An Argument for Teaching Metrology in Introductory Statistics Classes

• Activity Number: 182
• Type: Contributed
• Date/Time: Monday, August 1, 2011 : 10:30 AM to 12:20 PM
• Sponsor: Section on Statistical Education
• Author(s): Emily Casleton*+ and Amy Borgen and Ulrike Genschel and Alyson Wilson
• Companies: Iowa State University and Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. and Iowa State University and Iowa State University
• Keywords: metrology ; education ; variability

Abstract

Undergraduate students in introductory statistics courses often struggle with the concepts of variability and how statistics will translate to their lives beyond the classroom. The aim of this research is the use of metrology, the science of measurement, to increase the understanding of these difficult concepts. Measurement quality and the inherent variability introduced through the measurement process are under emphasized topics in the statistics curriculum. To this end, materials and methods have been developed for use in introductory statistics courses. This material explains how to characterize sources of variability in a data set which is natural and accessible because sources of variability are observable, i.e. device or operator. Everyday examples of measurements, such as the amount of gasoline pumped into a car, are presented and the consequences of variability within those measurements are discussed. These materials were implemented into an introductory statistics course at Iowa State University. Student's subsequent understanding of variability and attitude toward the usefulness of statistics were analyzed in a comparative study.