Assessing Student Improvement in a Multi-Section Coordinated Simulation-Based Curriculum

• Activity Number: 287 - Student Outcomes in Undergraduate Courses Using a Simulation-Based Inference Approach to Teaching Statistics
• Type: Topic Contributed
• Date/Time: Tuesday, July 31, 2018 : 8:30 AM to 10:20 AM
• Sponsor: Section on Statistical Education
• Author(s): Stacey Hancock*
• Companies: Montana State University
• Keywords: statistics education; simulation-based; introductory statistics; assessment

Abstract

The introductory statistics course at Montana State University is a coordinated course, enrolling nearly 1,000 students per semester in sections of approximately 40 students, where most sections are taught by a graduate student. Beginning with fairly traditional and transitioning to simulation-based, this course has undergone a series of substantial curriculum changes from fall 2013 through spring 2017. Coinciding with the start of the curriculum changes were the construction of Technology-Enhanced Active Learning (TEAL) classrooms which allowed for the easy implementation of collaborative and active learning. In this talk, I will outline the journey through traditional to simulation-based curricula, discuss how we assessed student improvement throughout the process, summarize results on student understanding and success in both TEAL and non-TEAL classrooms, then conclude with implications for research and teaching.