Innovation

Helping third-level students and academic researchers conquer statistics anxiety

New Innovator: Sunny Numbers provides an affordable e-learning course to those who struggle with crunching stats

Ceidi Hearn, co-founder of Sunny Numbers: 'Our goal is to reduce cognitive load and increase learning retention by offering easy to absorb bite-sized knowledge in a stress-free learning environment.'

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Olive Keogh
Thu Oct 13 2022 - 05:45

Statistics anxiety is a very real and uncomfortable phenomenon affecting about 80 per cent of college students. “What this means in practice is that these students have severe difficulties conducting the statistical analysis required for their courses and research theses. And if they fail the statistics modules, they are at risk of dropping out and never graduating,” explains Cleidi Hearn, co-founder of e-learning platform Sunny Numbers, which is designed to help people conquer their numerical demons.

“Statistics are a mandatory part of around 6 per cent of undergraduate courses and, while you’d expect this in life sciences or business courses, a lot of students don’t seem to be aware that there is also a statistics component in courses such as social science and applied psychology,” Hearn adds. “The statistical element catches them by surprise and things quickly becomes very stressful if they have had a bad experience with maths in the past.

“Sunny Numbers is addressing this problem by providing easy to follow training for individuals struggling with statistical analysis. Our main customer groups will be undergraduates, graduate students and academic researchers.”

Hearn set up Sunny Numbers with husband Chris in 2020 when she was in her final year studying applied psychology at University College Cork. Originally from Brazil, she worked as a teacher before moving to Ireland in 2015. However, curriculum differences between the two countries meant she couldn’t continue teaching secondary school here.

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“I had to start from zero professionally which was a very humbling lesson,” she says. “Also, as a non-European immigrant, I had to wait a few years as an Irish resident before being able to return to higher education to retrain.”

While studying at UCC, Hearn (a self-confessed numbers nut) became aware of the stress her fellow students were experiencing when it came to crunching stats. To help, she set up a free support hub where they could go for assistance.

“In general people won’t ask questions in class because they don’t want to be judged or embarrassed in front of their lecturer or classmates if they don’t understand something. But they will ask if it’s private and we had over 100 students logging on for help,” Hearn says.

Hearn’s final-year project at UCC was a study of statistics anxiety and, during her research, she established that well-designed e-learning interventions could minimise the stress students felt while learning maths and statistics. “There are many factors that may cause statistics anxiety and research has suggested that it is not merely the product of lack of learning resources, insufficient training or level of cognitive ability. It can also be caused by students’ misconceptions about statistics and negative experiences with learning in the past,” Hearn says.

Hearn took part in a student entrepreneurship programme at UCC to look at how she could turn her research and fledgling idea for Sunny Numbers into a business proposition. What has since been developed is a data skills e-learning platform that uses microlearning, gamification and interactive content to translate complex content into an easy to grasp format.

“Our goal is to reduce cognitive load and increase learning retention by offering easy to absorb bite-sized knowledge in a stress-free learning environment that is inclusive, welcoming and empathetic to the challenges learners face while acquiring complex analytical skills,” Hearn says.

Hearn has bootstrapped the development of Sunny Numbers at about €30,000 in hard cash with support from the Student Inc entrepreneurship programme, Local Enterprise Office Cork City and the Ignite programme at UCC.

The company’s launch product, a statistical analysis course for beginners, has just been released with the cost of participation kept deliberately low at €40 as Hearn is passionate about cash-strapped students being able to afford it. The company’s courses will travel and are aimed at the global academic market.