(PRWEB) May 16, 2017
Pearson today announced the winners of its inaugural National StatCrunch Contest. The winners represent college and university students who have been enrolled in introductory statistics courses at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Bunker Hill Community College, and The Ohio State University.
The contest required these learners to analyze a provided data set combined with another data set of their choosing to tell a compelling story with data. Students were asked to submit a written report through http://www.StatCrunch.com, including visualizations and their additional data set to enhance their story.
Three winners were chosen to present their data stories, based on the following criteria:
Collect – Most creative use of an additional data set selected by contestant.
Crunch – Best insights from the data.
Communicate – Best visualizations and presentation in the final report.
First Place: Priyanka Nanayakkara, UCLA, California -- $2,500
Second Place: Michael "MJ" Craig, Bunker Hill Community College, Massachusetts -- $1,000
Third Place: Ethan Pointer, The Ohio State University, Ohio -- $500
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the statistics career field is projected to grow at a rate of 34 percent from 2014 to 2024, resulting in 10,100 new jobs. This growth can partially be attributed to the growing number of organizations that leverage statistical analyses as an important part of their decision making process.
“We are proud to honor and encourage student achievement in statistics education. Through their participation in the contest, learners were able to develop and hone essential data analysis and communication skills that can increase their employability in the in-demand statistics career field,” said Julie Conover, director of strategic marketing, mathematics and statistics, Pearson.
StatCrunch is a powerful web-based statistical software that allows users to perform complex analysis, share data sets, and generate compelling reports. The vibrant online community offers tens of thousands of data sets shared by users.
###
About Pearson
Pearson is the world’s learning company, with expertise in educational courseware and assessment, and a range of teaching and learning services powered by technology. Our mission is to help people make progress through access to better learning. We believe that learning opens up opportunities, creating fulfilling careers and better lives. For more, visit http://www.pearson.com.