Enhancing Learning About Epidemiological Data Analysis Using R for Graduate Students in Medical Fields With Jupyter Notebook: Classroom Action Research

Abstract

Background Graduate students in medical fields must learn about epidemiology and data analysis to conduct their research. R is a software environment used to develop and run packages for statistical analysis; it can be challenging for students to learn because of compatibility with their computers and problems with package installations. Jupyter Notebook was used to run R, which enhanced the graduate students’ ability to learn epidemiological data analysis by providing an interactive and collaborative environment that allows for more efficient and effective learning. Objective This study collected class reflections from students and their lecturer in the class “Longitudinal Data Analysis Using R,” identified problems that occurred, and illustrated how Jupyter Notebook can solve those problems. Methods The researcher analyzed issues encountered in the previous class and devised solutions using Jupyter Notebook. These solutions were then implemented and applied to a new group of students. Reflections from the students were regularly collected and documented in an electronic form. The comments were then thematically analyzed and compared to those of the prior cohort. Results Improvements that were identified included the ease of using Jupyter R for data analysis without needing to install packages, increased student questioning due to curiosity, and students having the ability to immediately use all code functions. After using Jupyter Notebook, the lecturer could stimulate interest more effectively and challenge students. Furthermore, they highlighted that students responded to questions. The student feedback shows that learning R with Jupyter Notebook was effective in stimulating their interest. Based on the feedback received, it can be inferred that using Jupyter Notebook to learn R is an effective approach for equipping students with an all-encompassing comprehension of longitudinal data analysis. Conclusions The use of Jupyter Notebook can improve graduate students’ learning experience for epidemiological data analysis by providing an interactive and collaborative environment that is not affected by compatibility issues with different operating systems and computers.