chelc

Misrepresentation of Graphs

Step 1: Insert image of the graph you evaluated.

Step 2: Answer the following questions concerning the image you inserted.

1. What are your first thoughts (first impression) looking at the graph?

2. What do you think the presenter of the graph is trying to make you think?

3. Identify at least two potential misrepresentations in the statistical graph.

4. Briefly explain the potential misrepresentations and justify why you think they might be misunderstood.

Example Graph 3: The Diminishing Financial Return of Higher Education

Answer the following questions:

1. What are your first thoughts looking at this graphic?

2. What do you think the presenter of this graph wants you to think?

3. What is the source of the data presented in this graph?

4. What else would it be helpful to know to better understand the graph?

5. In what ways can this information be wrong or misleading?

6. What does this graph make you think will happen in the future?

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Example Graph 3: The Diminishing Financial Return of Higher Education

Questions that might be asked

1. What are your first thoughts looking at this graphic?

2. What do you think the presenter of this graph wants you to think?

3. What else would it be helpful to know in order to better understand the graph?

4. What does this graph make you think will happen in the future?

Questions with pretend student answers

1. What are your first thoughts looking at this graphic?

a. College tuition is going up and up while potential earnings are pretty much staying the same

2. What do you think the presenter of this graph wants you to think?

a. They want me to think that I shouldn’t get a degree. It’s a waste of money because it costs a lot and I can’t make more money.

3. What else would it be helpful to know in order to better understand the graph?

a. Which schools are included in this? Is Valencia included since Valencia only offers a few 4 year degrees? Are only certain majors included? Are these public or private schools? Are the degree earnings for certain jobs only? Did they get an answer at one point and keep it or average it over a career?

4. What does this graph make you think will happen in the future?

a. College will continue to get more expensive and the ability to make money will stay the same.

What the professor would say to finish reviewing the graph

While this information might be right for whatever schools or majors were included, the two lines represent two very different types of things. College tuition is something you pay over a span of time, but you only pay it once.  A salary is something you then make yearly for the rest of your career and it can change.  This graph looks like things will only get worse and you shouldn't get a degree, but what they don't show you is what earnings look like without the degree.  Over a lifetime, a person with a degree would make an average of $1.84 million where a person without a degree would make on average $1.3 million.  That's about a half a million dollar difference over a lifetime!  We also don't know which schools are included here or what degrees so it's hard to get perspective on who this applies to.