Resource Library

In this video (which lasts a little over 21 minutes), Oxford mathematician Peter Donnelly reveals the common mistakes humans make in interpreting statistics -- and the devastating impact these errors can have on the outcome of criminal trials.

March 23, 2010 Activity webinar presented by John Gabrosek & Paul Stephenson, Grand Valley State University and hosted by Leigh Slauson, Capital University. GOLO is a dice-based golf game that simulates playing a round of golf. GOLO can be used to illustrate basic probability concepts, descriptive summaries for data, discrete probability distributions, order statistics, and game theory. Participants had a chance to play the online version of GOLO.

April 27, 2010 Activity webinar presented by Shonda Kuiper, Grinnell College, and hosted by Leigh Slauson, Capital University. Educational games have had varied success in the past. However, what it means to incorporate games into the classroom has changed dramatically in the last 10 years. The goals of these games are to 1) foster a sense of engagement, 2) have a low threat of failure, 3) allow instructors to create simplified models of the world around us, and 4) motivate students to learn. This webinar uses the same reaction time game to demonstrate a simple 1- 2 day activity that is appropriate for introductory courses as well as an advanced project that encourages students to experience data analysis as it is actually practiced in multiple disciplines. In the introductory activity students are asked to spend 15 minutes playing an on-line game. Data collected from the game is used to demonstrate the importance of proper data collection and appropriate statistical analysis. The advanced project asks students to read primary literature, plan and carry out game based experiments, and present their results.

This java applet provides students with opportunities to visualize the Monty Hall paradox (i.e., the famous "three-door" problem often discussed in introductory statistics courses). By going through the simulation and reading the accompanying materials, students can better understand concepts related to probability, and they can also see the need to gather data in order to test theories about what might happen under particular conditions (especially since the outcome of the Monty Hall problem tends to contradict students' initial intuitions).

This tool provides individuals with opportunities to quiz themselves on levels of measurement in a game-like environment much like "Who Wants to be a Millionaire."

The true method of knowledge is experiment. This is a quote of British poet and artist William Blake (1857 - 1827). The quote is found in his 1788 book "All religions are one".

This short article begins with a brief explanation of 3D barcodes (what they are and how they are used), and then provides an argument for why statistics should be studied and how statistics is a part of everyday life. Several links are shared for other resources related to teaching and learning statistics, in addition to a link to a career options in statistics.

November 13, 2007 Teaching and Learning webinar presented by Michael Rodriguez and Andrew Zieffler, University of Minnesota, ad hosted by Jackie Miller, The Ohio State University. This webinar includes an introduction to the idea of assessment for learning - assessments that support learning, enhance learning, and provides additional learning opportunities that support instruction. Several fundamental measurement tools are described to support the development of effective assessments that work.

January 8, 2008 Teaching and Learning webinar presented by Dennis Pearl, The Ohio State University and hosted by Jackie Miller, The Ohio State University. This presentation describes the "Buffet" method for teaching multi-section courses. In this method, students are offered a choice of content delivery strategies designed to match different individual learning styles. The choice is exercised through an on-line "contract" entered into by students at the beginning of the term. The webinar describes the Ohio State experiences with the buffet strategy and discusses how key elements of the strategy can also be adapted to smaller classes to improve student learning.

February 12, 2008 Teaching and Learning webinar presented by Christopher J. Malone, Winona State University and hosted by Jackie Miller, The Ohio State University. The procedural steps involved in completing a statistical investigation are often discussed in an introductory statistics course. For example, students usually gain knowledge about developing an appropriate research question, performing appropriate descriptive and graphical summaries, completing the necessary inferential procedures, and communicating the results of such an analysis. The traditional sequencing of topics in an introductory course places statistical inference near the end. As a result, students have limited opportunities to perform a complete statistical investigation. In this webinar, Dr. Malone proposes a new sequencing of topics that may enhance students' ability to perform a complete statistical investigation from beginning to end.