Student-Centered Instruction in a Theoretical Statistics Course

• Activity Number: 398
• Type: Topic Contributed
• Date/Time: Tuesday, August 3, 2010 : 2:00 PM to 3:50 PM
• Sponsor: Section on Statistical Education
• Author(s): Samantha C. Bates Prins*+
• Companies: James Madison University
• Keywords: Statistics education ; Learner-Centered Instruction

Abstract

This presentation will provide an example of how student-centered instruction can be used in a theoretical statistics class. I taught a two-semester upper-level undergraduate probability and mathematical statistics sequence using primarily teacher-centered instruction in the first semester and primarily student-centered instruction in the second semester. A subset of the students in the teacher-centered course also took the student-centered course. Student feedback suggests that the student-centered approach, while more difficult for both student and instructor, is beneficial when compared to the teacher-centered approach. The specific method of implementation will need to vary with class size and level of student preparation but the author's example presents a starting point for those interested in moving away from a traditional teaching approach in theoretical statistics classes.