Calculating the Precision of Student-Generated Datasets Using RStudio

Abstract

There is a growing need for chemistry students to be able to handle and manipulate large datasets and analyze them in an efficient and accessible way. This creates the need to develop course materials that introduce these topics early in the undergraduate curriculum. To address this growing need, this activity introduced RStudio to students enrolled in a general chemistry course during the Fall 2023 (n = 185) and Spring 2023 (n = 96) semesters, allowing them to statistically evaluate their lab data. Students produced boxplots that calculated statistical information for a large dataset compiled from an accompanying lab experiment conducted alongside the activity. This activity was designed to be done without any formal teaching of coding language and was implemented on mobile devices within a classroom. We determined that the activity was effective at teaching statistical concepts using a pre/postactivity quiz (eight items), with the median score increasing by 1 point after the activity. An evaluation of the item discrimination index and item difficulty scores was able to validate all but one question in the quiz. The activity also received an overall positive response in terms of student engagement and impact based on an open response survey collected. Many students were able to perceive connections with “data science” and its use in their everyday life. This activity complemented our existing curriculum and was designed in such a way that it could be accessible to students at all experience levels.