OUAVM held online lectures for the Basic Short Course on Statistics 2021, which were delivered by Professor Murray Clayton of the Department of Statistics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison College of Letters & Science. The course, offered from October 18 to 22, 2021, was the eagerly awaited follow-up to the popular Short Course on Statistics 2019, which Professor Clayton delivered in person at OUAVM.
As with the previous course, the 2021 course aimed to introduce students to the basic concepts of statistics and precautions to take in designing efficient experimental statistical methods.
Professor Clayton, who was unable to visit Japan due to the pandemic, delivered lectures during OUAVM’s class hours, which meant he had to begin live streaming late in the evening his local time. Initially, the lectures were scheduled for two hours per day for four days, but the great enthusiasm of both Professor Clayton and the students not only overran the allotted class hours every day, but also resulted in the extension of the course by an additional day.
The lectures were given using the active learning style of teaching in the United States, the cradle of this approach of instruction. Students were invited to ask questions and make comments as part of the lectures, which provided a proactive and interactive opportunity for in-depth learning. After the course, Professor Clayton commented that he was impressed by the active engagement of the students.
Fifteen students participated in the course, including 10 graduate students, 2 undergraduates, and 3 newly-enrolled international students waiting in their home countries to come to Japan due to the resurgence of COVID-19.
Based on the knowledge gained and popularity of the basic course, an Advanced Short Course on Statistics 2021 was scheduled for January 2022.
