On 9/21, the ENVS 220 class had its fourth lab, and the topic at hand was inferential statistics. By the end of the three hours, we had practiced taking raw data from a real-world source (UNEP, in this lab) and interpreting trends, behaviors, and correlations after statistically testing the data through the SPSS Statistics program. Overall, the lab proved useful, although I do believe there are improvements to be made, specifically in the lab procedure sheet. The lab instructions need to be clear and concise (as opposed to block paragraphs), for most students learning how to use programs such as SPSS Statistics and Excel are already overwhelmed by the new world of statistical programs. Step-by-step instructions may seem too easy, but if the steps are complemented by in-lab explanation of why each step is taken, then the lesson is communicated and the students learn efficiently. I firmly believe that this is a better way to approach labs involving statistical work. This said, the skill of using statistics programs, regardless of which path one chooses to achieve it, is invaluable.
As the end of the semester looms ever closer, deadlines are fast approaching. In preparation for our preliminary poster sessions next week, I have completed a draft of my poster. It’s been a huge push to get everything onto the 30″x40″ poster, but I’m happy with how it’s turned out! In the near future, I […]
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