Open Case Studies: Statistics and Data Science Education through Real-World Applications.

Area of Science:

• Data Science Education
• Statistics Pedagogy

Background:

• Limited educator materials exist for teaching statistical thinking with real-world data.
• Existing case study approaches require significant time and domain expertise, hindering their widespread adoption.

Purpose of the Study:

• To address the scarcity of realistic case studies in data science education.
• To introduce a new model for statistical and data science education case studies.

Main Methods:

• Development of the Open Case Studies project (opencasestudies.org).
• Creation of self-contained, multimodal, peer-reviewed, and open-source case studies.
• Publication of an educator's guide for effective case study implementation and contribution.

Main Results:

• The Open Case Studies project offers a scalable solution for educators.
• Case studies feature complete data analyses from real-world examples.
• The project promotes active learning and the development of statistical thinking.

Conclusions:

• The Open Case Studies project enhances data science education by providing accessible, real-world learning materials.
• This resource facilitates the development of statistical thinking skills crucial for data science practitioners.
• The open-source model encourages community contribution and adaptation of educational content.