The virtual consulting company: Teaching statistical consulting through simulated experience

Training students to become effective consultants is an important goal of statistical education. The pedagogical models include drop‐in consulting, workshops, long‐term projects and theory‐based courses based on case studies. This study performs a comparison of the curricular designs. We then introduce a virtual model for a statistical consulting course based on simulated experience. The virtual model creates a semester‐long simulation with the roles of consultants, managers and clients adopted by members of the class. The course includes classroom instruction on the technical skills and styles of communication that can facilitate collaborations. The students complete a series of consulting projects for a range of virtual clients. This study demonstrates the benefits of the virtual model of teaching statistical consulting. The simulation allows students to gain experience in collaborations without a dependence on external clients. The consulting projects allow for full development of statistical investigations, communication with a range of stakeholders and opportunities to present proposals to clients. With a designed curriculum, the consulting experience and lessons of the course are more repeatable and uniform across the students. As a result, the virtual model is a promising alternative to the other curricular models for statistical consulting.