Explorations in Statistics Research: An Approach to Expose Undergraduates to Authentic Data Analysis
Deborah Nolan, Duncan Temple Lang

TL;DR
This paper describes a summer workshop that immerses undergraduates in authentic data analysis to foster interest and understanding in applied statistics, emphasizing real-world problem connections.
Contribution
It introduces a successful NSF-funded workshop model that enhances statistical thinking through authentic research experiences for undergraduates.
Findings
Participants gained exposure to current research problems.
The workshop increased students' interest in further statistical training.
Key features contributed to the program's success.
Abstract
The Explorations in Statistics Research workshop is a one-week NSF-funded summer program that introduces undergraduate students to current research problems in applied statistics. The goal of the workshop is to expose students to exciting, modern applied statistical research and practice, with the ultimate aim of interesting them in seeking more training in statistics at the undergraduate and graduate levels. The program is explicitly designed to engage students in the connections between authentic domain problems and the statistical ideas and approaches needed to address these problems, which is an important aspect of statistical thinking that is difficult to teach and sometimes lacking in our methodological courses and programs. Over the past nine years, we ran the workshop six times and a similar program in the sciences two times. We describe the program, summarize feedback from…
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