This paper is from Session 1E: Building capacity in Statistics majors

which comes under Topic 1: Sustaining strengths and building capacity in statistics education

Building capability in statistics majors: drawing strength from a diverse region

Presenter

• Alice Richardson (University of Canberra, Australia)

Abstract

Although structures, systems, problems and outlooks may differ between, and even within, countries, there are common challenges and opportunities which are benefitted by discussion of similarities and contrasts between countries. A unique opportunity was presented in November 2013 when academics from Vietnam, Australia, and USA came together with Vietnamese employers and other international statistics trainers from France, Philippines, Korea and Japan. Sponsored by the UN Population Fund, the group shared experiences and developed a way forward for statistics training in Vietnamese universities. Motivated by this conference, this paper uses reference to three diverse systems, namely Australia, Vietnam and the United States, to identify issues, directions and structural constraints. Possibilities are explored for using both policy and structure to build capacity in statistics majors, in terms of both quantity and quality. Commonalities in lessons learnt and ongoing challenges can inform capacity building in statistics majors worldwide.