Leaders
Rob Gould, UCLA
Abstract
Teaching and learning statistics can be greatly improved by using real data. There are many sources of real data, but whether your students will consider it real is another matter. One approach is to encourage students to use data from their every-day lives. These data can be used to collect an on-the-cuff data set for an in-class demonstration, or can be part of a longer "project" assignment. Participants will learn by doing, which means they will collect data about themselves and engage (on a time-compressed scale) in the same sorts of discussions we would hope their students will engage in. An important component will be to discuss ways of making the data collection non-embarrassing and non-threatening.
Bio-Sketch
Rob Gould received his Ph.D. in Mathematics from UC San Diego in 1994. Since then, he has been gainfully employed at UCLA where he serves as the coordinator of undergraduate courses for the Department of Statistics and director of the Center for Teaching Statistics. He has been an AP Stats reader and table leader and serves on the American Statistical Association's Advisory Committee on Teacher Enhancement. With Roxy Peck, he is a co-PI on the INSPIRE project, which teaches Statistics to first-time AP Stats teachers. He is active as a statistical consultant and has yet to meet a deviate he considers standard.
Results
Handout (PDF)
Presentation (PowerPoint)