Teaching Stat I: Putting it all together

1. Teaching Stat I: Putting it all together Kirk Steinhorst and Carolyn Keeler University of Idaho

2. Kirk Steinhorst and Carolyn Keeler

3. The Statistics Teaching Reform movement • The problem: Cobb JSE 1993 • Progress: Keeler and Steinhorst JSE 1995 • Current status: Garfield, Hogg, Schau, and Whittinghill JSE 2002

4. The Essential Ingredients • Statistical thinking vs. data analysis vs mechanics • Technology…statistical computing, web-based learning materials, WebCT • Activity-based learning and authentic assessment

5. Course goals-Statistics and Probability • Statistical literacy • Probability as needed in other courses • Statistical numeracy (ability to calculate things and draw graphs • Ability to apply statistics in professional life and in public life Kirk Steinhorst and Carolyn Keeler

7. Format • Large lecture, stadium seating, computer projection and overheads • 30 minute mini-lecture, 20 minute in-class group activity • Instructor can call up web text and applets in class • WebCT used for out of class activities (2)

8. Assessment: Activities, homework and tests

9. Assessment: Activities, homework and tests Kirk Steinhorst and Carolyn Keeler

10. The one BIG idea

11. Outcomes • Grade distribution • A 29 • B 31 • C 24 • D 10 • F 4 + 8* Overall average 2.5 • Early dropouts 20 (16% of 126)

12. Midcourse Evaluation +

13. Midcourse Evaluation -

14. Diagnostic quiz-weeks 1 & 14

15. End of Course Evaluation +

16. End of Course Evaluation -

17. Survey of Attitudes Towards Statistics (Candace Schau Univ New Mexico) • 28 Likert items reduce to 4 scales – • affect (+ - feelings) 6 items • cognitive competence (intellectual skills) 6 items • value of statistics 9 items • difficulty of statistics 7 items • 115 pre, 72 post, 64 complete change scores – a decrease of about 5 points in the first 3 scales and about 3 points on the difficulty scale

18. Remember our plan… Use active learning in cooperative groups with web-based instructional materials and authentic assessment Kirk Steinhorst and Carolyn Keeler

19. Findings • The system works for the top half of the class • Those students who use the technology like it. • In-class active learning works. • In-class tests based on takehome tests leads to effective authentic assessment.

20. Findings • The poor or below average student has great difficulty with “statistical thinking” – technology doesn’t help. • WebCT based discussions were not successful. • The poor student could not use the web-based text effectively. • Poorer students need regular homework in addition to activities.

21. Recommendations • Use a conventional textbook with on-line applets • Assign and collect homework regularly • Use Minitab or SYSTAT • Keep in-class activities and takehome/in-class testing

22. Conclusions • Active learning in cooperative groups can work in large classes • Use web-based instructional materials carefully –too much technology overwhelms the poorer student • Activities and tests as described are good models for authentic assessment Kirk Steinhorst and Carolyn Keeler

23. Final comment on the plan: Use active learning in cooperative groups with web-based instructional materials and authentic assessment… We went a step or two too far. Back off on web text and web discussion. The rest is good.