Strategies for Teaching an Enduring Knowledge of Statistics

1. Strategies for Teachingan Enduring Knowledgeof Statistics Larry Weldon Simon Fraser University

2. Service vs Mainstream? • A troublesome dichotomy! • “mainstream” students need to understand applications • “service” students need authentic learning they can use • First Course vs Higher Level Course • same approach at each level – conceptual understanding (more, not different, for higher level) • not merely the level of mathematics

3. What is wrong with traditional approach? Is there any evidence that a major change is needed? Descriptive stats, sampling, estimation, hypothesis testing, regression …

4. Evidence for needed change? • growth of applied-statistical disciplines: biostatistics, psychometrics, envirometrics, official statistics, … • lack of job ads for “Statistician” • low enrolments in statistics of undergraduate majors and graduate programs • high proportion of students taking the minimum required courses in statistics • rarity of departments of statistics • low status among stat faculty of “applied” work

5. Change of Approach Needed • E2L2 • Experience Early, Logic Later • Case studies – techniques as required, thenlogical structure to link ideas (Math & Logic)

6. Strategies for a first Course • Avoidance of a technique-oriented textbook • Experiential presentation of techniques in areas of interest • Use of computing by instructor for simulation and graphics • No student computing, few formulas • Open book & notes for tests and exams • Use of graphics for explanations • Require verbalization of why, what, when • Sample tests and exams to impart objectives • Application material that is an important part of a general education • List of Concepts, Contexts and Techniques as an aid to exam preparation

7. STAT 100 at SFU in Spring 2010 • See handout for overview. • Course notes at www.stat.sfu.ca/~weldon

8. Sequence of Case Studies for example • stock market index • sports leagues • Olympics medals • fuel consumption annual pattern • casualty insurance • city populations • lotteries • spam filters Many basic concepts and techniques are needed for such cases

9. Simulations with Graphics • sampling dist’n of the sample mean • insurance company survival • diversification of investments • illusions of randomness • sports leagues • spatial clustering of plants

10. Technique Coverage by Example • sampling error • forensic science example • randomized response example • regression • spam filter • electronic marketing example • estimation • Africanized bee invasion • political polls

11. Verbalization • need to have students explain concepts with words • tests and exams that require this skill • integrate general intelligence with stats concepts

12. Tests and Exams – Open Book • discourage memory work without understanding • focus attention on concepts and problem-solving • make assessment more authentic to real-life needs

13. Strategies for a Higher Level? • Avoidance of a technique-oriented textbook • Experiential presentation of techniques in areas of interest • Use of computing by instructor for simulation and graphics • No student computing, few formulas • Open book & notes for tests and exams • Use of graphics for explanations • Require verbalization of why, what, when • Sample tests and exams to impart objectives • Application material that is an important part of a general education • List of Concepts, Contexts and Techniques as an aid to exam preparation • Math as a simplification technique, to summarize technique structure

14. More Detail ? Paper is posted (English version) at www.stat.sfu.ca/~weldon Comments ? email address: weldon@sfu.ca