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Activity Number:
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509
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Type:
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Topic Contributed
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Date/Time:
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Wednesday, August 5, 2009 : 2:00 PM to 3:50 PM
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Sponsor:
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Section on Statistical Education
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| Abstract - #304595 |
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Title:
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Formal Debates to Clarify the Objectives of an Intro Stats Course
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Author(s):
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Dan Schafer*+
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Companies:
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Oregon State University
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Address:
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1010 NW Panorama Drive, Corvallis, OR, 97330,
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Keywords:
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statistical literacy ; introduction to statistics ; first course in statistics ; instructional goals ; instructional objectives ; classroom activities
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Abstract:
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Debate. I can think of no other activity that better demonstrates the knowledge set and skills that students should learn in a first course in statistics. Examples: (1) Resolved: Echinacea effectively prevents colds. (2) Resolved: the benefits of vaccination are worth the risks. (3) Resolved: school vouchers lead to better education. While these debates may ultimately be reduced to discussions of values, evidence-based arguments and counter arguments form an essential part of that reduction. Demonstrating statistical arguments in debate--along with the appropriate rebuttals to them--forces attention to what precisely can and cannot be concluded. I have in mind that scripted and video debates be used for instruction, but the main point of this talk is the advocacy of those elements of statistical reasoning (and reasoning fallacies) that emerge from debates as primary teaching objectives.
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