Bringing Data Science Communication into the Classroom
Lucy D’Agostino McGowan
Wake Forest University
@LucyStats
follow along
lucymcgowan.com/talk
Data from my students
Theory on statistical communication
How to + examples
1
2
3
89%
94%
83%
Would recommend keeping the communicating statistics section in future iterations of this course.
Found the three lectures on communicating statistics valuable.
Felt the communicating statistics lectures fit in well with the rest of the course.
How true it is
How true it is
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TRUE
How true it is
NOT TRUE
NOT TRUE
TRUE
TRUE
How interesting it is
NOT TRUE
NOT TRUE
TRUE
TRUE
How interesting it is
INTERESTING
INTERESTING
NOT TRUE
NOT TRUE
TRUE
TRUE
How interesting it is
INTERESTING
INTERESTING
NOT INTERESTING
NOT INTERESTING
NOT TRUE
NOT TRUE
TRUE
TRUE
Not interesting
Not true
TRUE
NOT TRUE
TRUE
NOT TRUE
INTERESTING
INTERESTING
NOT INTERESTING
NOT INTERESTING
Not interesting
Not true
Not really a problem
TRUE
NOT TRUE
TRUE
NOT TRUE
INTERESTING
INTERESTING
NOT INTERESTING
NOT INTERESTING
Not interesting . true
TRUE
NOT TRUE
TRUE
NOT TRUE
INTERESTING
INTERESTING
NOT INTERESTING
NOT INTERESTING
. interesting Not true
TRUE
NOT TRUE
TRUE
NOT TRUE
INTERESTING
INTERESTING
NOT INTERESTING
NOT INTERESTING
. interesting . true
TRUE
NOT TRUE
TRUE
NOT TRUE
INTERESTING
INTERESTING
NOT INTERESTING
NOT INTERESTING
TRUE
NOT TRUE
TRUE
NOT TRUE
INTERESTING
INTERESTING
NOT INTERESTING
NOT INTERESTING
TRUE
NOT TRUE
TRUE
NOT TRUE
INTERESTING
INTERESTING
NOT INTERESTING
NOT INTERESTING
TRUE
NOT TRUE
TRUE
NOT TRUE
INTERESTING
INTERESTING
NOT INTERESTING
NOT INTERESTING
TRUE
NOT TRUE
TRUE
NOT TRUE
INTERESTING
INTERESTING
NOT INTERESTING
NOT INTERESTING
Estimating COVID-19 mortality for patients on a mechanical ventilator
Estimating COVID-19 mortality for patients on a mechanical ventilator
Richardson S, Hirsch JS, Narasimhan M, et al. Presenting Characteristics, Comorbidities, and Outcomes Among 5700 Patients Hospitalized With COVID-19 in the New York City Area. JAMA. 2020;323(20):2052–2059. doi:10.1001/jama.2020.6775
Estimating COVID-19 mortality for patients on a mechanical ventilator
Clarification of Mortality Rate and Data in Abstract, Results, and Table 2. JAMA. 2020;323(20):2098. doi:10.1001/jama.2020.7681
The journey to true
MATHEMATICALLY
CORRECT
A tutorial to help folks recognize bad science in the news
A tutorial to help folks recognize bad science in the news
https://ed.ted.com/lessons/this-one-weird-trick-will-help-you-spot-clickbait-jeff-leek-and-lucy-mcgowan
A tutorial to help folks recognize bad science in the news
https://ed.ted.com/lessons/this-one-weird-trick-will-help-you-spot-clickbait-jeff-leek-and-lucy-mcgowan
“This one weird trick will help you spot clickbait”
A tutorial to help folks recognize bad science in the news
https://ed.ted.com/lessons/this-one-weird-trick-will-help-you-spot-clickbait-jeff-leek-and-lucy-mcgowan
“This one weird trick will help you spot clickbait”
The journey to true
MATHEMATICALLY
CORRECT
MARKETED CORRECTLY
Estimating COVID-19 mortality for patients on a mechanical ventilator
Richardson S, Hirsch JS, Narasimhan M, et al. Presenting Characteristics, Comorbidities, and Outcomes Among 5700 Patients Hospitalized With COVID-19 in the New York City Area. JAMA. 2020;323(20):2052–2059. doi:10.1001/jama.2020.6775
Estimating COVID-19 mortality for patients on a mechanical ventilator
Clarification of Mortality Rate and Data in Abstract, Results, and Table 2. JAMA. 2020;323(20):2098. doi:10.1001/jama.2020.7681
The journey to true
MATHEMATICALLY
CORRECT
DISSEMINATED CORRECTLY
MARKETED CORRECTLY
Examining COVID-19 cases per 100k in Georgia by county
Examining COVID-19 cases per 100k in Georgia by county
Examining COVID-19 cases per 100k in Georgia by county
The journey to true
MATHEMATICALLY
CORRECT
DISSEMINATED CORRECTLY
MARKETED CORRECTLY
AUDIENCE INTERPRETS CORRECTLY
New York Times Analysis
TRUE
NOT TRUE
TRUE
NOT TRUE
INTERESTING
INTERESTING
NOT INTERESTING
NOT INTERESTING
TRUE
NOT TRUE
TRUE
NOT TRUE
INTERESTING
INTERESTING
NOT INTERESTING
NOT INTERESTING
TRUE
NOT TRUE
TRUE
NOT TRUE
INTERESTING
INTERESTING
NOT INTERESTING
NOT INTERESTING
TRUE
NOT TRUE
TRUE
NOT TRUE
INTERESTING
INTERESTING
NOT INTERESTING
NOT INTERESTING
A collaborator is trying to decide how to analyze observational data
A collaborator is trying to decide how to analyze observational data
A collaborator is trying to decide how to analyze observational data
OMG check out my dissertation!!
A collaborator is trying to decide how to analyze observational data
TRUE
NOT INTERESTING
A collaborator is trying to decide how to analyze observational data
TRUE
NOT INTERESTING
TRUE
INTERESTING
A collaborator is trying to decide how to analyze observational data
A collaborator is trying to decide how to analyze observational data
OMG check out my dissertation blog post!!
The journey to interesting
From a long pdf to a short blogpost
MEDIUM
The journey to interesting
From a long pdf to a short blogpost
MEDIUM
Only include the important stuff
LENGTH
The journey to interesting
From a long pdf to a short blogpost
MEDIUM
Only necessary equations, ditch the jargon
COMPLEXITY
Only include the important stuff
LENGTH
The journey to interesting
From a long pdf to a short blogpost
MEDIUM
Only necessary equations, ditch the jargon
COMPLEXITY
Only include the important stuff
LENGTH
Pick a single message
FOCUS
The journey to interesting
From a long pdf to a short blogpost
MEDIUM
Only necessary equations, ditch the jargon
COMPLEXITY
Humans like
pictures
VISUALS
Only include the important stuff
LENGTH
Pick a single message
FOCUS
The journey to interesting
From a long pdf to a short blogpost
MEDIUM
Only necessary equations, ditch the jargon
COMPLEXITY
Humans like
pictures
VISUALS
Only include the important stuff
LENGTH
Pick a single message
FOCUS
Promote it!
MARKETING
The journey to true
MATHEMATICALLY
CORRECT
DISSEMINATED CORRECTLY
MARKETED CORRECTLY
AUDIENCE INTERPRETS CORRECTLY
The journey to interesting and true
MEDIUM
COMPLEXITY
MATHEMATICALLY CORRECT
LENGTH
FOCUS
VISUALS
MARKETED CORRECTLY
DISSEMINATED CORRECTLY
AUDIENCE INTERPRETS CORRECTLY
Consider the Audience
MEDIUM
COMPLEXITY
MATHEMATICALLY CORRECT
LENGTH
FOCUS
VISUALS
MARKETED CORRECTLY
DISSEMINATED CORRECTLY
AUDIENCE INTERPRETS CORRECTLY
Consider the Content
MEDIUM
COMPLEXITY
MATHEMATICALLY CORRECT
LENGTH
FOCUS
VISUALS
MARKETED CORRECTLY
DISSEMINATED CORRECTLY
AUDIENCE INTERPRETS CORRECTLY
Consider the Marketing
MEDIUM
COMPLEXITY
MATHEMATICALLY CORRECT
LENGTH
FOCUS
VISUALS
MARKETED CORRECTLY
DISSEMINATED CORRECTLY
AUDIENCE INTERPRETS CORRECTLY
The journey to interesting and true
MEDIUM
COMPLEXITY
MATHEMATICALLY CORRECT
LENGTH
FOCUS
VISUALS
MARKETED CORRECTLY
DISSEMINATED CORRECTLY
AUDIENCE INTERPRETS CORRECTLY