University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
Curriculum Proposal Form #4A
Change in an Existing Course
Type of Action (check all that apply)
Course Revision (include course description & former and new syllabus)
Grade Basis
Contact Hour Change and or Credit Change
Repeatability Change
Diversity Option
Other: Change of course
name. New course name should be: Introduction to Statistical Reasoning and Analysis
General Education Option
area: Select one: *
* Note:
For the Gen Ed option, the proposal should address how this course relates to specific core courses, meets the goals of General
Education in providing breadth, and incorporates scholarship in the appropriate field relating to women and gender.
Effective Term: 2147 (Fall 2014)
Current Course Number (subject area and 3-digit course number): MATH 230
Current Course Title:
Introductory Statistics
Sponsor(s):
William Mickelson
Department(s):
Mathematical and Computer Sciences
College(s):
Letters and Sciences
List all programs that are affected by this change:
DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND BUSINESS EDUCATION
DEPARTMENT OF MANAGEMENT
DEPARTMENT OF OCCUPATIONAL & ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY & HEALTH
DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY AND GEOLOGY
DEPARTMENT OF PHILOSOPHY AND RELIGIOUS STUDIES
DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE
DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY, ANTHROPOLOGY AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATION SCIENCES DISORDERS
DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY
DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL WORK
SAFETY DEGREE PROGRAM (M.S.)
GENERAL EDUCATION (GM)
If programs are listed above, will this change affect the Catalog and Advising Reports for those
programs? If so, have Form 2's been submitted for each of those programs?
(Form 2 is necessary to provide updates to the Catalog and Advising Reports)
NA
Yes
They will be submitted in the future
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Proposal Information:
I.
(Procedures for form #4A)
Detailed explanation of changes (use FROM/TO format)
FROM: MATH 230 – Introductory Statistics
A pre-calculus course in statistics. Descriptive statistics, probability distributions,
prediction, hypothesis testing, correlation, and regression. This course does not count
towards a mathematics major or minor in either liberal arts or secondary education or
towards a mathematics minor in elementary education. This course may not be taken for
credit if credit has been or is being earned in any other statistics course. Prereq: Waiver
or a grade of C or better in MATH 141. Unreq: Any other statistics course.
TO:
MATH 230 – Introduction to Statistical Reasoning and Analysis
A course on the principles, procedures and concepts surrounding the production,
summarization and analysis of data. Emphasis on critical reasoning and
interpretation of statistical results. Content includes: probability, sampling, and
research design; statistical inference, modeling and computing; practical application
culminating in a research project. Unrequisite: ECON 245, PSYCH 215,
SOCIOLOGY 295. Prereq: Grade of C or better in Math 141 or permission of
instructor.
II.
Justification for action
The Department of Mathematical and Computer Sciences has essentially three courses that are an
Introduction to Statistics. Two of these classes, Math 230 and Math 231, are service courses. We are
updating our curriculum based on advances in statistics education and recommendations from the
LEAP initiative. We are moving the MATH 230 course focus away from formulas and computations,
toward statistical concepts and reasoning, critical thinking about data and data analysis. The class
will have hands on data analysis components and projects. At the same time, we wish to consolidate
MATH 230 and 231 into one course, Math 230-Revised, for efficiency and cost savings. Programs
affected by this change will be advised to have their students enroll in the revised MATH 230 course
to be renamed, Introduction to Statistical Reasoning and Analysis.
III.
Syllabus/outline (if course revision, include former syllabus and new syllabus)
The revised course syllabus and an example course project description can be found below. Please
see accompanying former syllabi.
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Introduction to Statistics – MATH 230 – Spring 2013
MWF 12:05-12:55pm – McGraw Hall Room 125
Instructor:
Office:
Office Hours:
Text:
Prerequisite:
Phone:
E-mail:
William T. Mickelson
2225 Laurentide Hall
MWF from 11:00–12:00; M 2:15-4:15; or by appointment
Essential Statistics by David Moore
A grade of C or better in Math 141, or waiver. A student may not register for
any course which is a pre-requisite for another course in which credit has been
earned unless prior departmental approval is obtained.
(office): 262-472-5169 (home): 608-233-1884
I do have young children, so please be considerate and do not call my home
phone after 9:00pm or before 7:00am.
mickelsw@uww.edu (please put MATH 230 in the subject line)
I check email daily during the semester and email is the preferred form of
communication. Please note: email is NOT an instantaneous form of
communication. You need to allow/plan at least 24 hours for a return email.
TEACHING PHILOSOPHY
I feel it is important for you to have an understanding of my teaching philosophy and the objectives I have
for this introductory statistics course. My philosophy of teaching is based on two fundamental beliefs I hold
about the purpose of education and the role of the teacher and student in the learning process. First, the
primary aim of education is to help students develop their intellect and use their minds well. This means
that you will be asked to develop ways of thinking that you may not have been exposed to in the past.
Second, I recognize that each student brings to the classroom unique prior experiences, knowledge, and
learning styles. It is my responsibility as an educator to help bridge the gap between you and the subjectmatter of this course in a way that is meaningful for all students. It is your responsibility as a student to
actively participate in the learning process and allow yourself the opportunity to learn. This means: being in
class, being prepared for class by reading ahead of time, participating in class discussions, doing the
experiments and data collection activities, attempting to interpret the results of our activities and
assignments, and draw conclusions from data there by creating knowledge for yourself and others. By
doing this you will construct for yourself an understanding of statistics that is deep enough to apply
statistical reasoning on problems you are interested in, and to critique other people’s statistical arguments.
RATIONALE FOR STATISTICS AS A TOPIC TO STUDY AND THE METHOD OF INSTRUCTION IN
THIS CLASS
Our society is rapidly gaining easy access to, and becoming dependent upon, ever increasing amounts of
data and information. The knowledge and skills necessary to process, analyze and interpret this
information/data are more important today than ever before. With this reliance on data comes a serious
responsibility for all people to be educated in the basic principles and procedures of statistical reasoning. In
addition, it is important for all members of our society to fully understand the extent to which statistical
reasoning influences policy decisions, frames debates, informs business decisions, helps to evaluate
quality of services and products, guides research, and sheds light on controversial topics. From an
educational perspective, attaining statistical reasoning abilities implies that the student develop critical
thinking skills about how data is obtained, summarized, and used. The teaching methods used in this class
are designed to help you develop critical thinking skills about reasoning with data. Any teaching method,
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however, is not sufficient to ensure learning. You as the student must be actively involved in the process as
well.
After about 25 years of study, debate, and argument, The American Statistical Association (ASA) and the
Mathematics Association of American (MAA) Joint Curriculum Committee have developed a set of general
guidelines for how the introductory statistics course should be taught. The ASA and MAA advocate:



an increased emphasis on the elements of statistical thinking (i.e. the need for data, the
importance of data production, the omnipresence of variability, the measuring and modeling of
variability).
the incorporation of more data and concepts, fewer recipes and derivations. Wherever possible,
automate computations and graphics. An introductory course should: a) rely heavily on real (not
merely realistic) data; b) emphasize statistical concepts; c) rely on computers rather than computational
recipes; d) treat formal derivations as secondary in importance.
active learning through the following alternatives to lecturing: a) group problem solving and
discussion; b) laboratory exercises; c) demonstrations based on class-generated data; d) written and
oral presentations; and e) projects.
In other words, these recommendations call for activity-based learning using real data focused on
promoting the learning of statistical concepts and the development of statistical reasoning abilities. This
class will be taught consistent with these general guidelines.
COURSE FRAMEWORK AND LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Applying these general principles to the teaching of statistics gives rise to my objectives for this course. I
would like you to understand statistics as: a process of gathering evidence to increase our understanding
of the world (there are right ways and wrong ways to do this and we must delineate the differences), a
method of problem-solving, and a way to help make decisions in the face of variability and uncertainty.
There are five general steps to statistical reasoning. These are: a) posing interesting and meaningful
inquiry questions that can be addressed quantitatively, b) designing a study to address the inquiry question,
c) collecting data, d) summarizing and analyzing the data, and e) drawing conclusions from the data. It is
my opinion that a firm understanding of these topics and how they should be carried out is utterly essential
for any educated person. Ultimately, the goal is for you to become a critical and informed consumer as well
as producer of numerical information and argument. With this in mind, my main learning objectives are that
you:
1. develop an in-depth conceptual understanding of basic statistical and probabilistic concepts, ideas
and principles, as well as how they are related and interconnected.
2. can demonstrate the ability to apply the tenets of correct statistical reasoning in applied situations
and correctly interpret results.
3. develop basic statistical computing and data analysis skills.
4. develop the ability to correctly interpret statistical computer printout.
5. demonstrate a correct understanding of statistical formulas and notation.
6. develop an awareness of the prevalence of the use of statistics in our society and a positive
outlook toward statistics and their uses.
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OUTLINE OF COURSE
Reasoning with data, the application of statistical principles and procedures, is a non-linear process. Even
though there are five general steps to statistical reasoning, one must always be looking ahead and revisiting past decisions to fully understand the context of the study and draw valid conclusions. The class will
start with basic probability; move to the intricacies of research design, data collection, and exploratory data
analysis; then end with a focus on statistical inference including such topics as: sampling distributions,
confidence intervals and hypothesis tests. Statistical principles, procedures, and concepts will be stressed
through the course materials, activities and discussions. How to reason, from a statistical perspective, will
be modeled through out the course.
Chapters covered during the three primary course units, they are:
I)
Probability: Chapters 9, 3, 11 and 12
II)
Producing, Organizing and Describing Data: Chapters 7, 8, 1 and 2
III)
Analyzing Data
a. Statistical Inference and Confidence Intervals: Chapters 10, 13, 14, 16 and 18
b. Correlation and Regression: Chapters: 4, 5 and 22
c. Contingency Tables and Chi-Square Tests: Chapters 21
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
 Attendance
 Participation
 Completion of assigned reading
 Completion of course assignments
 Mid-term examinations
 Completion of a project with written report and oral presentation
Attendance and Participation
This class will look and feel like an evolving on-going discussion with each class period building on
previous experiences. Unlike most math classes, this class has a large number of difficult concepts/ideas
that you will need to fully understand and be able to work with. It will not be possible for you to understand
and internalize the statistical vocabulary, concepts, ideas, and mode of reasoning, or successfully apply
them without being in class and actively participating in all of the class activities and discussions.
Furthermore, if you do miss class, it will not be easy to catch up. Don’t miss class!
As a formal class policy, attendance and participation is required. Students with excused absences, which
include university sponsored events/activities, or medical or family emergencies (documentation required),
will be considered in attendance. Evidence of repeated unexcused absences will be addressed consistent
with the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater polices and applied on an individual basis. Excessive (more
than 5) unexcused absences will result in failure for the course, regardless of exam performance.
Assigned Reading
The sections and chapters of the textbook will be used as a supplement to what occurs during class. This
class will NOT necessarily follow the textbook chapter by chapter. The specific reading assignments will be
given during class. You are required to read what is assigned. Examinations will cover content from
chapters and sections assigned as reading, whether or not the specific topics are covered during
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class time, plus class time presented additional materials. In other words, you are responsible for all
assigned reading materials and course content.
Course Assignments
You will be responsible for completing various course assignments. These assignments range from
helping you to understand a statistical concept or idea, developing technical skills, advancing the
completion of your course project (see below), or applying what you’ve learned to become a critical
consumer of research. You can expect to complete approximately 6 assignments for a total of 60 points
toward the final course grade. The instructor reserves the right to change the number of assignments and
point totals, depending on course events.
Examinations
You will be responsible for three examinations, one exam at the end of each primary course unit. Each
exam will be worth 100 points toward the final course grade. The exams will be given on the dates given
below.
Mid-Term Exam #1: Friday, February 15th
Mid-Term Exam #2: Friday, March 15th
Mid-Term Exam #3: Friday, April 29th
The format for these exams will be discussed during class. Please note, examination dates may be
changed if there is a substantive change to the schedule. Exam dates specified during class take
precedence over the exam dates given in this syllabus.
Make-up examinations are only allowed for catastrophic situations and sanctioned UWW events only.
Catastrophic events include: severe illness requiring hospitalization and death of family members. You
must obtain permission for a make-up examination prior to the examination date. Missing an
examination for an un-excused reason will result in a score of 0 for that examination.
Project: Written Report and Presentation
As the cornerstone for this class, you must complete an analysis project on a topic of your choice. Most
likely, your project will be a survey, where you design and conduct the study, collect and analyze the data,
and interpret and document your results. There are, however, other possibilities. The purpose of the project
is for you to gain hands on experience addressing a problem quantitatively. In other words, you will address
a problem by thinking a statistical study through from beginning to end, appropriately applying the principles
and procedures you have learned during the semester. For this project you must: outline the problem,
design the study, conduct the data collection, perform the data analysis, make your interpretation,
summarize your findings, and communicate those findings to others. I expect this project to be an on-going
activity, continuously worked on throughout much of the semester. If you only work on this project during
the last week of the semester, you may expect a deduction in points.
You may work in groups of up to 3 people. In the past, project topics have included: comparisons of
clientele at local coffee shops; attitudes toward deer hunting, water management policy, range
management policy, the impact of university policies on students, evaluation of the UWW climate on
controversial topics, support for new public libraries and community centers, utilization of sporting/exercise
facilities, beliefs in UFOs and ghosts, beliefs about government conspiracies, attitudes toward capital
punishment, attitudes toward UWW Teacher Evaluations, and a whole host of other topics. You are only
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limited in topic selection by your own inquisitiveness and the social acceptability of the topic. If you need
help coming up with a topic or need consultation during the project, please stop by and see me.
Also, to reinforce the true public nature of research and knowledge, you will be responsible for a written
project report and an oral presentation summarizing your findings. The format for your presentation will be
like a poster session commonly held at national professional conferences, like AERA, MAA or ASA. Your
presentation will occur during our final examination period, 3:15 – 5:15pm on Monday, May 13th, 2013.
During the first few weeks of class you will receive a handout regarding the project timetable, report due
date, project requirements, presentation format, presentation location, and evaluation criteria (i.e. how your
letter grade will be assigned). The written report will be worth 100 points and the oral presentation will be
worth 50 points toward the final course grade
GRADE DETERMINATION:
Your grades will be determined by your performance on the mid-term exams, assignments, project report,
oral presentation and class attendance/participation. There are a total of approximately 510 possible
points. Regardless of the total number of points possible, grades will be assigned based on the following
scale:
94 - 100%
A
90 – 94%
A86 - 89%
B+
80 - 85%
B
76 - 79%
C+
70 - 75%
C
66 - 69%
D+
60 - 65%
D
Below 60%
F
Percentages are rounded down. For example, a percentage of 84.6 will be considered an 84 for the
purposes of assigning a course grade. In other words, students must exceed the minimum percentage for
that grade to be awarded. Minus grades may be used at the discretion of the instructor to the benefit of the
student and based on extenuating circumstances.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Pagers, cell phones, class behavior: Please turn off all cell phones and pagers before coming to class.
Behave in a manner appropriate to a classroom environment. This means being punctual and being
respectful of both students and the instructor. Any cell phone use, texting, reading of newspapers, or
working on assignments for other classes during class time will be considered rude and disrespectful
behavior. In such situations, commensurate deduction of participation points will occur.
Time outside of class: "The UW System standard for work required per credit is that students are
expected to invest at least 3 hours of combined in-class and out-of-class work per week for each academic
unit (credit) of coursework; thus, a 3-credit course will typically require a minimum of 9 hours of work per
week (144 hrs./semester)."
Questions – Concerns: If at any time you have problems, concerns, or questions about this course do not
hesitate to speak with me. Email is the easiest way to get in touch with me, but we can certainly make other
arrangements if you cannot make my office hours. I truly want this course to be a positive, enjoyable, and
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useful experience for you. This will come about most easily if you resolve yourself to being a thoughtful,
active participant in the learning process. The more you put into this class the more you will get out of it.
Policies: The University of Wisconsin – Whitewater is dedicated to a safe, supportive and nondiscriminatory learning environment. It is the responsibility of all undergraduate and graduate students to
familiarize themselves with University policies regarding Special Accommodations, Misconduct, Religious
Beliefs, Discrimination, and Absence for University Sponsored Events. (For details please refer to the
Undergraduate and Graduate Timetables; the “Rights and Responsibilities” section of the Undergraduate
Bulletin; the Academic Requirements and Policies and the Facilities and Services sections of the Graduate
bulletin; and the “Student Academic Disciplinary Procedures” [UWS Chapter 14]; and the “Student
Nonacademic Disciplinary Procedures” [UWS Chapter 17])
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PROJECT DOCUMENTATION AND EVALUATION CRITERIA
MATH 230 – Mickelson
As the cornerstone for this class, you must complete a data analysis project. The purpose of the project is
for you to address a problem through the use of numerical data and statistical analyses. In other words,
this project offers you the opportunity to experience how to address a problem by thinking a study
through from beginning to end, appropriately applying the statistical principles and procedures you have
learned during the semester.
For your project you may work alone or in groups of up to three people. It is your responsibility to
equally distribute the workload. You will have the opportunity to self evaluate your paper and
presentation as well as to evaluate your partners in terms of their performance and contribution. Grades
will not necessarily be equally given to all group members. To successfully complete this project, you
must:
1. Identify a problem and pose a researchable question: First you need to decide what it is
that you are going to study. There are very few limitations on the topic you choose. The only
real limitation is your imagination and/or interests. In the past project topics have included:
comparisons of clientele at local coffee shops, attitudes towards hunting, impact of changes on
Greek alcohol policies, support for new public libraries and community centers, utilization of
sporting/exercise facilities, beliefs in UFOs and ghosts, comparison of preferences and quality of
local pizza products, student satisfaction or experiences with instruction, evaluation of the
effectiveness of UWW programs, and a whole host of other topics. Once you have identified a
problem, you need to pose a researchable question that can be addressed or answered by way of
obtaining numerical data. Part of your grade stems from the quality of your research question so
put some time into the question posing aspect of this project.
2. Design your study: Once you have your question well in hand, you can begin to design how
you are going to conduct your study and collect your data. Designing your study consists of
deciding on how you will obtain your sample, what questions you will ask, creating a
questionnaire or other measuring devices, and how you will physically obtain your data.
Remember, that statisticians try to be as objective as possible, to this end you need to control and
account for possible sources of bias or confounding. Also, the type of variable you measure
dictates the type of analysis you will do so don’t take the outcome measures for granted.
During this phase, you should be thinking ahead about how you will be able to analyze your data
once your have acquired it. It is a real pain getting data and finding out you can’t do anything
with it. Specifically, you should plan what type of test you would run, what you expect to see as
the results, how you would interpret the best case and worst case scenarios. Also, you should
think about what problems you might encounter and how you could be proactive to prevent them.
3. Collect the data: Next you need to physically conduct the study you designed and collect
data. This can be a very time consuming step. You should plan on being done collecting data
by the end of March to mid-April.
4. Analyze the data: This step is the reward for the hard thinking that went into step 2. Once
you have collected your data you will need to enter it into SPSS. All your analysis will be done
on SPSS. NO EXCEPTIONS! At a minimum, you should do some basic exploratory data
analysis and then conduct the specific tests you planned in step 2.
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5. Interpret the results, summarize findings, and offer recommendations:
Simply
conducting a statistical test is not sufficient, you also need to tell what that result means relative
to the context of your problem. Furthermore, you should offer an elaboration on the implications
of that result and make recommendations. In other words, you need to explain to someone who is
interested in your topic what you learned about that topic and why it is important/interesting.
WRITTEN REPORT:
In order to document the findings of your project and to promote your professional development, you will
submit a written report summarizing your project and findings. Your report should have the following
format:
1. An introduction section that describes the problem you are addressing, gives background information
on the topic, and discusses why this particular topic is of interest or importance to you.
2. A methods section that describes completely and in detail how you designed your study and what you
did to obtain your data. Any questionnaire you develop should be included in an appendix. If you
obtain a database from someone else, you need to report your data critique here.
3. An analysis section that reports the results of any statistical tests you perform. It is only necessary to
report the type of test that was run, p-values, and interpretation of the test results. Any technical
information you wish to include should be put into an appendix.
4. A discussion section that synthesizes the results from all the statistical tests you conducted with how
you obtained your data, to form an overall conclusion or recommendation. This is the “story” that is
told through your data.
5. A reflection section where you discuss what you would do differently if you were to do this project
again and what new questions arose as a consequence to your project.
Overall, the paper should be as long as you need it to be to fully document what you did for your project,
your analyses, conclusions, and recommendations. In the past, papers have ranged from 5 to 40 pages.
Due Date: Your project report can be turned in at any time during the remainder of the semester, but is
due no later than our scheduled final exam day and time.
EVALUATION AND GRADING OF ANALYSIS PROJECT:
We will use a point system to evaluate the quality of your analysis project report. The possible point
values and descriptions of what will be looked for in each section are listed in the evaluation form low. If
you feel this method of assessment is not sufficient to evaluate your paper, feel free to suggest other
categories and we will adopt changes. Letter grades, A, B, C, ..., will be assigned based on a traditional
90%, 80%, 70% scale.
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EVALUATION FORM FOR DATA ANALYSIS PROJECT
AREA
TOTAL POINTS
YOUR SCORE
QUALITY OF RESEARCH QUESTION
10
Nature of research question indicates an
genuine attempt to apply statistical concepts and ideas to
real problems of interest.
SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION
Clear concise statement of topic and problem.
Is your project practical and relevant for both
yourself and of interest to others?
10
SECTION 2: METHODS
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Study is designed consistent with statistical
principles and procedures that ensure internal
and external validity. Writing indicates conceptual
understanding of statistical ideas and correct application.
SECTION 3: ANALYSIS
Statistical analyses are conducted appropriately.
Analyses are sufficient to address the posed
research question.
20
SECTION 4: DISCUSSION
The message resulting from the analysis is
clear and concise. It addresses and answers
the proposed research question in a logical
fashion consistent with the statistical evidence
presented.
20
SECTION 5: REFLECTION
Evidence of serious reflection and thought
on strengths and weakness of your study.
Outlines what should be done differently in
future projects of a similar nature. Articulation of
lessons learned.
10
PROFESSIONAL PRESENTATION
Project report is professionally presented free from
technical writing errors. Project report could be
presented to a future employer as an example of
your writing and technical skills.
10
TOTAL POINTS:
100 YOUR SCORE:
LETTER GRADE:
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ORAL PRESENTATION:
Furthermore, to reinforce the true public nature of research, you will be responsible for giving a poster
presentation on your project during our final exam date and time. Your poster should be made out of
poster-board which is available at the bookstore. Electronic Power Point Presentations are NOT
acceptable. Your poster should present and summarize the topic and results of your project. You are free
to use graphics, your art work, charts, PowerPoint slides, or written statements to convey your message.
The purpose of the poster is to give you some visual aid in presenting what you have accomplished with
your project. It should cover the topic and main questions you tried to address, how you designed your
study and obtained data, graphics the depict your results/findings, and your conclusion/recommendations.
You are required to give your presentation at your scheduled time. We will be using a poster exhibition
session format similar to those used at national conferences. Multiple presentations will be going on
simultaneously, over approximately four different sessions. You will have approximately 25 minutes for
your presentation. The details on how the session will be run will be discussed during class, closer to the
presentation date.
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PEER REVIEW AND EVALUATION OF PROJECT PRESENTATIONS
MATH 230 – Mickelson
Name(s) of Presenter(s):
The purpose of this rubric is for you to be able to evaluate other student’s presentations. For each criteria (row), enter your
comments under the heading you think best describes the quality of the presentation. Your comments should address why you
selected that level of quality(column).
QUALITY
CRITERIA
Yes
Yes, but ...
No, but ...
VisualPresentation
Is the poster
constructed in a
professional manner?
- logical format?
- visually pleasing?
Oral Presentation
Did the presenters
engage the audience
and present their
project and results in
a professional
manner?
Content of
Presentation
Did the presenters
clearly express the:
- purpose?
- target population?
- how sample was
obtained?
- type of analysis?
- results?
- conclusion?
Expertise
Did the presenters
demonstrate expertise
with the statistical
principles, procedures
and methods
presented during the
past semester of
MATH 230?
Response to
Questions
Did the presenters
respond to questions
in a professional
manner?
Please write any other pertinent comments on the back of this sheet
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No
14
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