Conference Paper

  • Previous misconceptions about science may cause difficulties in the interpretation of scientific models. A Likert scale test was made and presented to part of the population in order to find out beliefs about science and technology that students who wanted to have a degree in engineering at Universidad Nacional de La Matanza had. Principal components analysis was performed to identify the testees' profile. We show the results referring to the beliefs and conceptions about probability, margin for error, accuracy, certainty, truth and validity. Although most of the people who answered the survey acknowledged the presence of probability in the results of a physical experiment, they also gave it accuracy and truth values which are not inherent. It is also remarkable that only a very low percentage has a posture that is coherent with the scientific vision of the terms.

  • We have developed a web-based tool, called e-status, that is able to generate individually different statistical or mathematical problems and to correct the students´ answers. The tool is well appreciated by the students since it is available anywhere and anytime. This ability allows the weaker students to practice the concepts as needed, without obstructing the progress of the more advanced students. Although the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) is widely extended in undergraduate education, there are few studies evaluating the effectiveness of learning methods based on ICTs. In this work, the authors propose a blinded randomized trial to assess the e-status effects on improving average exam rating on dentistry students. The data results will be available by February 2006.

  • The aim of the paper is to analyse the results of a performance test, created to evaluate how well a group of middle school pupils learned statistics, using multilevel analysis. The results show the importance of the classroom/teacher and the school on the learning process.

  • Training in statistics at university should be informed at least in part by what graduates will have to do with acquired statistical knowledge after graduation. A sample of 977 employed graduates with PhD and Masters degrees in seven specialties with statistics pre-requisites at university identifies which of 46 statistics based techniques (the items) they use in their work. A two parameter item response model uses 32 of the 46 items to build a scale measuring the extent of statistics use in the workplace and creates a value for each graduate which is used to summarize differences between the use of statistics in the seven specialties. Implications for syllabus construction to better prepare graduates for the workplace are discussed.

  • The following three probabilities seem crucial when interpreting data, especially in the behavioral sciences:1) the probability that an effect is present in the population, 2) the probability that a replication is significant; and 3) the probability that the effect for a single individual in the population is in the expected direction. In our study, we asked 51 subjects (university students and lecturers in psychology) to estimate these probabilities after reading a short description of a hypothetical experiment with as outcomes only p-value and sample size given. Large variations in estimated probabilities were found. However estimates of the probabilities tended to increase as a positive function of sample size for a fixed p-value. Simulation studies show that , assuming a uniform prior distribution for the parameter, this turns out to be incorrect for all three probabilities.

  • This study concentrates on the analysis of responses to a questionnaire given to a sample of University Students in Portugal that concerns the teaching/learning of Statistics and Data Analysis. We first focus on the effectiveness of teaching Quantitative Methods at secondary level as regards increasing performance in the Introductory Statistical Course (ISC) at University level. The second question is related to the students' feelings towards Mathematics and whether these feelings imply a difference in students' performance on statistics. Even when results cannot be generalised, since the study is limited to our context, the data analysed suggest the need to rethink the goals of teaching statistics at secondary school level, at least in our context.

  • Situations, in which data form the basis of decisions, are abundant. The paper illustrates some concepts involved like "the correlation coefficient" and how it measures the degree of connections between several variables, or "remaining risk" and how it is possible to draw general statements from restricted data. To embed such notions in concrete manipulations of data and easily accessible diagrams facilitates understanding of statistics. The ideas may be worked out with the help of any spreadsheet, here EXCEL is used.

  • The aim of this paper is to present the concept of an 'instrumental' obstacle. In French agricultural education, the spreadsheet is often used as a tool or "artefact" in statistics teaching. Some obstacles to learning appear due to the use of this instrument. Difficulties appear during the learning of analysis of variance by students, who are not trained mathematicians. The concept of average however, which might have been regarded as unproblematic, caused surprising difficulties during one step in the algorithm for analysis of variance. The notion of 'instrumental' obstacle seems to be pertinent in order to analyse this phenomenon. This kind of obstacle is different from those presented by the internal constraints of the artefact. This study confirms that students have yet some problems with the notion of average, but that with spreadsheet use they become aware of this difficulty.

  • We describe this NSF-funded project to develop a two-course sequence that introduces post-calculus students to statistcal concepts, methods, and theory. These courses provide a more balanced introduction to the discipline of statistics than the standard sequence in probability and mathematical statistics. The materials incorporate many features of successful statistics education projects that target less mathematically prepared students. Such features include developing students' conceptual understanding of fundamental ideas, promoting student explorations through hands-on activities, analyzing genuine data drawn from a variety of fields of application, and integrating computer tools both to enhance students' learning and to analyze data efficiently. Our proposed introductory course differes by utilizing students' calculus knowledge and mathematical abilities to explore some of the mathematical framework underlying statistical concepts and methods. Distinguishing the second course is the use of simulation, computer graphics, and genuine problems and data to motivate and illustrate statistical theory. In this presentation, we outline the goals, content, and pedagogy of this sequence. We also present examples of student activities from both courses.

  • We describe our experiences with developing and teaching a new introductory statistics course for prospective teachers of secondary mathematics. The course emphasizes statistical concepts through their applications in the context of recent scientific studies, and it uses an interactive technology-enhanced pedagogical approach that models recommended practice for teachers. A concurrent seminar course introduces students to seminal articles and research findings in statistics education, and encourages them to reflect on their learning experiences in the course as a way to prepare for their own teaching of statistics. Feedback and evaluation from students will be discussed.

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