This paper is from Session 2D: Using technology at school level to enhance statistical understanding

which comes under Topic 2: Statistics education at the school level

Other papers under session 2D ... 2D1: Statistical software for teaching: relevant, appropriate and... 2D2: Enhancing students’ inferential reasoning: from hands on to... 2D3: Fathom that!: an ethnography of the use of interactive data analysis...

(Thursday 15th, 14:00-16:00)

Using data to make sense of statistics: the role of technology in scaffolding understanding

Presenter

• Gail Burrill (Michigan State University, United States)

Abstract

Research and classroom experience identify topics with which students in introductory statistics struggle such as interpreting box plots, standard deviation or z-scores and the normal curve. One reason is that many core statistical concepts are subtle and difficult to sort out. Dynamic interactive technology can provide opportunities for learners to begin to make sense of these concepts by enabling them to generate large amounts of data, explore distributions, examine probability models and investigate the nuances that often seem to obscure reasoning and sense making in statistics. Interactive technology allows learners, using real and motivating data that stem from questions about ways of reasoning in statistics, to move between representations, looking for patterns and generating models related to hypotheses and to informed decision making.

Other papers under session 2D ... 2D1: Statistical software for teaching: relevant, appropriate and... 2D2: Enhancing students’ inferential reasoning: from hands on to... 2D3: Fathom that!: an ethnography of the use of interactive data analysis...