Tennis Balls Four Ways: An Activity on Accuracy and Precision

• Activity Number: 193
• Type: Contributed
• Date/Time: Monday, July 30, 2012 : 10:30 AM to 12:20 PM
• Sponsor: Section on Statistical Education
• Author(s): Debra Hydorn*+ and Kathryn Loesser Casey
• Companies: University of Mary Washington and University of Mary Washington
• Keywords: Undergraduate Research ; Active Learning

Abstract

With the growth of undergraduate research projects in the sciences, the introductory statistics content provided to these students should include a component on the importance of careful and thoughtful data collection. Many statistics texts include sections on surveys and experimental design but this assumes that the actual instrument for data collection has already been identified and assessed. An important part of research is determining what measurement tool will be used and how it will be used. In this talk, an activity from a course titled "The Research Process," will be presented. In the activity students are divided into groups with each group given a different tool for determining the circumference of a tennis ball. Each group is tasked with defining its data collection protocol and then collecting some data. A comparison of the results can lead to thoughtful a class discussion on the difference between precision and accuracy, the importance of each group member following the protocol, as well as indentifying the limitations and assumptions involved in any measurement tool.