Using Fun in the Statistics Classroom: An Exploratory Study of College Instructors' Hesitations and Motivations


Authors: 
Lawrence M. Lesser, Amitra A. Wall, Robert H. Carver, Dennis K. Pearl, Nadia Martin, Shonda Kuiper, Michael A. Posner, Patricia Erickson, Shu-Min Liao, Jim Albert, and John J. Weber III
Year: 
2013
URL: 
http://ww2.amstat.org/publications/jse/v21n1/lesser.pdf
Abstract: 

This study examines statistics instructors’ use of fun as well as their motivations, hesitations, and
awareness of resources. In 2011, a survey was administered to attendees at a national statistics
education conference, and follow-up qualitative interviews were conducted with 16 of those
(N = 249) surveyed to provide further context for interpreting the quantitative results.
Motivations were similar for men and women, but female instructors admitted more hesitations
in many areas. While many instructors are using or are open to using fun in the statistics
classroom, the findings suggest that not having available resources at hand and not being aware
of resources such as the CAUSEweb collection are major hesitations. Methods of alleviating
hesitations are discussed.

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

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