Embracing Reform in Mathematical Statistics

• Activity Number: 363
• Type: Roundtables
• Date/Time: Tuesday, August 5, 2014 : 12:30 PM to 1:50 PM
• Sponsor: Section on Statistical Education
• Author(s): Jennifer L. Green*+ and Erin Blankenship
• Companies: Montana State University and University of Nebraska-Lincoln
• Keywords: Mathematical Statistics ; Statistics Education ; Teaching ; Activities ; Active Learning

Abstract

While change/reform has been a recurring theme in statistics education, those same reforms often are not explored in mathematical statistics; the two-semester sequence typically remains a traditional, lecture-heavy course. In this roundtable, we will discuss various approaches, activities, and assessments that can be used to foster active learning and emphasize conceptual understanding while still covering the theoretical content of probability and inference students need to be successful in subsequent statistics or actuarial science courses. These nontraditional materials are meant to promote student understanding and problemsolving, as opposed to mere memorization and calculation. Participants are encouraged to bring their own nontraditional math stat ideas to share, leaving us all with new ideas for activities and assessments we can use in our own courses.