Consortium for the Advancement of Undergraduate Statistics Education (CAUSE)

• Activity Number: 28
• Type: Invited
• Date/Time: Sunday, August 11, 2002 : 4:00 PM to 5:50 PM
• Sponsor: Advisory Cmte on Teacher Enhancement
• Author(s): Deb Rumsey*+
• Affiliation(s): Ohio State University
• Keywords: undergraduate ; statistics ; education ; CAUSE

Abstract

There is a critical need for supporting and expanding statistics education at the undergraduate level. Examples include the growing interest in the introductory and second courses and a desire to make them more effective; a continued demand for workshops, resources and opportunities for professional development by teachers; a growing need for more statistics education research (methods, assessment, and results); and an increased desire for connections between statisticians and other disciplines who are involved in teaching statistics. In response to this need, CAUSE (Consortium for the Advancement of Undergraduate Statistics Education) is being developed. This consortium will work to expand and support undergraduate statistics education in four main areas: resources, professional development, outreach, and research. In July 2001, a planning meeting was funded by ASA to begin discussing the mission, propose an organizational structure, plan potential projects, and explore funding opportunities for CAUSE. We will present an overview of the report from that meeting, talk about the first steps that have been taken to get CAUSE off the ground, and explore the many opportunities for others to get involved in this exciting new endeavor.