A Better Way to Learn Applied Statistics, Got Zat? (Part 2)

In the second semester of grad school, I remember sitting in a Statistical Inference class watching a very Russian sounding instructor fast forward through an overhead projected PDF document filled with numbered equations and occasionally making comments like: “Vell, ve take zis eqazion on ze top and ve substitude it on ze butom, and zen it verk out.  Do you see zat ?”  I did not see zat.  I don’t think many people saw zat.

In case I come off as an intolerant immigrant hater, let me assure you that as an immigrant from the former Soviet block, I have all due respect for the very bright Russian and non-Russian scientists who came to the United States to seek intellectual and other freedoms.  But this post is not about immigration, which incidentally is in need of serious reform.  This is about an important subject, which on average is not being taught very well.

This is hardly news, but many courses in Statistics are being taught by very talented statisticians who have no aptitude or interest in the teaching method. But poor instructors are not the only problem.  These courses are part of an institution, an institution that is no longer in the business of providing education.  Universities predominantly sell accreditation to students, and research to (mostly) the federal government.  While I believe that government-sponsored research should be a foundation of modern society, it does not have to be delivered within the confines of a teaching institution.  And a university diploma, even from a top school (i.e. accreditation), is at best a proxy for your knowledge and capabilities.  For example, if you are a software engineer, Stack Overflow and GitHub provide much more direct evidence of your abilities.

With the cost of higher education skyrocketing, it is reasonable to ask if the traditional university education is still relevant?  I am not sure about medicine, but in statistics, the answer is a resounding ‘No.’  Unless you want to be a professor.  But chances are you will not be a professor, even if you get your coveted Ph.D.

So for all of you aspiring Data Geeks, I put together a table outlining Online Classes, Books, and Community and Q&A Sites that completely bypass the traditional channels. And if you really want to go to school, most Universities will allow you to audit classes, so that is always an option. Got Zat?