1. update some of the statistical language for what the MSP's actually know 2. The fitLMER.fnc from library(LMERConvenienceFunctions) is a bit fragile, when you ask it to do everything. So have students do some version of * select fixed effects * select rand effects * select fixed effects by hand or nearly by hand... 3. try to get students to produce something gradeable without so much scaffolding that the students are just monkey-see-monkey-do'ing...