Using Games to Effectively Teach Statistical Thinking

• Activity Number: 451
• Type: Roundtables
• Date/Time: Wednesday, August 7, 2013 : 7:00 AM to 8:15 AM
• Sponsor: Section on Statistical Education
• Author(s): Shonda Kuiper*+
• Companies: Grinnell College
• Keywords: Games ; Statistical Thinking

Abstract

Educational games have had varied success in the past. However, what it means to incorporate games into the classroom has changed dramatically in recent years. This roundtable will discuss fun class activities that can be used to demonstrate key concepts throughout a statistics course. In addition to sharing game ideas, we will discuss how games 1) foster a sense of engagement; 2) initially have a low threat of failure, but can create a challenging environment that grows with the students' knowledge; 3) create realistic, adaptable, and straightforward games that simulate current real world questions; and 4) provide an intrinsic motivation for students to want to learn.