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Activity Number:
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367
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Type:
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Contributed
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Date/Time:
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Tuesday, August 4, 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 - #303520 |
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Title:
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What Do Students Hear When We Say 'Random'?: Emipirical Results from a Study of Lexical Ambiguity
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Author(s):
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Jennifer J. Kaplan*+ and Diane Fisher and Neal Rogness
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Companies:
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Michigan State University and University of Louisiana-Lafayette and Grand Valley State University
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Address:
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119 Bessemaur Dr, East Lansing, MI, 48823,
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Keywords:
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Lexical Ambiguity ; Word Usage ; Random ; Statistics Education
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Abstract:
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Language plays a crucial role in the classroom. The use of specialized language in a domain can cause a subject to seem more difficult to students than it actually is. When words that are part of everyday English are used differently in a domain, these words are said to have lexical ambiguity. Studies in other fields, such as mathematics and chemistry education suggest that in order to help students learn vocabulary instructors should exploit the lexical ambiguity of the words. This presentation is part of a sequence of studies designed to understand the effects of and develop techniques for exploiting lexical ambiguities in the statistic classroom. This session will focus on research results from pre- and post-testing students' definitions, both every day and statistical, of the word "random," contrasting students' preconceptions of the meaning of random with the statistical definition.
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