Improving Statistics Education at Wright State University with Design Project Based Learning, Problem Solving, and Peer Review

Widespread knowledge of statistical methods is essential in engineering and medical disciplines, primarily for experiment design, data analysis, and interpreting significant results.Often, this knowledge is expected to be gained through a service course in statistics whereby the focus is on breadth and covering the practical extent of methods commonly used in a field.However, students frequently enter statistics courses with negative attitudes, compounded by traditional teaching methods that focus on trivial examples and a general lack real-world relevance.At Wright State University, innovative approaches in statistical education were implemented across the Biomedical, Industrial, and Human Factors Engineering Department and Pharmacology and Toxicology Department.These innovations include design project-based learning, where students undertake semester-long projects to collect and analyze data, and problem-solving focused on realworld ambiguity and complexity.Additionally, innovation-based learning in the form of peer review-through blinded reviews of class projects and critical evaluations of published workwas integrated to foster critical thinking and exposure to real-world applications of statistics.These changes resulted in greater student engagement, practical learning outcomes, and multiple peerreviewed publications from course projects.