Resampling in the Undergraduate Curriculum

• 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): Tim Hesterberg*+
• Companies: Google
• Keywords: bootstrap ; permutation test ; education ; simulation

Abstract

Let's talk about resampling! Bootstrapping and permutation tests have great potential for helping students understand hard concepts such as sampling distributions, p-values, and standard errors by giving them concrete pictures using tools they're familiar with, like histograms. In many cases, these methods are easier and more accurate than classical approximations. We use them all the time at Google :-) But, there are some subtleties, things at least the instructor should know. For example, the usual bootstrap standard errors are too small, and the simplest bootstrap confidence intervals under-cover in small samples, and do exactly the wrong thing for biased statistics. I'll share thoughts about how to approach resampling for the introductory and junior-level "mathematical statistics" courses. Finally, I'd like your feedback on how resampling should fit into the upcoming revised ASA Guidelines for the Undergraduate Curriculum.