Reflection on Skittles Project

Doing this project was beneficial, as it helped to take the concepts that
we were learning in class and apply them to applications using our Skittles
data. I have learned how, and in what circumstances, we can use hypothesis
tests, confidence intervals, how to read, and make, a pie chart, and how to
turn a number into a proportion, into a percentage. This is especially useful if
it is easier for you to understand a percentage vs. proportions, or vice versa.
This project, and this class more than most math classes, have
changed the way I think about what I learn and apply it in the real world. This
project was most beneficial to help cement the concept of hypothesis testing
and how it can be useful in many different situations. An example from this
project that can be useful in many real-world situations is the hypothesis test
concerning a claim red Skittles account for 20% of all skittles. A real-life
application example of this that I feel may be appropriate in social work
would be to test a claim that 20% percent of those who were abused as
children, will in turn abuse their children.
The concepts that I learned in this class have already helped me in
another class. In doing a research paper for my mental health class, I came
across several studies that used correlation coefficient, r, to help explain a
study. Thanks to this class, I know that with this information, along with a
critical value, we can tell if there is a significant linear correlation. While
presenting on my topic, I was able to take the correlation coefficient given,

and explain its meaning to my class. As I have already used information

learned in this class, I have no doubt that I will find many more opportunities
in both school and my career of social work, to make further use of statistical
concepts learned in this class.
I can definitely see the usefulness of confidence intervals in be able to
say that we are 99% confident that the mean of what you are looking for will
fall within a certain range. It takes the guess work out, and replaces it with
information that is statistically sound. If you can back up you information in a
mathematical way, it lends an air of professionalism to your work.
Another way this project will help in my life is by seeing different
graphs in an almost side by side comparison. It was easy for me to see which
one I found to be the most clear to read, and will use that information when I
am doing presentations in future classes, or life, to get across information in
an easy to interpret way.