This paper is from Session 9B: Rethinking the statistics curriculum: computing skills our students need

which comes under Topic 9: Technology in statistics education

Other papers under session 9B ... 9B1: Developing introductory computing for stats undergraduates 9B3: Introducing undergraduates to probability using the open-source...

(Monday 12th, 16:30-18:00)

Integrating computing and data technologies into the statistics curricula

Presenter

• Duncan Temple Lang (University of California at Davis, United States)

Co-author

• Deborah Nolan (University of California at Berkeley, United States)

Abstract

It is increasingly clear that computing is becoming an essential skill for statisticians and anybody working with data. Computing is as important as mathematics in both statistical practice and research, yet it occupies a tiny portion of our curricula. We have an obligation to reform our upper-division and graduate curricula and integrate computing. We need to change our view of the role of computing in our programs, and teach computational fundamentals and reasoning, rather than ad hoc "tricks" or templates. Furthermore, we must broaden our notion of "statistical computing" to teach modern data technologies. The needs for statistical computing are different from computer science and we must teach this increasingly diverse topic within the statistics curricula. This requires us to fit more into our curricula and also for many of us to learn this material. Computing is important in its own right but can also greatly improve how students learn the traditional material and introduce them to a different aspect of statistics.

Other papers under session 9B ... 9B1: Developing introductory computing for stats undergraduates 9B3: Introducing undergraduates to probability using the open-source...