Statistics for Engineers Class Projects: Capstone or Confusion

• Activity Number: 518
• Type: Contributed
• Date/Time: Wednesday, August 6, 2014 : 10:30 AM to 12:20 PM
• Sponsor: Section on Statistical Education
• Author(s): Charles Smith*+ and Kimberly Weems and Renee' Moore
• Companies: North Carolina State University and North Carolina State University and North Carolina State University
• Keywords: student projects ; education ; experimental design ; distance education ; engineering

Abstract

ST 370 Statistics for Engineers is structured differently than most other introductory statistics courses, in that the order of topics is reversed. Collection and Analysis of Data, Experimental Design and Factorial Experiments, ANOVA and regression, are covered BEFORE probability, random variables, and the central limit theorem. One main reason is so that the students can do a two or three factor designed experiment of their choosing as their course project (20 % of the final grade). Several mechanisms have been employed to try to encourage success in this endeavor. Three instructors will present some of the things that have worked well and some that have worked less well. Students may do the project alone or in groups of 2 or 3; this creates some additional challenges for the web and distance sections of the course.