By Zachary Kline (The College of New Jersey)
Information
The quantitative classroom requires students to understand data regardless of how it's displayed. However, not all portrayals of data are accessible to all students. For instance, students with vision or print impairments may find visual depictions challenging to interpret and analyze alone. Without adequate resources, instructors often feel pressed to deal with issues individually, indirectly contributing to an inherently unequal learning environment. The project proposes ""deep description"" as a straightforward tool that will contribute to a more inclusive, accessible, and engaging learning environment.
The poster and associated activity provide instructors with a template for designing activities combining deep description principles and active learning techniques. Principles of deep description are presented, as well as a detailed lesson plan for a combination of in-class and at-home activities where students apply the skillsets.
Target Student Profile
The target student profile for this activity include any introductory-level statistics or data-related class. The activity has been used in Introduction to Statistics (STA1XX), Inferential Statistics and Probability (STA2XX), Applied Statistics for Social Scientist (STA1XX), and Introduction to Sociology(SOC1XX). The assignment has been successful in Introduction to Statistics and Applied Statistics for Social Scientists (both 100-level STA courses).
Concrete Examples of Student Success
Four of the examples below were created by undergraduate students. Natasha Ishaq created three examples as an undergraduate research assistant. Two of the other examples were created by undergraduate students given the assignment prompt included on the final page.
Link to Associated Lesson plan and Assignment Prompt
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1CCVjeSKqpvhnEGDiAQfP-nPU1431YWfG/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=112622852287377142642&rtpof=true&sd=true
Link to Associated Lesson plan and Assignment Prompt
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1CCVjeSKqpvhnEGDiAQfP-nPU1431YWfG/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=112622852287377142642&rtpof=true&sd=true