This paper is from Session 4E: Heterogeneity of student levels
which comes under Topic 4: Statistics education at the post secondary (tertiary) level
(Thursday 15th, 11:00-12:30)
Teaching critical thinking to first year university students
Presenter
Co-author
Abstract
We discuss a major change in the way we teach our first year statistics course at UC. In 2008 we redesigned the course with emphasis on teaching critical thinking. The catalyst for change was recognition that most of the students take the course for general knowledge and support of other majors, and very few are planning to major in statistics. We indentified the essential aspects of a first year statistics course, given this student mix, focusing on a simple question, “Given this is the last chance you have to teach statistics, what are the essential statistics skills your bank manager/car salesmen/primary school teacher, need to have?” We have moved from thinking about statistics skills needed for a statistician to skills needed for a manager in today’s society. We have changed the way we deliver the course with less emphasis on lectures and more on computer based tutorials, Excel, and computer skills testing, and written assignments.
