This is a session of Topic 3: Education and development of staff who teach statistics

Statistics instructors’ use of technology for teaching statistics

Organizer

• Doug Stirling (New Zealand)

Abstract

Computer hardware and software are continuing to improve and evolve in unforseen directions. In the four years since ICOTS 8, tablet computers have emerged as a format and are expected to outsell laptops soon. Access to internet resources has improved with fixed broadband connections, public Wi-Fi networks and mobile devices with cellular connections. Prices of laptop computers, tablets and smartphones continue to drop.

These changes are having a major impact on education. Most students in developed countries now own or have access to a computer or other internet-capable device at home. Even in developing countries, students at both schools and universities are getting access to technology in one form or another.

However the availability of technology does not necessarily result in its effective use in education. The best way to take advantage of the new technology in teaching statistics is not obvious, though most would agree that it should remove the focus of teaching from formulae and calculations to understanding of concepts and interpretation of results. With easy access to computers, computationally intensive methods such as simulations, resampling and fitting of complex models can be included in the curriculum much earlier, but at what level? In schools?

The talks in this session will describe initiatives to improve how statistics is taught and, in particular, to improve the effective use of new technology in statistics education.

Papers