What are Probability Clinics and Why?
Conducting Probability Clinics is our way to bridge the proficiency in the mechanics of probabilistic analysis to actually modeling and solving real world problems. In our experience of teaching applied probabilistic analysis for ten plus years, excellence in the mechanics of manipulating probabilistic quantities does not necessarily translate into the ability to frame a real world problem. The mechanical nature of text book type problems does not help to stimulate student interest beyond the classroom environment.
Probability Clinics will be conducted throughout the quarter. Each clinic will cover selected topics which are drawn from our daily experiences and/or that they match student interests. They will generally be structured to achieve the following objectives:
The following table contains selected topics for Probability Clinics. Most of them are covered to some extent in the text book. The clinics will include "war stories", anecdotes, extensions and related concepts. Many of the problems first appeared as student projects, later expanded and sometimes corrected. We want to interest the students in appreciating the probabilistic environment around them: open your eyes and make sense of uncertainty. Talk to your friends, talk to your family about the clinics. When you start sharing with people outside of the class, we know we have done something right.
Sample Probability Clinics: