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Abstract:
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Interactive visualizations are a powerful tool for teaching statistical and mathematical concepts using an active learning context. The interactive format can help develop intuition and understanding for abstract and unfamiliar mathematical topics. However, to be useful, these visualizations must be mixed with didactic lecturing in order to introduce the fundamentals of mathematics and statistics. In this presentation, we present our teaching methods and results using interactive visualization to teach statistics to adult beginners in health research and other disciplines at the Oregon Health & Science University Data Science Institute, a two day workshop emphasizing data science skills. We demonstrate the approach using publicly available health datasets and provide examples of using interactive visualizations to increase 'data curiosity' and student confidence. We will discuss both strengths and drawbacks to this approach, including class participation, effectiveness of this approach for diverse learners, as well as student feedback on our lectures.
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