Contributed paper list


   (Monday 14th, 16:15-17:45)   In session C4A

Teaching statistics with lectures or activities: a comparative study

Authors

Jennifer L Loveland, Kady Schneiter

Presenter

Jennifer L Loveland (United States)

Abstract

Many recommendations for teaching statistics with less lectures and more student-centered methods have been proposed. Nonetheless, there are only a few comparative studies in which an entire course was taught using lectures in one section and student-based methods in another section. In order to gather information about which method produces higher student understanding of statistical topics and ability to apply statistical procedures, a sample of 74 students in a university introductory statistics course was divided into two sections. One section was taught entirely with lectures. The other section was taught using minimal teacher-centered activities; methods included hands on activities, discovery based units, and group work. Students’ results on exams were analyzed. The lecture and activity sections were compared to determine which method produced higher results on conceptual questions, and which method facilitated higher results on procedural questions. Implications for using student-centered teaching methods to improve introductory statistics classes are discussed.