Module 3 Student Projects Overview

The last module of this course will be a project where the student will collect and analyze data relating to a question of the students interest. The purpose of this document is to outline how the student can get started on this project. Students are encouraged to start work on this project before the beginning of the last module.

1. Determine a question of interest which involves quantifiable data. For example, if you worked at a local hospital, you may be interested in how absenteeism of nurses (i.e. nurses missing work) affects the happiness of long-term patients. The best place to start is in your environment that you deal with every day. Many examples of these types of questions are also given throughout the course. At the very least, you should start (at the beginning of this class) thinking about an idea. The students will see many examples of where the Professor of the class has analyzed data she has collected just to try to investigate a topic of his interest.

2. Collect data. In the idea above, the student should identify the dependent variable and those things which may likely affect the dependent variable. The student must have 1 dependent variable and at least 2 independent variables and collect at least 30 observations for their data. In past versions of this course, many students have used data from their work or have collected data from surveying other students or people at their work.

3. Analyze the data using the tools developed in this course and submit a written analysis for the student project. The student will have multiple examples of similar types of analysis and are encouraged to ask questions.

Even though the last module of the course does not start util later in the course, the student should work on the project as the course progresses and not wait until the last module begins. Please ask questions if you do not understand or need more clarification on the student project.