Collaborative Project Planning Template

Project title Mistakes in Statistics

Subject(s)/Course AP Statistics
Project Author Andrew Bachmann
I. Project Purpose
What is the purpose of the project?
Students will apply learned weaknesses in sampling, surveys, and experimental
design to find and share real world studies that have potentially have mistakes
or bias.
Why is collaboration essential to this project?
Each student will be required to find sources of potentially flawed statistical
research and share their findings to the rest of the group. Then each group will
need to discuss and comment on what other students find and ultimately craft a
presentation that will be given to the entire class. Then each group will have a
chance to evaluate each other groups presentation.
Will the collaboration be individually within groups only or will there be collaboration among groups?
Collaboration will mostly be done individually within groups, but all students will
be viewing each other groups presentation and critiquing their product.
Goal(s)
Students will see real world application of topics learned in class and develop
"healthy skepticism" when it comes to reading research.
Objectives
Students will practice looking for research articles. Students will read carefully
about study design. Students will demonstrate understanding of sources of bias
by clearly explaining potential sources of bias or confounding.
Alignment with State Standards (AP college board standards)
II. Sampling and Experimentation: Planning and conducting a study
Data must be collected according to a well-developed plan if valid information
on a conjecture is to be obtained. This plan includes clarifying the question and
deciding upon a method of data collection and analysis.
B.Planning and conducting surveys
1.Characteristics of a well-designed and well-conducted survey
3.Sources of bias in sampling and surveys
C. Planning and conducting experiments
1. Characteristics of a well-designed and well-conducted experiment
3. Sources of bias and confounding, including placebo effect and blinding
II. Project Description
General Description and Time Frame
Over the course of 2 weeks, Students will work in groups of 3 to search potential
sources of bias in real world studies, newspapers, websites, and other
publications. Students will each be given a focus (Sample design, Survey
Design, Experimental Design) within their group to make sure that all groups
have variety in their sources. Students will share their findings within their group
and then create a presentation for the class pointing to the best examples they
were able to find and why there was likely bias. Finally the last few days will be
used to allow student to view, comment on, and assess each other groups
presentation.
Instructional Strategies employed
Students will already have learned about the vocabulary and topics prior to the
project. Students will be put in collaborative groups. Students will be asked to
assess their work as well as others.
Instructor role (i.e., student or teacher centered? student or teacher Directed?)
Teacher will put students in groups and provide general instructions for the
project. A rubric for how they will be assessed by the teacher, themselves, and
their peers will also be provided. After that the teacher will monitor student
progress to make sure that groups are collaborating and working to the best of
their potential.
Content type and specific content elements
Survey, Sampling, and Experimental Design including key features of these
designs as well as potential sources of bias.
Sequence and timeline for lesson events
Students will have already had 3-4 days of lessons regarding the topics.
Students will be given the first day in class to begin the project by assigning
roles and discussing goals. Then they will work together online by sharing
sources with each other using sites like diigo, google communities, or padlet to
organize sources and then use presentation sites like voicethread, google docs,
or prezi to put together their presentation. Whichever presentation software is
used it must allow students to make comments on other groups work. Then
individual will be given a link to a digital form that they can fill out assessing their
own work, the work of their group memebers, and the products of other groups.
How will collaboration be established and facilitated?
Students will be given specific roles, and at all times the teacher will need to be
included on and planning or product document to see evidence of collaboration.
finally students will know that they will be assessed by their peers at the start of
the project.
III. Role of Students
How will students be grouped?
Students will be grouped by the teacher so that each group has a natural leader,
and so that individuals that do not work well together will not be in the same
group. Other than that, randomness can be used.
What are student roles within the project?
Each student will be responsible for either, sample design, survey design, or
experimental design. These roles require that students find potential problems in
these types or parts of studies and share with the group as well as be
responsible for making sure that part of the presentation is well done.
How will students work within a group?
Students will meet in class for one day to set up the project and then from that
point forward the will need to work online mainly through the collaborative tools
listed above (diigo, google communities, padlet, google docs,...)
How will group issues be resolved?
Any problems that cannot be resolved between group members should be
noticed by, or brought to the attention of, the teacher. The teacher will
encourage open and honest discussion about the issues as this usually helps
resolve any issues.
IV. Assessment and Evaluation
Individual Accountability
Each student will know that they are responsible for their part (Sample, Surveys,
Experimentation) of the projects research and presentation and also that they
will be peer evaluated.
Group Process Evaluation
This will be built into peer evaluation as well as a criterion on the teachers
evaluation for each group.
Project Evaluation
Students will be asked to comment on other groups products was well as fill out
their thoughts on other groups work as well as their own on their evaluation.
Peer Evaluation
Students will both assess their small group members work as well as the
products produced by other groups in the class.
Mechanism for feedback to students and groups - formative and summative
Groups will be monitored by the teacher, but they can also illicit feedback from
the teacher at any time throughout the project. In the end the summative
assessment will be based on the quality of the presentation that the group
produces.
V. Technology and Cyber Safety
Web tools available and suggested
Diigo, google communities, google docs, google hangout, padlet, voicethread,
prezi, etc.
How will student cyber safety be addressed and mitigated?
Students will have received instruction on the matter at the start of the year, and
will be reminded to keep the settings on all resources such that only classmates
and group members may view the product.