In general medical students do not have or aim at a deeper understanding of statistics. Nevertheless some knowledge of basic statistical reasoning and methodology is indispensable to apprehend the meaning of results of scientific studies published in medical journals. Also, some familiarity with the correct interpretation of probability statements concerning medical tests is crucial for physicians.
In order to supplement our regular statistics classes at the medical faculty we started to develop an online system providing a pool of assignments. Each student gets an individual assignment with a modified data set, asking therefore for a slightly different solution. This enables the system to verify the student’s personal achievement and a data base may keep record of his/her performance.
Our system utilizes OpenCPU installed on a Linux server. The front-end is developed with HTML and JavaScript, while the back-end involves R and MySQL.
The state of the development, the problems, and the students response will be presented.