Contributed Paper C121
In session C10A (Thursday 12th, 14:00-15:30, Level 3 - Conference Room A)Innovations in statistical training: reflections from the UK Q-Step Initiative
Authors
Jackie Carter (University of Manchester, UK)Mark Brown (University of Manchester, UK)
Presenter
Jackie Carter (United Kingdom)Abstract
In a response to growing concern over the poor levels of statistical literacy among UK Social Science graduates, ‘Q-Step’ is a national initiative involving 16 Universities in the UK. The programme has funded experimentation and evaluation of a wide range of curriculum and pedagogic innovations all designed to improve the quality of quantitative training received on social science degree programmes. Five years on this paper reflects on the progress of one of these Q-Step Centres at the University of Manchester, highlighting the things that worked and focusing in particular on an initiative to incorporate work-based learning of statistics through summer internships. We draw out some of the lessons for both what we teach on the statistics curriculum and how we teach it.