Assignment Overview
In this capstone project, you’ll demonstrate your ability to leverage your full range of statistical and analytical skills to solve a real-world problem, either in a business or healthcare context. This assessment will showcase your capability to frame statistical problems, conduct rigorous data analysis using Excel, and communicate your findings clearly and persuasively to guide decision-making.
Assignment Objectives
- Evaluate a real-world problem to determine its suitability for statistical analysis (CLO1).
- Design an appropriate hypothesis and testing plan (CLO4).
- Utilize Excel to collect, analyze, and present descriptive, inferential, or predictive statistical data (CLO3).
- Analyze results from statistical analyses comprehensively (CLO5).
- Recommend actionable and justified resolutions based on statistical findings (CLO2 & CLO6).
Task Description
Choose one of the following two scenarios based on your professional interests:
Scenario 1: Business Management Context Your company, a retail chain, is experiencing fluctuating customer satisfaction ratings across various regions. Upper management is concerned about inconsistent customer experience affecting long-term brand reputation and profitability. You are tasked with statistically analyzing customer satisfaction data, sales trends, and regional demographics to identify key problem areas and opportunities for strategic improvement.
Scenario 2: Healthcare Management Context Your healthcare facility is experiencing increasing patient wait times and inconsistent patient satisfaction scores across different departments. Senior management is concerned about the implications for patient care quality and overall operational efficiency. You are tasked with analyzing patient flow data, staffing patterns, and patient feedback surveys to identify underlying causes and recommend evidence-based operational improvements.
Steps for Completion
Step 1: Problem Framing (CLO1)
- Clearly describe and frame your chosen scenario as a statistical problem.
- Explain why the issue is suitable for statistical analysis, outlining the types of data required and potential outcomes.
Step 2: Hypothesis and Testing Plan (CLO4)
- Formulate specific, testable hypotheses related to your scenario.
- Identify appropriate statistical tests and methods suitable for evaluating these hypotheses.
- Clearly justify why these tests and methods are appropriate based on your data and objectives.
Step 3: Data Analysis and Visualization (CLO3 & CLO5)
- Utilize Excel to perform comprehensive data analysis (descriptive statistics, inferential tests, regression analyses, etc.).
- Prepare clear and accurate visuals (charts, graphs, dashboards) to effectively illustrate your analytical results.
- Provide insightful interpretations of your findings.
Step 4: Recommendations and Strategic Decisions (CLO2 & CLO6)
- Based on your analysis, formulate clear, practical, and actionable recommendations.
- Clearly align each recommendation with specific statistical evidence from your analysis.
- Discuss how your recommendations will practically address the identified problems and support strategic organizational decisions.
Submission Format (Choose One)
- Formal Business-Style Report:
- 3–5 pages, professionally formatted with embedded visuals (charts, graphs, dashboards).
- Clearly organized into sections: Introduction, Methods, Results & Interpretation, Recommendations, and Conclusion.
OR
- Recorded Presentation:
- 5–7 minutes with voice-over narration of visual slides.
- Organized clearly into slides covering: Introduction, Methods, Results & Interpretation, Recommendations, and Conclusion.
|
Criteria |
Exemplary |
Proficient |
Developing |
Needs |
Not |
Criterion |
|
Problem Framing |
50 points Clearly |
30 points Explicitly |
15 points Clearly |
10 points Vague or |
5 points No submission |
Score of / 50 |
|
Hypothesis and |
50 points Explicitly and |
30 points Explicitly |
18 points Clearly |
12 points Unclear or |
6 points No submission |
Score of / 50 |
|
Data Analysis |
40 points Clearly |
28 points Clearly |
21 points Clearly |
14 points Vague, unclear, |
7 points No submission |
Score of Data / 40 |
|
Recommendations |
30 points Clearly and |
24 points Explicitly |
18 points Clearly |
12 points Recommendations |
6 points No submission |
Score of / 30 |
|
Professional |
15 points Submission |
12 points Submission |
9 points Submission |
6 points Unclear or |
3 points No submission |
Score of / 15 |
|
Skills |
15 points The student skillfully and (15 pts) |
12 points The student applies relevant skills (12 pts) |
9 points The student applies relevant skills (9 pts) |
6 points The student attempts to apply (6 pts.) |