A unique probability and statistics course for undergraduate engineering students

The Ohio Northern University College of Engineering is teaching a course in probability and statistics which has been an integral part of the undergraduate engineering program for nearly 20 years. The basic concepts of probability and statistics which are essential to engineers are taught in a three-credit-hour one-quarter course. The course emphasizes applications of principles of data analysis and decision making and is taught with minimal discussion of theoretical concepts, except when students ask why. In recent years the course has been modified to include practice-oriented problems and computer use. The statistical package Minitab is used for manipulation and analysis of data collected during experimentation or observation. The authors discuss course objectives, assignments, increased computer usage, and student response to the course