Teaching Professional Skills in the Statistics Classroom through Authentic Assessment

There are many important life and professional skills that students need, which are often not taught or assessed in statistics classrooms. When students enter the workplace, they will be expected to:

• work in teams and have accountability to their team members
• communicate technical results in writing for various audiences
• design and deliver presentations and field questions
• give and receive meaningful feedback
• self-reflect on their goals, progress, and achievements

Educators should provide opportunities for students to develop these skills throughout their undergraduate education. Moreover, these should be integrated with their technical education, not as a separate course.

This breakout session will discuss best practices for incorporating professional skills into statistics classrooms using team projects, reflective writing, and other authentic assessments. Participants will also be invited to share their own ideas.