By Joshua Sparks (The George Washington University)
Information
More than ever, undergraduate students from a variety of disciplines seek coursework in statistical computing. Yet, while students learn the importance of sound programming, many find themselves wading into unfamiliar territory when incorporating their methodology and results into a cohesive narrative. At a medium-sized private research university, statistical writing skills are integrated into its second-year undergraduate course in statistical computing. In classes of roughly 30 students, one of the course’s goals is to improve various aspects of statistical communication, whether from a code script or within a written report. Lending from concepts found in Swales (1990) and Gere et al. (2013), this course introduces diverse writing prompts (e.g., consulting papers, public commentary, coding organization and commenting) over numerous subjects to promote an understanding of statistical procedures and discuss these topics at both the professional as well as colloquial levels. Through pre-/post-course surveys of n=80 students, end-of-semester institutional evaluations, comprehension improvements via rubric assessment, and alumni feedback, results show that students exhibit increased confidence alongside enhanced understanding in statistical applications, computing, and communication compared to traditional lectures, which can be applied to industry applications and advanced coursework while fulfilling one of their writing-intensive (Writing in the Disciplines) requirements for graduation.