Structured External Assignment MAT308/MAT312 Statistics Purpose: The Structured External Assignment serves to document your understanding of the course material. Analyzing data using statistical methods is a cornerstone of this course. Process: Each part of the process MUST be completed PRIOR to completing the next part of the process. 1. Topic Approval, Date Due: ___________________ “A statistical study seeks to answer some question.” (Warren, Denley & Atchley, 2014, p. 19). Each student will select a unique question that they would like to answer. Each question will be answered by collecting, organizing and analyzing data using methods learned in this class. That question may pertain to personal interests or career. Projects may not have duplicate topics. Project topics will be approved in the order the instructor receives them in his or her WilmU instructor’s email account. The following list is meant to stimulate ideas. These topics may not be used by students. Sample ideas: 1. Does the number of customers waiting in line depend on day? (Chi-square test. Chp 10) 2.Does a specific method of learning improve grades? (Hypothesis test for mean. Chp 10) 3.Does the wait time at one traffic light vary significantly from the standard wait time? (Hypothesis test for variation, Chp 10)4.Does summer training reduce fall sports injuries? (Compare proportions between two sets of data. Chp 11) 5.Does the level of education earned affect money earned? (Regression analysis with r-value. Chp 12) 2. Written Project Proposal: Date due _____________________

Each student will provide a written, typed project proposal to the instructor. In this proposal, state the following: 1. your research question, 2. your methods for collecting data, specify your method of sampling, 3. your methods for displaying your data, specify the graphs you will use. 4. your method of analyzing data, such as linear regression or hypothesis test. Proposals must be resubmitted to improve grade if “exemplary status” was not achieved. Rubric for Project Proposal: Exemplary 9-10 Accomplished 6-8 Developing 3-5 Beginning 0-2 All clearly stated: question, method for collecting data, method for organizing data into graphs/charts, method of analysis. All addressed, but may be vague: question, method for collecting data, method for organizing data into graphs/charts, method of analysis. One area not discussed: question, method for collecting data, method for organizing data into graphs/charts, method of analysis. Two or three areas not discussed: question, method for collecting data, method for organizing data into graphs/charts, method of analysis. 3. Data Collection: Date due ____________________________ Rules for data: 1. Data must be publicly available, or, you must have permission in writing to share that data publicly. Sources must be provided. You must be able to calculate the mean, the standard deviation, a proportion or perform linear regression from the data. Do not simply use descriptive statistics calculated by someone else in their study.