Engaging Students in a Large Lecture: An Experiment using Sudoku Puzzles

Abstract

Active learning opportunities can be difficult to generate when teaching large groups of students. In this webinar, I will present an experiment using Sudoku puzzles that can be easily conducted in a lecture with 300 (or more) students. The factor manipulated in the experiment is the type of Sudoku puzzle and there are four types, which are each the same puzzle but with different characters. The experiment yields a rich data set which can be used to illustrate basic statistical methods such as chi-square test for independence of categorical variables, through to more complicated analyses such as survival analysis techniques. I will outline the experiment and give an overview of the teaching opportunities that the data present.