STA130 Winter 2025: An Introduction to Statistical Reasoning and Data Science
Project
Project Context
Wellspring (https://wellspring.ca/) is a Canada-wide network of charities, offering programs and services, at no charge and without referral, to anyone, with any type of cancer, at any stage in
their journey.
For this project, you will be applying what you've learned in STA130 to help Wellspring gain insights into how the change in their registration system on March 4th, 2024 impacted the engagement of their members. They hoped that by simplifying their registration system, potential members would be more likely to register and that they would be more engaged in their programming. Of course, there are lots of ways to think about what it means to be "more engaged", including how soon they attend their first event, how many events they attend in their first 1 or 2 months of registering, the proportion of events they miss (after signing up for these events) - all of these are interesting aspects of the question and it will be up to you which you choose to explore. In addition to their primary interest above, they are also interested in better understanding what characteristics make members more or less likely to sign up for / attend programs, so that they can try to reach out to those who might not be making use of the available programming. For both of these big aims, they're also interested in looking at various subgroups of their membership to see if the effects are different.
You will not be expected to address all the general questions above. You will choose a few of the above questions, refine them for specific variables of interest and/or subjects of interest to you and your group, and perform. a detailed, thoughtful statistical analysis to answer your question(s) of interest.
Target audience
· Wellspring employees have deep expertise in cancer support services and patient care, but may not have formal statistics training. Your analysis should translate statistical concepts into practical insights they can use to enhance their programs and support more people affected by cancer.
· Many staff members are focused on direct service delivery and may not regularly work with data analysis. Statistical findings should be presented with clear, real-world implications that connect directly to Wellspring's mission of providing free cancer support programs to anyone who needs them.
· Staff at Wellspring care deeply about improving cancer support services and understanding program impact, but may be pressed for time. Key findings should be highlighted upfront with supporting details available for those who want to dive deeper. Visual representations of data are particularly helpful, but make sure they are clear and stand alone.
Learning objectives
· Apply data-driven problem-solving skills by:
。 Formulating meaningful research questions to help a community organization
。Selecting appropriate statistical methods to investigate research questions
。Coding chosen statistical methods accurately, readably, and reproducibly
· Develop professional communication skills by:
。Translating complex statistical concepts into clear, concise, jargon-free language
。Creating concise, visually engaging posters and slides that effectively communicate key insights
。 Delivering a 5-minute presentation that highlights the project's significance and potential impact
。 Reflecting on the strengths and limitations of chosen analytical approaches
· Demonstrate ethical data practices by:
。 Ensuring responsible data interpretation that aligns with the community partner's context and mission
。Critically examining potential biases in data collection and analysis
。 Using a reproducible data analysis workflow using R and Quarto (qmd)
· Engage in collaborative learning by:
。 Practicing teamwork and project management skills
。Sharing responsibilities and leveraging individual team members' strengths
。 Providing constructive peer feedback to each other over the course of the project
。 Learning new skills from your teammates and teaching them new skills