Journal Article

  • The paper reports on a two-year investigation into the feasibility of allocating three weeks of an undergraduate calculus-based probability course to statistics. This brief introduction to statistics would take the place of a course, thus constituting the students' only exposure to statistical science. At first glance, the request seemed quite reasonable. Statistical inference is based on probability, and statistical inference could be presented as an application of probability. Besides introducing some statistical concepts, it was hoped to enhance understanding of probability by highlighting this connection. However, it was not possible for the students to learn anything meaningful about statistical science in three weeks. In addition, any enhancements to the learning of probability were not significant enough to warrant the omission of material from that course.

  • Curriculum guidelines for a bachelor of arts degree in statistical science are proposed. These guidelines are intended for liberal arts colleges, and other institutions where statistics is taught in departments of mathematics. A flexible curriculum is described consisting of three main parts: mathematics, core statistical topics and a substantive area of study. The curriculum guidelines permit and actively encourage the rethinking of traditional courses and the development of new courses. Guidelines for a minor in statistical science are also proposed. The guidelines are the result of an Undergraduate Statistics Education Initiative workshop held in Alexandria, Virginia in April 2000.

  • We describe a Java applet that allows users to see and learn the fitting of regression models in a manner that is both visual and interactive, as well as consonant for linear and nonlinear models. In addition, this program familiarizes users with the fact that many different parameterizations exist for a single function, and it provides insight about the relationship between these models. Called Visual Fit, this program draws scatterplots of data and allows users to fit various nonlinear models to the data. The program can also provide least squares estimates or true population parameters for comparison with the estimates made by the user. We discuss what types of parameters can be represented in a visually obvious way and which cannot. Visual Fit may be useful for both introductory statistics classes and higher-level courses. Visual Fit is available at http://www.amstat.org/publications/jse/secure/v7n2/visualfit.html

  • Given the emphasis on utilizing the computer in many statistics courses, we discuss how we have implemented microcomputer task based testing in our courses. Background information is provided about a required, undergraduate, multiple section course, and why we believe computer-based testing is an effective evaluation instrument. Issues of examination design, administration, and evaluation are presented. Examples of problems used in computer-based exams are also included.

  • In this second paper of a series, two programs for EGA-equipped IBM-PC compatible machines are included with indications of their pedagogical uses in the teaching of elementary probability and statistics. Concepts illustrated include the coefficient of correlation, the expectation of a discrete distribution, the concept of a fair game, and the hypergeometric distribution. Three datasets useful for illustrating correlation are also documented and appended.

  • The aim of this paper is to draw to the attention of statisticians teaching business students three substantial computer simulations, the single objective of which is profit maximization. It is believed that in pursuing this purely business objective, students gain a better understanding of the need for and utility of statistical methods for research, analysis, and forecasting. The full text of these simulations and the associated computer programs, teaching notes, and sample student responses may be freely downloaded and used for classroom purposes.

  • Advances in technology coupled with increasing student enrollment numbers have led some universities to begin offering on-line classes. This paper discusses a study comparing a traditional offering of elementary statistics with a "hybrid" offering. In the hybrid offering the class met once a week, but students were required to learn the material on their own using web-based materials and a textbook. We examined differences in student performance, student satisfaction and investment of both student and instructor time. Performance of students in the hybrid offering equaled that of the traditional students, but students in the hybrid were slightly less positive in their subjective evaluation of the course.

  • The advent of electronic communication between students and teachers facilitates a number of new techniques in the teaching of statistics. This article presents the author's experiences with providing each student in a large, multi-section class with a unique dataset for homework and in-class exercises throughout the semester. Each student's sample is pseudo-randomly generated from the same underlying distribution (in the case of hypothesis tests and confidence intervals involving ), or the same underlying linear relationship (in the case of simple linear regression). This approach initially leads students to identify with their individual summary statistics, test results, and fitted models, as "the answer" they would have come up with in an applied setting, while subsequently forcing them to recognize their answers as representing a single observation from some larger sampling distribution.

  • In this report, the method of free recall is put forward as a tool to evaluate a prototypical statistical learning environment. A number of students from the faculty of Health Sciences, Maastricht University, the Netherlands, were required to write down whatever they could remember of a statistics course in which they had participated. By means of examining the free recall protocols of the participants, insight can be obtained into the mental representations they had formed with respect to three statistical concepts. Quantitative as well as qualitative analyses of the free recall protocols showed that the effect of the constructive learning environment was not in line with the expectations. Despite small-group discussions on the statistical concepts, students appeared to have disappointingly low levels of conceptual understanding.

  • This article presents the use of an interesting consulting problem as a practical exercise for a basic course in statistics for engineering students. The consulting problem considered is the estimation of the reliability of the Spanish power generating system. We have used this problem to illustrate the distribution of sums of random variables, the central limit theorem and its limitations, and other issues. We have also designed a practical exercise to show the students the use of Monte Carlo simulation to solve part of the statistical problem.

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