ABSTRACT
As citizens of the 21st century, we live in a data rich world. It would be hard to find someone who has not heard of or, more likely, participated in at least some sort of opinion poll. Do you like this candidate or that one? Do you like this cola or that one? Do you like this restaurant or that one? On and on, we are inundated with questions, percentages, circle graphs, bar graphs, and a myriad of other data bits when we watch the news on television, listen to the radio, or even talk with friends. You do a course evaluation survey at the end of each class; you are asked for input about the course’s usefulness, knowledge gained, and your instructor’s presentation clarity, availability, and concern for you. The data center
people analyze the responses and provide a summary to your instructor, who then uses the information to improve the course for future students.
