Proceedings

  • Subjects' ratings of the apparent randomness of ten binary sequences were compared to the time required to memorize those same sequences. Memorization time proved a better predictor of the subjective randomness ratings than measures of the "objective" randomness of the sequences. This result is interpreted as supporting the hypothesis that randomness judgments are mediated by subjective assessments of encoding difficult. Such assessments are seen as compatible with the information theorists' interpretation of randomness as complexity.

  • In this talk we will briefly present our philosophy regarding student projects and then concentrate on organizational issues associate with having students in large lecture section courses do projects.

  • This paper describes how projects can be incorporated into an applied statistics course, with particular attention directed towards courses with a small number of students. It presents a summary of how the author, his colleagues, and other educators use projects. It concludes with a discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of using this pedagogical tool.

  • Because of the abstract nature of fundamental concepts in statistics, full understanding of the most basic concepts can be elusive for students. While some students are apt at mimicking the professor's choice of terminology or application of a particular procedure, they often lack an intuitive feel for or visualization of key concepts. As professors, we need to be aware that correct answers do not necessarily indicate understanding. We need to give students experiences that go beyond textbook exercises in order to prove their understanding of statistical concepts and then to push students to deeper levels of understanding. Group projects, based on real or simulated data, are an effective means of accomplishing these goals.

  • Examples of past projects and a variety of writing assignments associated with them are given.

  • I will contrast the way statistics has often been taught in the past with what is proposed for the future.

  • The present study utilized tests selected from the Kit of Factor-Referenced Cognitive Tests to measure spatial ability.

  • In "resampling" we broadly include (i) Sampling from populations (Monte Carlo calculations of probability) and (ii) resampling from samples (simple bootstrapping for inference). Both forms of resampling were primarily developed for researchers to answer questions too complex for analytical tools. For many of the modest problems we teach undergraduates, however, analytical solutions are usually available that provide great generality and insight. What need is there for resampling?

  • This report discusses the results of a project to evaluate the teaching of statistics.

  • This report discusses the purpose of the formation of a joint committee of the American Statistical Association and the American Mathematical Association.

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