Using R Shiny to Visualize Statistical Functions

The R Shiny Parametric Hypothesis Testing tool, shown above, is used in METEO 815 to help the students understand the complicated statistical mathematics behind hypothesis formation and testing. The lesson materials provide the mathematical equations used for hypothesis testing and include a few static images to help illustrate the process. The use of the R Shiny tool takes the lesson to another level by providing students the ability to manipulate several different parameters involved in the hypothesis test and to visualize how those parameters affect the decision to accept or reject a null hypothesis.

The R Shiny Number of Samples tool, shown above, is used in METEO 815 to help students visualize the relationship of basic statistical concepts like sample size, frequency, range, and mean. The student can adjust the number of samples used to create the histogram. The students should notice that as the number of samples increases, the mean estimate moves closer to the true mean. The students should also see that as the sample size increases, the range estimate is more likely to increase because, as we sample more, we increase the likelihood of sampling the extreme part of the population (the tails of the frequency histogram).