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Discover valuable techniques and assessment tools for teaching statistics, including starting from the student's perspective, using MC and T/F questions, and utilizing online resources.
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Using Insights from SCHEMATYC Workshop in my Statistics Course Naomi Schmidt Department of Economics, Applied Statistics, and International Business New Mexico State University nschmidt@nmsu.edu
Most Valuable Technique: Start from the student’s frame of reference For example, consider the concept of confidence intervals: A teachers union in Nevada selected a random sample of 288 Nevada teachers and examined their salaries. The result of the analysis was the following 90% confidence interval: ($38,944, $42,893). WHY are these interpretations incorrect? They sound good to students! • We are 90% confident that the average teacher salary in the United States is between $38,944 and $42,893. • If we took many random samples of Nevada teachers, about 9 out of 10 of them would produce this confidence interval. • About 9 out of 10 Nevada teachers earn between $38,944 and $42,893. • About 9 out of 10 teachers surveyed earn between $38,944 and $42,893. And so on…
Another example from the student’s perspective Consider the concept of hypotheses for significance tests: The current method for screening women for breast cancer has a failure rate of 20 percent. What are Ho and Ha for a significance test to see if a new method will detect breast cancer more accurately? WHY are these hypotheses incorrect? • Ho: = 0.20 Ha: < 0.10 • Ho: = 0.20 Ha: ≠ 0.20 • Ho: p = 0.20 Ha: p < 0.20 • Ho: p = 0.10 Ha: p < 0.10
Most Valuable Assessment Tool: Use of MC, T/F questions for critical thinking • ARTIST (Assessment Resource Tools for Improving Statistical Thinking) https://apps3.cehd.umn.edu/artist/publications.html • Tools for Teaching and Assessing Statistical Inference http://www.tc.umn.edu/~delma001/stat_tools/
Graph B Graph A Graph C Graph D Example of MC question for critical thinking:A nutritionist works with morbidly obese clients. She wants to predict such a person’s life expectancy based on the amount of his/her excess weight. Which of the following plots best describes this relationship? Life expectancy Life expectancy Excess weight Excess weight Life expectancy Excess weight Excess weight Life expectancy
Summary • What concepts are unclear? • Start with students’ misconceptions and contrast with correct explanation • Wrong answers are valuable tool • LOTS of examples • If topic is too “basic,” try video outside of class • Use online resources
Karen Wells Monroe Community College