I am looking for a good problem about data sets. Something along the lines of having to crtically look at a large chart of numbers and glean the appropriate ones. Make sense?
Certainly! One example of a problem involving the analysis of a large dataset could be finding outliers. Outliers are data points that significantly deviate from the majority of the dataset. Here's how you can create such a problem and evaluate it:
1. Choose a large dataset: Start by selecting a dataset from a reliable source, like a government database or a scientific study. Ensure that the dataset contains a substantial number of numerical values.
2. Identify the outliers: Analyze the dataset and identify a few potential outliers. These can be instances where the values are unusually high or low compared to the rest of the data.
3. Develop a problem scenario: Create a story or situation around the dataset to give context to the problem. For example, imagine a scenario where you are investigating the health and well-being of a group of individuals. The dataset you have includes their weight measurements.
4. Pose the problem: Present the problem to the individuals tasked with analyzing the data. Explain that they need to identify any potential outliers in the dataset and provide a justification for each identified outlier.
5. Provide guidance on identification methods: Give some guidance on how to identify outliers, such as using statistical measures like the interquartile range (IQR) or Z-scores. Explain that the individuals should critically examine the dataset, looking for values that significantly differ from the majority.
6. Evaluate the responses: Collect the responses from the individuals and evaluate their analysis. Look for those who correctly identified the outliers and provided a valid justification based on the statistical measures or critical examination of the dataset.
By creating a problem that involves critically analyzing a large dataset and identifying outliers, you can challenge individuals to develop their data analysis skills and think critically about the numbers presented to them.