Experience from an AI-Assisted Online Basic Biostatistics Course Using R for Master of Public Health Students – A Pilot Study from the Bahá’í Institute for Higher Education (BIHE), Iran

Abstract

Access to higher education is a human right and central to SDGs 4, 5, and 10. In Iran, Bahá'ís have long faced systematic exclusion from formal higher education, leading to the creation of the Bahá'í Institute for Higher Education (BIHE). We describe a pilot fully online, generative AI-assisted basic biostatistics course using R for eight Master of Public Health students at BIHE. Delivered synchronously from October 2025 to January 2026, the course used project-based learning as the main assessment method. Each student completed an individual applied project based on a unique GenAI-generated dummy dataset to protect privacy. Most students had no prior experience in programming or biostatistics, yet all were able to apply key concepts and make steady progress. Students reported that GenAI supported learning by clarifying concepts, assisting with R questions, identifying packages, and resolving coding errors. With structured instructional support, this approach appears feasible for strengthening analytical capacity and promoting equitable access to higher education in vulnerable educational settings.

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