the entire load and at the same time, every group can produce a quality finished product. I personally find that the two smaller projects2 students complete in the fall semester give me opportunities beyond time in class to see who works well together.

2 The first fall project is a study in response bias in which students work in teams and gain experience in giving surveys, analyzing bias, and producing a statistical poster. The second fall project requires students to work in different teams to analyze data from the Census at School website. The second project gives students experience in working through real world data sets in Microsoft Excel, creating statistical charts and graphs, and developing an effective PowerPoint presentation. In total by the end of the fall the students have given surveys (both good and bad), examined data sets, worked with Excel, and given two different forms of presentations, all with different classmates as partners.

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At this point the students receive the following documents:

- “Project Details”This document gives a thorough treatment of the entire process of completing a statistical project. A lot of the language (and insight form practicing statisticians) is borrowed from the ASA project competition document “What is a Statistical Project.”

- “Project Checklist”I want the students to be well informed on the task they are undertaking, but at the same time it needs to be manageable. I have found this condensed checklist very useful for students in remembering what to do next. (Plus it came out to be 12 steps long, so we have fun with thinking of this document as guiding us through our 12-Step Statistics Program).

- “Project Calendar”This gives a basic overview of what is due when. I have also found it useful to include important dates on this calendar that might be specific to your school (such as half-days, holidays, or testing).

- “Project Proposal”The first assigned task of the project will be for teams to write a proposal. This document helps to guide them through that process.

- “Project Rubric”I find it best to let the students know at the front end how their grade will be determined on the project. The rubric also acts as a helpful guide for the final report in terms of length and formatting.

3. Contacting Organizations:

Once the students have been assigned groups, they need to determine an organization to partner with. If I have assigned the groups properly then ideally each student in the group will already have the same first choice as to which organization to partner with. There may still be some details to negotiate, but by the end of the first week back to school in the spring I like to have every group set to contact their organization.

At this point as a teacher I take a big step back from the process. It is the students’ responsibility to contact their organization, arrange meetings, plan out the study, etc. I am of course still in the picture to advise, facilitate and step in directly when needed, but I try to place as much responsibility on them as possible.

To get them started, I do provide an “Email Template” for them to use for their first contact with their organization. I also require that I am copied on all email correspondence between them and their organization throughout the project.

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4. Writing a Proposal:

The proposal is the first assigned task of the project. After an initial meeting with their partner organization (either in person, over the phone, or in email correspondence) the students then write a proposal for their project that centers around the main question their organization is trying to answer. The “Project Proposal” document gives some more detail but I am basically looking for the who, what, when, where, why, and how of the whole project.

I require students to get their proposal approved before they can move on to the next phase of their project. This may take several submissions and revision phases and time needs to be allowed for that on the calendar. Though this may result in a fair amount of work upfront, it is worth it to have a solid document that the team and myself as the teacher can continually point back to as a guide.

5. Workdays and Checkpoints:

Since the design of the project puts much of the onus on the student for keeping themselves on task throughout the project, I find it helpful to use a handful of class days to simply allow them to work on their projects. This gives me an opportunity to check in with each team, see how they are progressing/struggling and offer them feedback and suggestions.

Theses can also be useful checkpoints. Some years I will use these days to set deadlines such as “the proposal must be approved by this workday,” or “you must have data from your survey for this workday,” etc.

6. The Written Report:

This project culminates in a written statistical report. The “Project Rubric” and the last page of the “Project Details” handouts give the students guidance on how to write their reports. I strongly encourage students to treat this stage of the project like a literature class – they should be talking with me through ideas in rough draft format and then refining their work, as opposed to writing everything from the project down the night before. It can be useful to use a final workday with the stipulation that “a first draft of the report must be done prior to the workday.” This allows the instructor a chance to look over every teams report prior to a final, official submission.

“Sample Reports” can also be useful for students as well. Depending on your students’ ability to type statistical language it may be useful to provide them with an electronic document with symbols like µ, Ʃ, x, 2, etc. so they can simply copy and paste needed symbols.

7. Practicing the Presentation:

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After completing the written report, one class day should be devoted to students presenting their results to the class. This provides an opportunity for feedback from the instructor and classmates prior to the students presenting in front of their partner organization.

8. Giving Presentations:

This is the grand finale, your students standing in front of a community organization to explain how their statistical analysis will benefit them in the service work that they undertake. At the beginning of the project, once every team has been officially partnered with an organization, I contact the organizations in a mass email to thank them and give them several dates toward the end of the semester to put on their calendar for presentations. I try to give them a choice between 2-3 different class days over a week after we have finished covering the material of the course and prior to the AP exam. The organizations are invited to come to the classroom to make scheduling easier, though there have been instances in the past when I had to travel with the students to the organizations’ headquarters to give the presentation.

9. Reflection and Feedback:

I like to take one day after the AP exam is complete for the students to provide me with feedback on the project and to offer them a chance to reflect on the year as a whole. The “Student Reflection and Feedback” document walks students through describing their quantity and quality of work both for themselves and their teammates. It also asks for honest feedback (either positive or negative, nothing neutral) on the project as a whole.

10. Preparations for the Following Year:

I read through the reflection and feedback forms and make modifications to the project as necessary. Needless to say the current version of the project that I am presenting is not how it looked in its first incarnation. In order for the project to be truly successful it is important that you tailor it to address the needs and situation of your current student. Just making the project service based isn’t enough. If the students don’t want to do it or don’t enjoy doing it, then it becomes just another project.

Please feel free to contact me either through Regents School of Austin or through my website www.GodandMath.com if you would like to dialogue any further on this project or if you would like to hear more that I have not been able to share here.

Thank you for considering using service-learning in your classroom. I hope both you your students gain as much from the process as I and my students have.

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HANDOUTS B: Project Details3

Project Overview: A statistical project is the process of answering a research question using statistical techniques and presenting the work in a written report. The research question may arise from any field of scientific endeavor, such as athletics, advertising, aerodynamics, or nutrition. A project differs from a statistical poster in that a written report is used to present the findings. What follows in this document are some basic guidelines for developing a statistical project.

The research question(s) for this project will stem from the non-profit service agency that each student group identified to partner with. Students will participate in a group which will provide the following four services: meeting with agency and developing a survey instrument, conducting survey, compiling data and performing statistical inference procedures, and presenting results. All students will compose a written report on the findings of the project to submit to the instructor. The instructor will select one report to return to the group to be used as the basis of the presentation that will be given to the partnering agency.The exact substance of the project will vary from group to group depending upon the needs of the service agency. There are a few components that will be included in every project and a grading rubric based on these components is provided and explained below.

Component 1: Selecting a Question and Designing a Study

The process of developing a statistical project should demonstrate the scientific method and pose a focused question or questions, collect appropriate data, analyze the data thoughtfully, and draw correct conclusions.

Once a question is proposed, students should examine it. First, is it a question that can be answered? (The question "Is there intelligent life in the universe that does not come from Earth?" is an extremely interesting question, but not one that is likely to be answered in a short-term project.) Second, can students collect data to answer the question or has someone else already collected data that could be used to find the answer?

Once the question is chosen, data must be collected. If published data are used, students should understand how the data were obtained and record their source. Usually, students will need to collect their own data. Time should be spent deciding how to collect this data. If a survey is used, how are the people chosen to answer the questionnaire? How will bias be avoided? How will the data be recorded?

This is the proposal phase of the project. The first step in this project will be to meet with the instructor to review drafts of the proposal, receive feedback, and plan to move forward with data collection.

Practical Advice from Real Statisticians (PARS): Selecting a Question

3 Much of this content comes from the ASA Student Competition documents “What is a Statistical Project?” and “Helpful Comments for Project Entries.” http://www.amstat.org/education/posterprojects/index.cfm

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Selecting a good question for a statistics project is important. Not only should the question be interesting, it should give rise to data that lend themselves to statistical treatment. For example, if the question leads to a categorical response (i.e., What is your favorite color?), one may be left with nothing more than a few counts (one for each category). This limits both the graphical and statistical analyses that can be used. Be sure the question can be answered with the data collected. Questions need to be stated clearly. If more than one question is posed, each should be answered. Finally, upon completion of the project, it should be reviewed to be certain the question being posed was actually answered.

Component 2: Data Collection and Compilation

After the details have been worked out, students are ready to obtain the data. Great care should be exercised at every stage of data collection. Careless measurement or recording of data cannot be remedied in the analysis phase of a project.

Thoughtful analysis of the data may take many forms and should be guided by the question and how the data were collected. Usually, it is best to begin by graphing the data.

Students will be required to create a minimum of three different (yet appropriate) graphical displays that demonstrate different aspects of the obtained data. These displays should effectively summarize what was learned from the survey that will be analyzed further to answer the question of interest.

PARS: Collecting Data

Collecting data properly is challenging. Students who find data that have already been compiled often do not realize the pitfalls and potential errors of data collection. As a consequence, they miss an opportunity to understand this vital phase of any project.

The data collection process should be described clearly, and the student's role in the data collection should be clear. The variables in the study should be defined clearly in terms of what is to be measured and how. If a random sample is taken, the randomization process should be given. Haphazard or other unplanned sampling is not random sampling and can lead to biased results.

Replication is important in any study. For example, the purpose of a study may be to compare the growth of a corn plant with and without fertilizer. Suppose two pots are used and two corn seeds are planted in each pot. Then it is randomly determined which pot gets which treatment (fertilizer or no fertilizer). Even though there are two plants under each treatment, there is no replication. The reason for this is that treatments were assigned randomly to pots (not plants). More than one pot would have to be used for each treatment for there to be true replication.

If a survey is conducted, a copy of the survey should be included in an appendix. For all projects, raw data should be included as an appendix.

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PARS: Graphs

Graphical displays provide insights into data. Many projects fail to take advantage of this important statistical tool. In projects using at least one graphical display, the graphs often are only the most rudimentary pie and bar charts. Stem-and-leaf, dot plots, box plots, and scatter plots are some of the methods that might provide more insight into the data. Displaying sample means with error bars also may be helpful. Care should be taken to use appropriate graphs. For example, line plots and scatter plots are used sometimes when bar charts would be better. Replication permits variability to be captured by the data; appropriate graphs make it visible.

Component 3: Statistical Inference and General Conclusions

Once analysis is complete, the question should be answered. The data may not be able to provide a conclusive answer. For example, one treatment may appear to be better than another, but the difference was not statistically significant. If the question has a definitive answer, that should be presented. A check should be made at this point to make certain the answer matches the question. It is easy to get caught up in the analysis phase and obtain many answers, none of which addresses the research question.

Finally, consider the strengths and weaknesses of the project. What would be changed if the project was done again?

PARS: Inference

If data are collected on all members in the population, a census is taken. Because inferential methods are used to draw conclusions about the population based on the sample, these methods are inappropriate if all population values have been observed. However, some thought should be given to whether a census actually was achieved. If the goal was to survey everyone in a school, some students may be absent or refuse to respond.

When a sample is drawn, inferential statistics usually are needed to answer a question. While useful, graphs and descriptive statistics alone are not sufficient in this instance. When using formal inferential statistical tests, the assumptions for any method should be checked. For example, variances should not be pooled if they are substantially different (which can be tested) and the sample sizes are reasonably large. Students should fully understand the methods they use, otherwise inappropriate statistical terminology may be used. It is better to use simpler (but appropriate) methods correctly than to apply more sophisticated procedures improperly.

For hypothesis tests, care should be taken to state the null and alternative hypotheses appropriately. Remember that in a subject-matter area, the hypothesis is what the researcher wants to prove. In statistics, this usually becomes the alternative hypothesis, as the strongest conclusions can be drawn from rejecting the null in favor of the alternative. Note the null hypothesis is never 'accepted.' Instead, it is traditional to say "we failed to reject the null hypothesis," which gives the proper impression that it is not known with certainty that the null is true but that the data do not refute it. The reason for this is the probability of a type II error is not known.

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PARS: Inference (Continued)

Confidence intervals can be misinterpreted. For example, a confidence interval cannot confirm a test statistic because the test statistic is, by construction, the center of any confidence interval. Note that r2 represents the amount of variability in the response variable explained (removed) by the explanatory variable, not the fraction of the response variable explained.

Putting it all Together: The Written Report

Great latitude may be taken in developing the written report. Students should plan how to communicate their work effectively. The longest report does not necessarily represent the best project. However, the report must accomplish the following:

Demonstrate how and why the particular topic was choseno This introductory section of the report will draw heavily on the

approved proposal and answer similar questions (Who, What, When, Where, Why, How).

Show how the research was conducted o Again draw from the proposal and explain how the study was

designed. Then comment on how it was actually implemented. If problems arose, how were they addressed? Reflect on how bias was handled effectively or could have been handled better. Make your case for why the obtained data is trustworthy.

Include the collected data and its analysiso Include a copy of the survey questions and tables summarizing the

numeric results. Include a minimum of three different graphical displays (bar chart, comparative bar chart, histogram, box plot, etc.) that each display a unique aspect of the data.

Delineate what conclusions were obtainedo Conduct a minimum of one hypothesis test and one confidence

interval using the obtained data and interpret the results. Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the selected statistical

methods o Reflect. No statistical study is perfect, even at a professional level. Be

honest about the obtained results and the confidence with which they should be viewed. Always conclude by suggesting how another researcher could take this report and expand/improve upon it in the future.

PARS: Presentation

Font size should be at least 12 pt., and complete sentences and standard grammar should be used. The writing emphasis should be on the statistical aspects of the study. Background information should lead to a precise statement of the question to be considered. Some projects benefit from a more detailed description of the data collection phase. Details of the statistical analysis should be presented. The statistical methods should be outlined and discussed clearly. The analysis should serve as the foundation for any conclusions drawn. A "reflection on the process" should be a realistic self-evaluation of the work. Simply stating that all went well raises concerns, as few studies ever have everything go right.

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HANDOUTS C:Project Calendar

Date EventDecember Student Questionnaire Completed

January Project and Groups Assigned- Project Details- 12 Step Guide- Project Calendar- Project Rubric- Proposal Guidelines

January Partnering Organization VerifiedInitial Proposal Submitted

January/February

Workday – Group Meetings with Mr. Wilkerson to revise proposals

February Deadline to have new proposal (and survey if giving one) approvedHave a data collection time/date/place scheduled with organization

March-April Workdays

April Deadline for having data from surveysWorkday - Bring laptops to work on spreadsheet files

End of April Written Reports Due

Beginning of May

Practice Oral Presentation with Class

Beginning of May

Presentations to Partnering Organizations

ALL PROJECTS DONEAP EXAM

After AP Exam Self Reflection Assignment Due

Other Important Dates Occurring During Project:

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HANDOUTS D:Statistics Service Project Rubric

Written Report (3-5 typed pages at 1.5 spacing + tables/graphs/images/etc.)

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Demonstrates how and why the particular topic was chosen (2 paragraphs)- Who? – Introduces the organization with a brief

description of the organization’s mission/purpose (1 paragraph)

- What? – Identifies primary question(s) of interest (2-3 sentences)

- Why? – Explains the value of the project and why the question(s) of interest is(are) worth answering (1 paragraph)

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Shows how the research was conducted (3-4 paragraphs)- Recaps essential information from the methods set forth

in the proposal with modifications and additions as necessary, including the specific dates and times during which data were collected

- Demonstrates that attention was paid to sound experimental design with the proper use of sampling procedures described

- Problems that arose in data collection are openly discussed along with the response to those problems

- If a survey was given, a copy of it is included- Design of the study clearly ties to main objectives (BIG

IDEA: convince me that I should trust the data that you show me in the next section)

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Includes the collected data and its analysis (1-2 paragraphs + images)- Data is labeled and displayed clearly in summary table(s)- A minimum of three distinct graphical displays is

included and properly labeled (remember that I graph should be able to stand alone by itself with no outside context necessary to understand it)

- Includes a brief written summary of interesting features of graphical displays (think CUSS) (1-2 paragraphs)

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Delineates what conclusions were obtained (2-3 paragraphs + inference results)- Includes an introduction that identifies the parameter of

interest, the question(s) of interest, and introduces the testing procedures that follow and why they were selected (1 paragraph)

- Clearly follows the 4 steps of performing a confidence interval and interprets results correctly IN CONTEXT.

- Clearly follows the 5 steps of performing a hypothesis test and interprets results correctly IN CONTEXT.

- Concludes by summarizing results in a non-statistical manner and their implications for the organization (i.e., don’t use phrases like p-value, or alpha, but explain what

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all of it means so that someone who has not taken statistics can understand the results) (1-2 paragraphs)

Discusses the strengths and weaknesses of the selected statistical methods (1 paragraph)- Reflect on your results and discuss why they are

trustworthy or be honest about why they are not- Discuss how the study could be been improved if done

again- Analysis is critical and specific – avoids stating phrases

such as “everything went ok,” etc.

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Client Feedback 25Communication was maintained throughout the project and was conducted in a professional manner

Comments:

5

Presentation is thorough, well organized, easy to understand and questions are handled appropriately

Comments:

5

Project addresses the problem at hand, providing useful information and new insights

Comments:

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Additional Comments:

Total 100HANDOUTS E:

AP StatisticsSpring Service Project Reflection

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1) Rank your quantity of work put forward for this project (time commitment, workload, etc.) on a scale of 1 to 5, counting by .5, with 1 being low and 5 being high. Include a brief explanation/reasoning for your scoring.

2) Rank your quality of work put forward for this project (contribution significance) on a scale of 1 to 5, counting by .5, with 1 being low and 5 being high. Include a brief explanation/reasoning for your scoring.

3) List each of your team members and rank both their quantity and quality of work on the same scale as above.

Name Quantity Quality Comments

4) What did you get out of this project? What did you learn?

5) Did you think this project was more beneficial than something else we could have been doing? Would you recommend doing something similar again? Please explain.

6) Explain your perspective on integration of service into learning statistics. Was this integration clear in this project? Was making the project service-based helpful in making the project engaging?

7) Did this project aid in your appreciation of statistics in any way? Please explain.

8) What needs to change to make the project experience better for students next year?

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Potential Questions for Journal Reflection4

For Pre-Service Reflection:

1. What mathematical skills will you need to use in order to complete your project?2. What other skills will you need to use in order to successfully complete your project?

(technology skills, communication skills, problem-solving skills, writing skills, etc.)3. What aspects of this project do you expect to be exciting, challenging, frustrating,

rewarding for you?4. What are your expectations about the site where you will do your project – what will it

look like? What will the people be like at the site?5. How does your project relate to your mathematics class as a whole?6. What kind of help will you need from your instructor and from the school to make your

project successful?7. What assumptions might the staff at the community partner organization have about high

school students engaged in service-learning? How can you make the best possible impression at the community partner organization?

For Mid-Semester or End-of-Semester Reflection Sessions:

Questions about student skills:

1. What mathematical skills did you use in order to successfully complete your service project?

2. What people skills and communication skills did you use to successfully complete this project?

Questions about success of the project:

3. What was the best part of your service-learning experience?4. What would you change about the design of the service-learning project?5. What specific comments and recommendations do you have regarding communicating

with the community partner, working in groups, logistics, and the time commitment required for the project?

Questions about the community partner:

6. What limitations or obstacle does your community partner face? (lack of money, space, staff, etc.) How do service-learning students help the organization? Based on your observations, what further technical assistance does your agency need? Where could your organization turn to in order to get that assistance?

7. What societal problems is your agency addressing? How do they address them?

Questions about service after graduation:4 From Webster Vinsonhaler (2005), modified for a high school context as opposed to a college setting. Though this list splits the reflection questions into pre-service and mid-service/end-of-service, modified versions of these questions can be used as prompts during the regular journaling process throughout the project.

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8. Do you envision yourself lending your mathematical skills or time to community organizations or individuals in the future? If yes, what kind of work would you find satisfying? Direct service work? Serving on a non-profit agency Board of Directors?

9. How would you define “corporate responsibility to the community”? Do you believe that large corporations have a responsibility to help out the community that they operate in? Do you believe that schools have a responsibility to assist in the community that they reside in?

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SERVICE-LEARNING IN STATISTICS RESOURCES

Hadlock, C.R. (2005). Mathematics in service to the community: Concepts and models for service-learning in the mathematical sciences. Washington, DC: Mathematical Association of America.

Chapter 3: Service-Learning in Statistics

Reed, G. (2005). “Perspectives on statistics projects in a service-learning framework.” In C.R. Hadlock (Ed.), Mathematics in service to the community: Concepts and models for service-learning in the mathematical sciences. Washington, DC: Mathematical Association of America.

Root, R., Thorme, T., & Gray, C. (2005). “Making meaning, applying statistics.” In C.R. Hadlock (Ed.), Mathematics in service to the community: Concepts and models for service-learning in the mathematical sciences. Washington, DC: Mathematical Association of America.

Sungur, E.A., Anderson, J.E., & Winchester, B.S. (2005). “Integration of service-learning into statistics education.” In C.R. Hadlock (Ed.), Mathematics in service to the community: Concepts and models for service-learning in the mathematical sciences. Washington, DC: Mathematical Association of America.

Hydorn, D.L. (2005). “Community service projects in a first statistics course.” In C.R. Hadlock (Ed.), Mathematics in service to the community: Concepts and models for service-learning in the mathematical sciences. Washington, DC: Mathematical Association of America.

Massey, M. (2005). “Service-learning projects in data interpretation.” In C.R. Hadlock (Ed.), Mathematics in service to the community: Concepts and models for service-learning in the mathematical sciences. Washington, DC: Mathematical Association of America.

Chapter 6: Getting Down to Work

Webster, J. & Vinsonhaler, C. (2005). “Getting down to work – a ‘how-to’ guide for designing and teaching a service-learning course.” In C.R. Hadlock (Ed.), Mathematics in service to the community: Concepts and models for service-learning in the mathematical sciences. Washington, DC: Mathematical Association of America.

“Service-Learning and Mathematics” webpage:

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http://www.math- cs.gordon.edu/~kcrisman/SLTalks/

Bailey, B. & Sinn, R. (2011). “Real Data & Service Learning Projects in Statistics.” Service-learning in collegiate mathematics, MAA contributed paper session, 2011 Joint Mathematics Meetings, New Orleans, LA. Accessed through “Service-Learning and Mathematics” webpage: http://www.math-cs.gordon.edu/~kcrisman/SLTalks/

Hydorn, D. (2011). “Community Service-Learning in Mathematics: Models for Course Design.” Service-learning in collegiate mathematics, MAA contributed paper session, 2011 Joint Mathematics Meetings, New Orleans, LA. Accessed through “Service-Learning and Mathematics” webpage: http://www.math-cs.gordon.edu/~kcrisman/SLTalks/

PRIMUS, Vol. 23 (6)

Hadlock, C.R. (2013). “Service-learning in the mathematical sciences.” PRIMUS, Vol. 23 (6), pp. 500-506.

Other

Harry, A. & Troisi, J. (2014). “Service-Oriented Statistics.” http://stattrak.amstat.org/2014/08/01/service%C2%AD-oriented-statistics/

Hampton, M.C. (1995). Syllabus for Intro to Statistics. University of Utah. http://evergreen.loyola.edu/rcrews/www/sl/syllabi/hampton107.html

Duke, J.I. (1999). “Service-Learning: taking mathematics into the real world.” The Mathematics Teacher, 92 (9), pp. 794-796, 799.

Leong, J. (2006). High school students’ attitudes and beliefs regarding statistics in a service-learning-based statistics course. Unpublished doctoral dissertation. Georgia State University.

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