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Engineering Statistics as a Laboratory Course

Charles R. Standridge, Jon H. Marvel Grand Valley State University

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Highly influenced by the reform movement in general introductory statistics courses, we have developed and are continuing to improve a laboratory-based course introducing engineering statistical methods as well as their applications to product, process, and operations issues. Report writing and technical work are equally emphasized in the laboratory experience. The companion lecture introduces statistical methods via co-operative learning groups and active learning techniques. The course is required of all engineering students and is nominally scheduled for the second semester of the freshman year.

I. Introduction

Recently, many statisticians have become involved in a movement to reform general introductory statistics courses2. This reform has focused on changes in content (more data analysis, less probability), pedagogy (fewer lectures, more active learning), and technology (for data analysis and simulations) 3. A principal objective of the reform movement is to help students learn and apply statistical thinking. Statistical thinking has been defined as thought processes that recognize that variation is all around us and present in everything we do 4.

A fundamental challenge is to apply what has been learned from the reform movement for general introductory statistics courses to introductory engineering statistics courses. Meeting this objective involves helping students see how variation effects engineering in all disciplines. Doing so requires addressing product, process and operations issues via data collection, statistical analysis, and statistical inference. Thus, a laboratory component must be a significant part of an introductory statistics course. The lecture component of the course must be designed to support the laboratory component. The content of the lecture should emphasize data analysis. Teaching methods such as active learning and co-operative learning groups are necessary.

This paper describes our current efforts and future vision for achieving a reformed introductory engineering statistics course. A course overview is given as well as detailed information about the laboratory and lecture components of the course.

Proceedings of the 2002 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright Ó 2002, American Society for Engineering Education

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Marvel, J., & Standridge, C. (2002, June), Engineering Statistics As A Laboratory Course Paper presented at 2002 Annual Conference, Montreal, Canada. 10.18260/1-2--11185