An analysis of student reflections of semester projects in introductory statistics courses

Abstract

Projects in an introductory statistics course have been implemented for many years as an authentic assessment and learning activity. This article examines student perceptions toward semester projects and the relationship of those perceptions to outcomes. Student semester project data including personal reflections and assessment scores from 254 undergraduate students in six semesters of introductory statistics were analysed using qualitative and quantitative methods, relying heavily on content analysis. The projects comprehensively assessed introductory statistics content, and student reflections were based on three prompts. High levels of learning and interest were reported by the students. Workload issues were not expressed by students to an appreciable degree. Finally, this study illustrates the value of using qualitative methods with case studies to inform teaching and learning.