Facilitation of Statistical Courses for the Growing and Heterogeneous Student Population

Abstract

Students are motivated differently. Previously at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences, these differences were assessed by a personality screening before and after the flipping of an introductory course in statistics, and researchers found that exam scores improved for extraverted students but not for creative/contextual students. The latter type is generally thought to be motivated by working more freely with realistic projects. To reach out to this group of students, a project-based course was offered as a pilot study. The structure of this pilot course is described along with preliminary results based on a small group of volunteer students. Exam scores were similar for students who followed the flipped course. In in-depth interviews, project-based students reported positive experiences and more motivation toward statistics.