The use of real world projects in introductory statistics courses has become common practice, and the advantages of active student participation in the learning process have been well documented. Involving students in small groups also addresses the problem of large class size and outcomes specified by the South African Qualifications Authority. However, finding a research topic that would generate common interest, and incorporates project management and experimentation, when students come from a variety of subject fields is a challenge. In the South African context diverse backgrounds and accommodation on/off campus also need to be considered. Although learning through play is not usually associated with teaching at tertiary level, feedback from third year Agricultural Science students has shown that project topics with a fun element not only enhance successful learning, but contribute to positive attitudes of students towards statistics.
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