Teaching Statistical Literacy through an Excel Class Project

Lynn University’s core curriculum, The Dialogues, enables students to develop critical thinking, communication, and innovation skills. As part of this curriculum, Introductory Statistics introduces students to key statistical concepts while showing how they can be applied in real-world situations using Excel. The highlight of the course is the Statistics Excel Project, where students create their own dataset with a mix of quantitative and qualitative variables. To keep the focus on learning statistical techniques rather than data collection, students use Excel’s random number generator for quantitative data, which also avoids the need for IRB approval. From there, they calculate statistical measures, build frequency and pivot tables, and design charts and graphs to visualize their results. They also form hypotheses, analyze their data, and summarize their findings in a written report. This project gives students an opportunity to see statistics in action, develop practical Excel skills, and gain confidence in using quantitative methods; tools that will prepare them for future research projects and professional work.