Abstract:
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As statistical calculations move to software, it becomes increasingly valuable to teach students how to perform calculations using various software applications (e.g., Excel, JMP, R, SAS). However, it is easy for students and instructors to unintentionally shift the focus of the course from learning the statistical concepts-the "why" and "when"-to learning the nuances of the software tool-the "how." While teaching an introductory undergraduate biostatistics course that uses Excel, I often find that students focus more on learning Excel than they do on grasping the reasons behind the calculations they perform. To start, I will discuss some strategies I have tried to shift focus back to the "why" and "when." Then, most importantly, participants will discuss and share their own experiences so we all may learn from each other. This roundtable should be of interest to anyone who teaches, or plans to teach, a statistics course that uses software, especially if the software is initially unfamiliar to their students.
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