Task 3: Assessing students’ information competencies

The requirement of the current task is to assess STA 151 coursework assignment and to determine to what extent it offers opportunities for authentic development of students’ information competencies.

A. Description of the task: What are students required to do?

In STA 151 various assignments are formulated as exercises; therefore, the current task is a selected exercise.

A family desires to have 5 children. The probability that a child being born boy and girl is 0.5 and if it is assumed that the presence of twins’ is excluded:

1.1  Find the suitable distribution between binomial and Poisson. Justify your answer.

1.2  Draw the tree diagram to determine all outcomes and probabilities.

1.3  Suppose X is a random variable that indicates the number of boys, determine the probability distribution of X by using binomial distribution.

B. What are the primary learning outcomes that are assessed through this assignment?

 The primary learning outcomes that are assessed through this assignment are:

To check the level of understanding and comprehension of students towards the application of binomial and Poisson distributions;

To draw the tree diagram and to determine all possible outcomes and probabilities;

To determine and describe the random variable X;

To apply the binomial distribution and to determine the probability distribution of X.

C. Consider whether students are given clear guidance in respect of information sources to be used

In respect of information sources to be used by students, it should be noted that the module has the Course Reader and this course reader serves as guidance for students. In addition, besides the course reader, others sources were recommended to students like statistics books and internet.

D. Is there any recognition of the underpinning information tasks and skills that may be necessary to fulfill the assignment? Is provision made for supporting students in these?

Through the Course Reader and any other statistics books, students should be able to find the rules that underpin the binomial distribution. These rules include the independence of trials, the number of trials is n and it is fixed, each trial outcome is classified as success or a failure, k as a number of desired success is supposed to be greater or equal than the number of trials and p is the probability of success for each trial and p remains the same for each trial. Hence, students are initiated to the experiment that requires the application of binomial distribution and find the probabilities. The Course Reader also provides the rules of Poisson distribution.  Further, the Course Reader indicates the similarities between Poisson and binomial such as independence of trials, each trial outcome is classified as success or a failure and difference such as the number of trials which is n, is fixed for binomial but it is not for Poisson, where the trials come in recurrent intervals.  

E. Is this specified as part of the criteria for performing the task, and awarded credit?

Definitely yes, any task given to the students is to check their level of understanding, application and to award them with marks. This assignment was marked on 20 marks and the marks were added to cum marks for the all module.  

F. How could this assignment be re-designed to explicitly build and recognize students’ information literacy competencies?

Given we had chance to mark the assignment; it was identify the mistakes that students have made and the prerequisite necessary in order to achieve the assignment. The assignment should be re-designed into two different questions.

Question 1

1.1 List the conditions to apply the binomial distribution.

1.2 What is the difference between binomial and Poisson Distributions?

Question 2

A family desire to have 5 children. The probability that a child being born boy and girl is 0.5 and if it is considered that they are no twins’ case taking in account:

2.1  Between binomial and Poisson distribution which is the most appropriate and justify your answer.

2.2  Draw the tree diagram to determine the all outcomes and probabilities.

2.3  Suppose X is a random variable that indicates the number of boys, determine the probability distribution of X by using binomial distribution.