By George Cobb Thoughtful statisticians know what far too many users of statistical methods do not, the big and open secret that hides in plain sight: Inference from data cannot be reduced to rules. To oversimplify, but only a little, the mistaken readiness of students and researchers to rely on rules in statistics has its roots in two sources: a natural human instinct … [Read more...] about Ambiguity: The Biggest Challenge Lies Ahead
K-12
Teaching Quartile Location Using Sample Size Divisibility
By Jon-Paul Paolino, Mercy College Quartiles are descriptive measures of location that can be introduced to students as early as primary school and are taught at the tertiary education level across the world. To successfully locate the quartiles of a univariate data set, basic counting and arithmetic are required. However, particularly in the tertiary-level statistics … [Read more...] about Teaching Quartile Location Using Sample Size Divisibility
Re-Envisioning the Mathematics Teaching Practices as the Statistics Teaching Practices
By Natasha E. Gerstenschlager In 2014, the Mathematics Teaching Practices (MTPs) were released by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics in Principles to Actions: Ensuring Mathematical Success for All. These eight practices are described as practices based in research that ensure students receive quality mathematics instruction. As a mathematics teacher educator, … [Read more...] about Re-Envisioning the Mathematics Teaching Practices as the Statistics Teaching Practices
Technology Insights
By Rebecca Nichols and Donna LaLonde One of the Standards for Mathematical Practice calls on students to “Use appropriate tools strategically.” In part, this practice viewed through a statistical lens is described in the Statistical Education of Teachers (SET) report as, “Statistically proficient students at various grade levels are able to use technological tools to carry … [Read more...] about Technology Insights
Where’s Wenda? An Activity on Teaching Middle-School Students Data Privacy
By Claire M. Bowen and Evercita C. Eugenio When middle school students hear the word science, many imagine looking at bacteria under a microscope or mixing chemicals over a Bunsen burner, not writing mathematical equations or typing code on a computer. At the University of Notre Dame, 230–280 middle-school girls (6th through 8th grade) attend Expanding Your Horizons (EYH), … [Read more...] about Where’s Wenda? An Activity on Teaching Middle-School Students Data Privacy
Why 0.05? Two Examples That Put Students in the Role of Decision-Maker
By Leah Dorazio Any teacher of introductory statistics has heard this question more times than they can remember: “Why 0.05?” Here, the value 0.05 refers to the significance level in a hypothesis test. A nice overview of hypothesis tests is described in the Fall/Winter 2015 issue of STN. In this article, I provide a brief review of the concepts of hypothesis test and … [Read more...] about Why 0.05? Two Examples That Put Students in the Role of Decision-Maker