Is it worth studying, does winter affect the number of accidents, what are the secrets of dog adoption – these are some of the questions that students from our Faculty tried to answer as part of the course "Methods of data analysis and extraction" run by Dr. Agata Migalska from the Department of Control Systems and Mechatronics. They presented the results of their work in the form of posters which can be viewed at Technopolis.

That's the dog I want!

Altogether, there are ten posters. In the one describing dog adoption from shelters, students showed their analyses of how factors such as breed popularity, age, gender, and neutering affect the likelihood of a dog being adopted.

– The students found this topic important because it has an emotional impact on us. This is a well-designed poster because one of the students hand-drew the illustrations. The posters allow students to show not only their analytical but also graphic skills – emphasises Dr. Agata Migalska.

The results indicate that Gordon Setters and dogs with black coats are most likely to be adopted.

Students also examined, among other things, whether a country's GDP affects our mental health, as well as what the condition of the housing market in Wrocław is and what influences housing prices.

One of the posters documents research on whether winter road conditions lead to a higher number of accidents. It turned out that traffic accidents occur more frequently in the summer. The increased numbers are apparently affected by holiday trips and the general hurry. In winter, we drive more slowly and cautiously.

To study or not to study?

Another poster seeks to explain whether it is worth studying or not. Its authors examined how graduating from a university affects earnings. The task was possible owing to the ZUS (National Social Security Institution) database.

– It contains information about how much graduates earn. Which universities they come from, what they studied. Whether part-time or full-time. The main focus was on computer science and automation. Students examined how it compares to the median earnings in the country. It appears that it's still worthwhile to study – says Dr. Migalska.  

Not to be kept in the drawer

The posters were prepared by fifth-year students of Information Technology in Automation Systems. This is how they credited the course "Methods of data analysis and extraction" taught by Dr. Agata Migalska.

– We were inspired by other posters that can be found at the university. We figured that we also undertake interesting projects, so why not present them in this format – says the teacher.  

Dr. Migalska explains that the students worked in groups of 2-3 people. They chose the topics themselves. Their task was to analyse a problem or phenomena occurring around us, find data on the subject, and attempt to answer the posed question. They did not conduct experiments themselves, nor did they collect data in surveys.

– In posters, you can show the results of your work on the forum, rather than just saving them on a disk or hiding them in a drawer. This form of course crediting was first introduced last year. Some people were terrified, but most were excited. This is a new way to self-present. Ultimately, the students were satisfied – says Dr. Migalska.

The student poster exhibition can be viewed on the first floor of Technopolis. See you there!