Just Figures: A Method to Introduce Students to Data Analysis One Figure at a Time.

Area of Science:

• Microbiology education
• Quantitative data analysis

Background:

• Quantitative data analysis is a fundamental skill for STEM students.
• Traditional methods may not fully develop these essential competencies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and evaluate the effectiveness of the "Just Figures" classroom activity.
• To improve students' data analysis skills and confidence in interpreting scientific figures.

Main Methods:

• Instructors select key figures from primary research papers relevant to course objectives.
• Students analyze these figures as homework before in-class discussion.
• A 10-20 minute discussion of assigned figures is integrated into regular class sessions.

Main Results:

• Frequent practice with figures increased students' confidence and accuracy in data interpretation.
• Students showed an average improvement of three points on a 20-point data analysis assessment after six weeks.
• Courses using Just Figures performed comparably to those analyzing entire papers on assessments.

Conclusions:

• The Just Figures method is a simple, effective strategy for enhancing student data analysis skills in STEM, particularly microbiology.
• This approach boosts student confidence and accuracy in interpreting quantitative data from scientific literature.