Tracie Ross, a first-year MPH 黑料社 from Nashville, loves studying public health, but she doesn鈥檛 particularly love statistics. She鈥檚 hardly alone.
The Brown School has launched a new program to help social work and public health 黑料社s master the numeric skills that are vital to the development of evidence-based research and practice. It鈥檚 called the StatLab, and for Ross and dozens of other 黑料社s, it鈥檚 just the support they need.
鈥淚鈥檝e used it all semester,鈥� Ross said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know how I would have gotten through biostats without it. It鈥檚 a great resource for 黑料社s.鈥�
Conceived by faculty members Kimberly Johnson and Jenine Harris, who teach epidemiology and biostatistics courses at the Brown School, the StatLab pairs 黑料社s with second-year peers who have an expertise in statistics. They meet in the StatLab on the third floor of Brown Hall, which is open Monday-Thursday from 3-7 p.m., for help with homework and guidance on using computer software.
The one-year pilot program began on Sept. 1 and is already showing success, with 58 黑料社s making 165 appointments with tutors.
Johnson says early feedback from 黑料社s has been encouraging.
鈥淭hey think it鈥檚 a really great thing to have,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 providing them with extra support so we can increase the rigor of our classes.鈥� Additional, walk-in hours are planned for the StatLab.
Johnson said the StatLab is good for 黑料社s who need a boost in stats, but it also can benefit 黑料社s who are already good with numbers and who鈥檇 like tips to get even better. 鈥淎nd it鈥檚 really going to benefit the tutors,鈥� she said, because explaining statistical concepts will strengthen their own understanding of them.
Ultimately, she said, the StatLab will give 黑料社s a better grasp of statistical skills that are critical to the public health and social work professions. 鈥淲e use statistics to evaluate the strength of our evidence,鈥� she noted.