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Virtual
Statistics and Linguistics, Oh My! Collaborating with a Capstone Class to Teach Statistical Practice (305294)
*Katie Carmichael, Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University*Jennifer Van Mullekom, Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University
Abby Walker, Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University
Keywords: teaching statistical practice, project based learning, communication, collaboration
The best way to teach statistical practice is through experiential learning. Finding appropriately scoped projects with deliverables aligned to an academic semester can be challenging. Projects which fail to meet these criteria negatively impact learning. In Spring 2021, instructors at Virginia Tech broached these issues by combining a statistical collaboration class with a data analysis-heavy capstone course in language sciences. Statistics graduate student teams were assigned to research projects for the linguistics students, most of whom had limited quantitative analysis experience. Statistics students applied course tools and techniques to answer research questions for the linguistics students, who got the opportunity to work with statisticians for the first time in their research careers. We will discuss how we structured this project based learning experience from both sides. Our talk will include successes, key learnings, and improvements for the Spring 2022 term. Tips and tools will be shared that can be used in academic settings and early career mentoring. Attendees will also gain insight into the client perspective from our linguistics researcher as a co-presenter.