Teaching Statistics in an Activity Encouraging Format

In a statistics course for bachelor students in econometrics a new format was adopted in which students were encouraged to study more actively and in which cooperative learning and peer teaching was implemented. Students had to work in groups of two or three students where each group had to perform certain tasks. One of these tasks was: explaining theory and/or solutions of problems to the other groups. In order to prepare them for this task the groups had separate regular meetings with the teacher. Students report higher involvement and greater satisfaction in this format than in the traditional format. For the teacher the format may be more time consuming, but also more rewarding.