Preparing Our Students for the Future of Statistics

• Activity Number: 65
• Type: Topic Contributed
• Date/Time: Sunday, August 9, 2015 : 4:00 PM to 5:50 PM
• Sponsor: Section on Statistical Education
• Author(s): John W. Emerson*
• Companies: Yale University
• Keywords: Statistical ; Computing ; Pedagogy

Abstract

The field of statistics continues to evolve rapidly. Circa 2015, this is particularly true in areas relating to statistical computing and data analysis. This talk focuses on the shifting degree of preparation of our incoming students and, at the same time, their increasingly ambitious plans for future careers. The last wave of significant evolution of pedagogy involved AP and introductory statistics courses. The current wave involves statistical computing across a diverse range of courses, from introductory to advanced. Faculty must be agile and open-minded, either willing to develop skills commonly associated with computer science or able to leverage collaborations with open-minded computer scientists.