Proceedings

  • Here is the description of a presentation of probability-statistics science to 10 years old children. This pedagogical experiment is based on a reasoning with images rather than direct simulations and can be divided into 7 parts:<br><br>1. Demonstrating continuity with what they already knew in math.<br>2. Showing with easy graph theory that a drawing can be math.<br>3. Presenting the basis of Boolean algebra thanks to our Boolean Bingo.<br>4. Introducing measurement theory on areas, using generalized Venn diagrams.<br>5. Throwing 3 coins and analysing the results.<br>6. Throwing 2 dice and analysing the results.<br>7. Using their great new ability to win chewing gums, images, sweets, or cookies while playing simple dice or coins games with other children.

  • A main point to assure the future of statistics education research is the training of researchers through the Master's and Doctoral Programmes. Since in the majority of countries there are no specific departments of Statistics Education, this training is carried out from Mathematics Education, Statistics, Education, Psychology and other related departments, and even there starting a line of research in statistics education is not an easy task, due to the lack of trained supervisors, specific bibliography and funds. In this presentation I will describe the experience of starting the first Doctoral Programme in Mathematics Education at the University of Granada, and developing there a research group in statistics education. The contents of the Doctoral Programme will be analysed as a first step to establish what an ideal programme for training future researchers in statistics education would be.

  • The World Wide Web and the JAVA programming environment provide a framework for developing and delivering didactic tools for use in statistics teaching. This paper describes VESTAC, a collection of such tools aimed at the visualization of a number of statistical concepts and allowing the user to experiment with them interactively. The collection is freely accessible over the web and covers selected topics from the following areas: distributions and plots, tests and confidence intervals, regression and analysis of variance.

  • Computer-based teaching material must contain animation or interaction to offer substantial benefits over delivery on paper. Technology developed for use in web browsers - especially Java and JavaScript - makes it relatively easy to add interactive diagrams to web pages. The object-oriented nature of Java is well suited to developing a large collection of interactive diagrams (applets) for teaching statistical concepts. Many useful statistical objects, behaviours and displays are shared by the applets so their implementation is relatively easy in Java. By designing all applets together as a single collection of linked classes, a resource with hundreds of applets can be created in which interaction plays a major role in teaching all concepts. CAST is used to demonstrate that a complete introductory statistics course with over 330 interactive diagrams can be developed using this technology in a fairly short time.

  • The present paper describes a prototypical multimedia catalogue for Statistics. The catalogue represents a user-friendly organized database containing a collection of self-contained Java applets and multimedia components. It is a powerful tool which offers the option to jointly use and re-use catalogue elements across national borders and to interconnect formerly unrelated multimedia developments through sharing. In view of the costs of producing high-quality multimedia components, the systematic exchange of such modules is economically a necessity. The scope and flexibility of the approach and its suitability as a starting point for intensified international cooperation is illustrated by means of Java applets and multimedia elements originating from different environments and different content providers.

  • Marasinghe, Meeker, Cook, and Shin (1996) used graphical and simulation techniques to construct a system of computer-based modules for teaching statistical concepts. The software component of these modules consisted of a computer program written in LISP-STAT incorporating a highly interactive user interface. The instructional component is set of a prototype lessons providing information to instructors such as a description of concepts that may be illustrated with the program and possible exercises. Since then, the addition of several new modules have enhanced the usefulness of the system. In this paper we illustrate several of these modules useful for teaching concepts as different from how sample size and confidence level affects the width and coverage of confidence intervals to how variability affects precision of experimental results.

  • In survey research, sub optimal sampling methods or formats of the questions asked can result in biased data, and so in poor results. Teaching this topic is hard because students can only "believe" the teacher and try to understand why and how biases can occur and contaminate the data. This paper introduces a new generic electronic learning environment that gives students hands-on experience with how their methodological choices affect the data. The learning environment consists of three modules. In the population module, the teacher defines a population. In the sampling module, the student can apply different sampling plans. In the survey module, the student can design a questionnaire and actually execute the survey. The resulting data file can be analyzed and compared to the population data. It is concluded that hands-on experience in a problem-based approach can support a deep understanding of several types of sampling errors and response biases.

  • Different kinds of data are used in teaching statistics. In applied statistics courses we usually use real life data related to the main subject matter of our students. Such data are interesting for students and motivate final interpretation of statistical results. For demonstration of statistical concepts, computer simulated data with known statistical properties can be used. The advantage of such data is that results of analysis can be compared with known and pre-defined properties of data. Many important statistical concepts and procedures can be obviously shown with computer simulations and dynamic graphics. Such simulations can sometimes be more convincing than proofs and are appreciated by students.

  • Designing and conducting experiments is an important aspect of engineering practice, with applications in both product and process design/development and manufacturing. This presentation focuses on the essential topics for an experimental design course and offers advice based on 30 years of experience in how to structure such a course so that is meaningful to an engineering-oriented audience. Some experiences from the course offered by the presenter at ASU are given.

  • The importance of the statistical sciences in modern engineering is apparent but not necessarily its many roles. Although the second of the US Engineering Criteria 2000, "an ability to design and conduct experiments as well as to analyse and interpret data" has been quoted as stating that statistics has a dotpoint "on its own", (Phillips, 1998) the wording tends to underestimate the diversity and extent of statistics in engineering. The roles of technology in statistics education are also diverse, and must be considered within the student and course context. This paper considers engineering statistics education and where and how statistical technology can facilitate students' conceptual structure, statistical thinking and confidence. There is no magic wand, but technology facilitates and integrates with good teaching and learning strategies based on teachers' statistical understanding and their understanding of the needs of their students.

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