Reasoning About Sampling Distributions


Book: 
The Challenge of Developing Statistical Literacy, Reasoning, and Thinking
Authors: 
Chance, B., delMas, R., & Garfield, J.
Editors: 
Ben-Zvi, D. & Garfield, J.
Type: 
Category: 
Pages: 
295-324
Year: 
2004
Publisher: 
Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, The Netherlands
Abstract: 

This chapter presents a series of research studies focused on the difficulties students experience when learning about sampling distributions. In particular, the chapter traces the seven-year history of an ongoing collaborative research project investigating the impact of students' interaction with computer software tools to improve their reasoning about sampling distributions. For this classroom-based research project, three researchers from two American universities collaborated to develop software, learning activities, and assessment tools to be used in introductory college-level statistics courses. The studies were conducted in five stages, and utilized quantitative assessment data as well as videotaped clinical interviews. As the studies progressed, the research team developed a more complete understanding of the complexities involved in building a deep understanding of sampling distributions, and formulated models to explain the development of students' reasoning.

The CAUSE Research Group is supported in part by a member initiative grant from the American Statistical Association’s Section on Statistics and Data Science Education