Writing to Learn in Upper-Level Applied Statistics Courses

• Activity Number: 355
• Type: Contributed
• Date/Time: Tuesday, August 3, 2010 : 10:30 AM to 12:20 PM
• Sponsor: Section on Statistical Education
• Author(s): Ananda A. Jayawardhana*+
• Companies: Pittsburg State University
• Keywords: Writing to learn ; Statistical writing

Abstract

Writing is an essential part of a statistician's job, and the success of our alumni at both the undergraduate and graduate level will depend largely on how effectively we teach them to communicate statistical information in language non-statisticians can understand. However, few undergraduate or graduate statistics courses include the development of students' writing skills among their course goals. The author has included writing assignments in upper-level and graduate statistics courses over the last 10 years. In this paper author will present information about the importance of writing, a syllabus, grading rubric for writing assignments, in-class explanations of assignments, green pen check, individual coaching of students, using sample papers, and some other techniques the author has used in the past.