Alternatives To Scatterplots

Emerging evidence suggests that people do not have difficulty judging covariation per se but rather have difficulty decoding standard displays such as scatterplots. Using the data analysis software Tinkerplots, I demonstrate various alternative representations that students appear to be able to use quite effectively to make judgments about covariation. More generally, I argue that data analysis instruction in K-12 should be structured according to how statistical reasoning develops in young students and should, for the time begin, not target specific graphical representations as objectives of instruction.