Moving online: Developing a compulsory university-wide statistical literacy program


Book: 
Proceedings of Moving Online, A conference to explore the challenges for workplaces, colleges and universities
Authors: 
Carter, H., Milne, C.
Editors: 
Wallace, M., Ellis, A., & Newton, D.
Pages: 
155-162
Year: 
2000
Publisher: 
Gold Coast, Australia
Abstract: 

In 1997 a skills inventory was developed to define the statistical literacy attribute for a University of Wollongong graduate. Identification of the inventory elements, however,represented only the first step in the process: Once the definition was accepted, there wasa need to translate it into a program that provided students with opportunities to developand demonstrate the required skills.Developing the statistical literacy program has raised a number of questions. In this paperwe reflect upon our efforts to resolve these and to translate the skills inventory into aneffective program that can be applied across the University. Our choice of an onlineenvironment has implications for others who are contemplating developing similarprograms. A particular challenge is being faced in pushing the boundaries of the relevanttechnologies as we strive to achieve a level of interactivity that we think is necessary toengage students in learning.

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