An Open-Source Textbook for Introductory Statistics

• Activity Number: 310
• Type: Contributed
• Date/Time: Tuesday, August 3, 2010 : 8:30 AM to 10:20 AM
• Sponsor: Section on Statistical Education
• Author(s): David Mark Diez*+ and Christopher D. Barr
• Companies: University of California, Los Angeles and Harvard University
• Keywords: open source ; textbook ; statistics education ; introductory statistics ; R

Abstract

We consider the context and potential impact of Open Intro, a project to create an open sources statistics book. In addition to making the complete PDF file of the text freely available, the Open Intro project provides access to the source files (in LaTeX) under the Creative Commons license. This allows consumers of the text to become content creators and editors, customizing the book for their particular needs. This talk also presents some of the new pedagogical themes included in the core version of the text hosted at openintro.org. Finally, we consider the impact of this free text in educational programs of developing nations and how it serves as a project model for other educational fields.