Literature Index

Displaying 3131 - 3140 of 3326
  • Author(s):
    Jason Dolor and Jennifer Noll
    Year:
    2015
    Abstract:
    Statistics education reform efforts emphasize the importance of informal inference in the learning of statistics. Research suggests statistics teachers experience similar difficulties understanding statistical inference concepts as students and how teacher knowledge can impact student learning. This study investigates how teachers reinvented an informal hypothesis test for categorical data through the framework of guided reinvention. We describe how notions of variability help bridge the development from informal to formal understandings of empirical sampling distributions and procedures for constructing statistics and critical values for conducting hypothesis tests. A product of this paper is a hypothetical learning trajectory that statistics educators could utilize as both a framework for research and as an instructional tool to improve the teaching of hypothesis testing
  • Author(s):
    Friedman. H. H., Friedman, L. W., & Amoo, T.
    Year:
    2002
    Abstract:
    This paper discusses reasons for using humor in the statistics classroom. Humor strengthens the relationship between student and teacher, reduces stress, makes a course more interesting, and, if relevant to the subject, may even enhance recall of the material. The authors provide examples of humorous material for teaching students such topics as descriptive statistics, probability and independence, sampling, confidence intervals, hypothesis testing, and regression and forecasting. Also, some references, summarized strategies, and suggestions for becoming more humorous in the classroom are provided.
  • Author(s):
    Lomax, R. G., & Moosavi, S. A.
    Year:
    1998
    Abstract:
    The purpose of this paper is to aquaint individuals in the use of humor to develop conceptual understanding in statistics. Many statistics instructors are not as aware as they could be of the statistical humor available to them or how to use it as a conceptual development and assessment device in their instruction. The main objective, then, is to inform individuals of these many sources as well as how they can be used in the classroom to foster deeper conceptual understanding.
  • Author(s):
    Halavin, J., & Sommer, C.
    Year:
    1990
    Abstract:
    Hypertext and its more advanced form Hypermedia represent a powerful authoring tool with great potential for allowing statistics teachers to develop documents to assist students in an algorithmic fashion. An introduction to the use of Hypertext is presented, with an example of its use. Hypertext is an approach to information management in which data are stored in a network of nodes, or frames, connected by links. Nodes can contain text, graphics, audio, video, source code, or other forms of data. The designer of the document creates the nodes on a word processor, statistical package, or graphics program; he or she may go forward or backward through the links created. Hypertext documents are easy to use, although the number of levels of linkage should be kept to a minimum for students. Such documents are not as easy to create, requiring the creation of text files, linkage files created with Hypertext software, and graphics files. A sample Hypertext document is described for student learning about hypothesis tests for a single sample containing a parameter measuring the central tendency of the population. It is predicted that, in time, the text for an elementary statistics course will be a Hypertext document. Two sample flowcharts for use in the Hypertext document are provided. (SLD)
  • Author(s):
    Davies, N., Roberts, I. & Cole, T.
    Editors:
    Phillips, B.
    Year:
    2002
    Abstract:
    A common concern in the professional development of teachers is to provide them with appropriate technical support and training in the use of information and communication technology (ICT). The need for such training is a current concern in, amongst other places, the UK and the Northern Territory of Australia, and this has provided the first motivation for the development of an appropriate training course emphasizing ICT tools such as the web, email and MS(tm) Excel. The second motivation is through a desire to help the development of teaching data handling in schools. Consequently, the Royal Statistical Society (RSS) Centre for Statistical Education, UK, together with Dr Ian Roberts of Northern Territory University, Australia, developed an ICT-type training course that is centred on data provided by the UK-based CensusAtSchool project (http://www.censusatschool.ntu.ac.uk).
  • Author(s):
    Aaron Weinberg, Emilie Wiesner, and Thomas J. Pfaff
    Year:
    2010
    Abstract:
    Inferential reasoning is a central component of statistics. Researchers have suggested that students should develop an informal understanding of the ideas that underlie inference before learning the concepts formally. This paper presents a hands-on activity that is designed to help students in an introductory statistics course draw informal inferences about a bag of bingo chips and connect these ideas to the formal T-test and confidence interval. This activity is analyzed using a framework and recommendations drawn from the research literature
  • Author(s):
    Castle, R.
    Editors:
    Phillips, B.
    Year:
    2002
    Abstract:
    This paper illustrates how Excel can be used by students to develop their statistical understanding. The student can vary data values by simply dragging data points on graphs and charts and seeing how this affects statistical estimates; thus, by visually exploring the effects of changing data values, students can get a feel for statistical concepts. Excel spreadsheets have been developed to explore both univariate, bivariate and inferential statistical topics. It is important when teaching statistics to non-statisticians that new statistical ideas are presented in a familiar and relevant context. The flexibility of Excel spreadsheets means that tutors can download relevant examples into the spreadsheet. The spreadsheets and some sample data sets are available on the World Wide Web.
  • Author(s):
    Cudmore, D. H., & English, L. D.
    Year:
    1998
    Abstract:
    This paper reports on technological aspects of an ongoing international study in which secondary students engage in authentic data inquiries involving posing, sharing, and critiquing of statistical word problems. This is part of a larger study, which aims to (1) investigate developments in students' statistical understanding and reasoning processes as they engage in authentic data investigations involving data modeling, statistical problem posing, and problem critiquing, (2) foster students' awareness and appreciation of the influence of cultural factors in the statistical understandings of their international peers, (3) investigate the use of Web-based Intranets to enable schools connected to the Internet to conduct collaborative statistical investigations with students from other countries, and (4) use the findings of the study to develop a conceptual model of students growth of statistical understanding. In this paper, we focus on aim #3 and consider our developing experience in using semiprivate sites on the World Wide Web to facilitate activities in which students both publish mathematics problems that they have created and provide structured comments on problems posed by their local or international peers. To date, we have conducted a series of exploratory case studies in classrooms in England, Australia and Canada in which students posed and shared problems involving measures of central tendency (mean, median and mode). The problems were based on the results of an authentic, international dataset which they helped to create. The purpose of this paper is to discuss issues that have emerged in our present application of computer-mediated communication for fostering mathematical problem posing and critiquing. More specifically, we consider the following issues: the emergence of the Intranet design over the initial phase of the research project, the impact of the Intranet design on the effectiveness of computer-mediated communication in the key stages of the project, and the implications for subsequent Intranet designs for networked collaborative problem-posing activities.
  • Author(s):
    Lawrence M. Lesser & Mark E. Glickman
    Year:
    2009
    Abstract:
    This paper explores the role magic tricks can play in the teaching of probability and statistics, especially for lectures in college courses. Demonstrations are described that illustrate a variety of probabilistic and statistical topics, including basic probability and combinatorics, probability and sampling distributions, hypothesis testing, and advanced topics such as Markov chains and Bayes' Theorem. In addition to magic tricks providing visual demonstrations to supplement traditional blackboard-based lectures and the opportunity to engage students in class-participatory activities, possible benefits include a focus on conceptual understanding, development of critical thinking, and an opportunity to reflect upon the role of assumptions and estimates of probabilities.
  • Author(s):
    Merriman, L.
    Editors:
    Rossman, A., & Chance, B.
    Year:
    2006
    Abstract:
    Statistical literacy should be a key goal in preparing students to understand statistical information which is often reported in the media. This research is centred on the teaching of a specially designed unit of work on statistical literacy to ninety Year 10 (14-year-old) high school students that emphasised media reports both in the teaching approach and in the pre- and post- assessments. The students' test responses were analysed using the SOLO taxonomy framework for assessment and results were compared to those in previous studies. The issues that arose in the development of the teaching unit, the preliminary results on changes in levels of statistical literacy observed, and the factors that could affect the development of statistical literacy, such as mathematical and English ability, are briefly reported. The students' and teachers' reactions to the unit of instruction using media reports are also discussed.

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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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