This paper is from Session 9F: Technology for developing statistical thinking, reasoning, and literacy

which comes under Topic 9: Technology in statistics education

Year six students’ reasoning about random “bunny hops” through the use of TinkerPlots and peer-to-peer dialogic interactions

Presenter

• Sibel Kazak (University of Exeter, United Kingdom)

Co-authors

• Rupert Wegerif (University of Exeter, United Kingdom)
• Taro Fujita (University of Exeter, United Kingdom)

Abstract

Students’ intuitions play a major role when making inference about uncertain events and they are often inconsistent with the accepted theoretical understanding of statistics and probability. These intuitions need to be challenged to develop more powerful, formal understandings of stochastic ideas. This paper describes how the reasoning of a pair of 11-year-old students develops as they conduct simulations of random “bunny hops” using TinkerPlots software for a large number of trials. We found that promoting dialogic talk, which involves questioning or challenging any claims and seeking reasons in response to challenges, facilitated students’ reasoning while they used TinkerPlots to test their conjectures and explain the outcomes. The study shows how the interaction of a software tool and talk between students can develop their understanding of statistical ideas and highlights some of the processes leading to conceptual change.