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Are Students Learning the Right Skills (in Statistics and Data Science)? Why Academia Needs to Go Back to the “Basics”
James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal ^ | November 17, 2021 | Steven Zhou

Posted on 11/17/2021 6:34:19 AM PST by karpov

Last year, Forbes published a headline, “Americans rank a Google internship over a Harvard degree.” It seems higher education is quickly losing hold of its value proposition as the best way to prepare for a job or advance in one’s career.

And that’s not because of a lack of new advancements or insights. Especially in the world of statistics and data science—both of which are among the fastest-growing occupations—there has been tremendous improvement in understanding how we should best analyze data. As a PhD student in organizational psychology, I’m exposed to and have been taught a wide variety of advanced analytical methods: structural equation modeling, meta-analysis, multilevel modeling, machine learning algorithms, mixture modeling, and factor analysis to name a few.

I’m not the only one to experience this rapid growth in advanced analytics curriculum. Modern advanced degree graduates, especially in the social sciences, are often expected to understand this long list of pedantic jargon that few others understand and much less care about. For instance, in my program at George Mason University, the curriculum from 2005 just covers regression, psychometrics, and multivariate (which are generally considered to be introductory content).

Since then, discoveries in more advanced methods have abounded and made their way into curricula. One of the top journals in psychological statistics, Psychological Methods, began in 1996 and since then has published an average of 800 pages annually of articles. In particular, its impact factor (a measure of journal popularity) has skyrocketed in the past decade. The rise of computer technology in statistical analysis has further changed the landscape of analytics curricula.

(Excerpt) Read more at jamesgmartin.center ...


TOPICS: Education; Science
KEYWORDS:
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1 posted on 11/17/2021 6:34:19 AM PST by karpov
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To: karpov

Because “Math is racist” when blacks fail math, and “STEM is sexist” when “enough” women do not graduate with engineering degrees.


2 posted on 11/17/2021 6:35:58 AM PST by Robert A Cook PE (Method, motive, and opportunity: No morals, shear madness and hatred by those who cheat.)
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To: Robert A Cook PE

The statistics have to contradict the IQ test data or else their raaaascist.


3 posted on 11/17/2021 6:39:02 AM PST by who_would_fardels_bear (This is not a tagline.)
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To: karpov

No, Math and especially statistics are not known by most college grads. I think the soft sciences require some very basic statistics where everyone tries to remember the standard error formula, at least for test day. But its shocking how little people understand about either math or science or logic for that matter.


4 posted on 11/17/2021 6:41:10 AM PST by poinq
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To: Robert A Cook PE

“Because “Math is racist” when blacks fail math, and “STEM is sexist” when “enough” women do not graduate with engineering degrees.”

Isn’t it funny how China and Japan do not have this problem?


5 posted on 11/17/2021 6:42:51 AM PST by beef (The Chinese have a little secret—diversity is _not_ a strength.)
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To: karpov
Unlike much of what you learn in high school -- even in college -- turns out to be of little practical use throughout adult life, the study and application of statistics is essential in today's America.

It is critical to understand the principle that is so often applied and which provides "cover" for the pronoucements by so very many self-proclaimed "experts":
"If you torture the data enough, it will confess".

6 posted on 11/17/2021 6:44:23 AM PST by glennaro (Although I don't believe in "big conspiracies", neither do I believe in "big coincidences")
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To: who_would_fardels_bear

“The statistics have to contradict the IQ test data or else their raaaascist.”

William Shockley would definitely agree with you.


7 posted on 11/17/2021 6:48:02 AM PST by DOC44
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To: karpov

Statistics seems far more useful to “ordinary people” than calculus.


8 posted on 11/17/2021 6:55:51 AM PST by StayAt HomeMother
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To: karpov

Are they learning to be a victim and whitey bad?

Then they are learning everything they need to know.


9 posted on 11/17/2021 6:59:57 AM PST by Altura Ct.
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To: karpov

It must start with counting as a pre-schooler, and that is the parents’ responsibility, a function of the traditional family structure. Arithmetic, without calculator assistance, must be learned thoroughly in grade school.

The basics of algebra and geometry must be taught before junior high.

Student ability in math is unique to the student, and any BS about cultural or racial limitations are just that: BS.


10 posted on 11/17/2021 7:00:59 AM PST by budj (Combat vet, 2nd of three generations.)
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To: karpov
Academia cannot teach what it doesn't know and will not teach what it doesn't embrace. The Ivory Tower of Academia serves itself and not the students nor parents.

Students must learn the brutal truth that they alone are responsible for their own education. Parents have already willingly surrendered them to the indoctrination centers, often with the best, but ignorant, intentions.

Since the spread of the World Wide Web, students can no longer blame their ignorance and shortcomings on their parents or teachers. The answers are out there and it's up to students to find them, all while avoiding the propaganda and lies of academia.

11 posted on 11/17/2021 7:14:21 AM PST by T.B. Yoits
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To: karpov

I remember my first day in Statistics 101 with one of the good professors:

“Statistics NEVER gives you an answer, at best it gives you another question.”


12 posted on 11/17/2021 7:15:06 AM PST by PeterPrinciple (Thinking Caps are no longer being issued but there must be a warehouse full of them somewhere.)
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To: karpov

Watched David Barton last night on The American Restoration Tour. It was very alarming to see how schools have manipulated the current generations and what is not being taught about America. If we are to survive as a nation, we must start small and participate locally. If you have an opportunity to see this presentation, please do so.


13 posted on 11/17/2021 7:28:54 AM PST by Boomer One ( ToUsesn)
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To: karpov

I agree with Daniel Greenfield-
https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/4013223/posts


14 posted on 11/17/2021 7:35:16 AM PST by matthew fuller (Resist this coercion like it’s slavery. It is. Kevin Homer, MD)
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To: karpov

Learning to balance a checkbook would be a logical first step.


15 posted on 11/17/2021 8:59:49 AM PST by moovova (I'm dismayed that most of the world hates me for being non-vaxxed. Honest. No, really.)
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To: moovova

I have never balanced my check book. Ever.


16 posted on 11/17/2021 9:00:26 AM PST by central_va (I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn...)
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To: central_va

I do. To the penny...every month.


17 posted on 11/17/2021 9:01:34 AM PST by moovova (I'm dismayed that most of the world hates me for being non-vaxxed. Honest. No, really.)
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To: PeterPrinciple

I finally figured out that Statistics was just big words for common sense observations.

Like
Confidence Interval
Sample Size
Population
etc.


18 posted on 11/17/2021 9:09:01 AM PST by Scrambler Bob (My /s is more true than your /science (or you might mean /seance))
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To: DOC44
"William Shockley would definitely agree with you."

William Schokley was quite a guy. I'm familiar with him as a retiree from a career of chip-making.

19 posted on 11/17/2021 9:33:46 AM PST by blam
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To: central_va
I have never balanced my check book. Ever.

I stopped the practice of balancing my checkbook against the checks returned when my bank stopped returning checks. Also, I write at most three checks a month, with many months writing NO checks.

What I do now is check for unauthorized charges on my checking account, because so many of my bills are paid via ACH. I also keep a running account of balance, within $10 (instead of to the penny) so if there is a bank error (and bank errors DO occur) I detect it early so it can be resolved easily. In fact, most of the errors stem from mistakes the vendors/utilities make in requesting transfers.

20 posted on 11/17/2021 10:09:20 AM PST by asinclair (Political hot air is a renewable energy resource)
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