{"id":12,"date":"2024-07-15T19:30:20","date_gmt":"2024-07-15T19:30:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/myweb.fiu.edu\/dgoldwas\/?page_id=12"},"modified":"2024-07-19T16:05:26","modified_gmt":"2024-07-19T16:05:26","slug":"teaching","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/myweb.fiu.edu\/dgoldwas\/teaching\/","title":{"rendered":"Savannah Math Labs"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

“The mind, once stretched by a new idea, never returns to its original dimensions”<\/em>. Ralph Waldo Emerson.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I developed the Savannah Math Labs platform in order to provide a hands-on, active learning experience for students of Statistics. Students complete weekly lab projects that reinforce statistical concepts, develop writing abilities and build technical skills in Microsoft\u00ae Excel\u00ae.  The Savannah Math Labs curriculum for Introduction to Statistics encompasses the following ten modules:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lab Module 1:<\/strong> Descriptive Statistics and Graphics<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lab Module 2: <\/strong>Probability and The Law of Large Numbers<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lab Module 3: <\/strong>Event Combinations and Statistical Independence<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lab Module 4:<\/strong> Discrete Random Variables, Expected Value and Variance<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lab Module 5: <\/strong>Normal Random Variables and Sampling Distributions<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lab Module 6: <\/strong>Confidence Intervals<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lab Module 7: <\/strong>Hypothesis Testing<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lab Module 8: <\/strong>Covariance, Correlation and Simple Linear Regression<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lab Module 9: <\/strong>Chi-Squared Statistical Hypothesis Tests<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lab Module 10: <\/strong>Statistical Bias<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to a written text for each module, the Savannah Math Labs website www.savannahmathlabs.com also provides data sets and a series of both animated videos and Microsoft\u00ae Excel\u00ae video tutorials, guiding students through each step of the lab projects.  Each lab consists of a series of data-based calculations, followed by a set of reflection questions in which students demonstrate mastery of the underlying statistical concepts in a short, written report. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I intentionally chose Microsoft\u00ae Excel\u00ae due to its broad utility and appeal to students with a wide range of academic interests and career aspirations.  Data analysis strategies implemented in Microsoft\u00ae Excel\u00ae easily transfer to other statistical analysis platforms such as R and R Studio.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I teach the following courses at FIU which cover lab modules 1 \u2013 7 of the Savannah Math Labs curriculum:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

STA 2122<\/strong>: Statistics for Behavioral and Social Sciences I<\/p>\n\n\n\n

STA 2023<\/strong>: Introduction to Statistics for Business and Economics<\/p>\n\n\n\n

STA 3111<\/strong>: Statistics I<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I implement active learning activities into all of my face-to-face Introductory Statistics classes. Students form small groups and help one another work through the various exercises. Some examples are provided here:<\/p>\n\n\n\n