Using Class Activities to Teach Statistics Appreciation Courses

• Activity Number: 375
• Type: Roundtables
• Date/Time: Tuesday, August 2, 2011 : 12:30 PM to 1:50 PM
• Sponsor: Section on Statistical Education
• Author(s): Jamis Perrett*+
• Companies: Texas A & M University
• Keywords: Activities ; Active Learning ; Statistics Appreciation ; Liberal Arts ; Introductory Statistics ; Statistics Education

Abstract

Class time for statistics appreciation courses can be best spent using activities to learn statistical concepts and to get students engaged in actually doing statistics. The vast array of tools in the newer course management systems makes it fairly easy for students to spend time outside of the scheduled class time for textbook-type learning. This way, students are actively learning and participating in class, and class time is more productive. Students leave feeling like they have experienced statistics rather than having been subjected to another math class. This apporach is especially effective with students who come from liberal arts backgrounds, who don't need to learn all the math of an introductory statistics course as would say students from business or engineering majors. The roundtable will include discussion on the concept as well as details on the implementation.