Newsletter for the Section on Statistical Education
Volume 6, Number 1 (Winter 2000)
As its name indicates the ISI conference is held every two years. The session in Helsinki was the third ISI session that I have attended since 1993. It has been amazing to see the growth in the number of ISI sessions concerning statistics education over these last six years. This year, there were seven Invited Paper Meetings organized directly by the International Association for Statistical Education (IASE), which is the statistics education arm of ISI. Besides these Invited Paper Meetings there were also several other invited sessions relevant to statistics education. In addition, there were five contributed paper sessions with a focus on statistics education. The short summaries of the Invited Paper Meetings organized by IASE given below are based on summaries prepared by the Session organizers or their designee. The complete summaries are available in the 1999 IASE Review newsletter which can be found at http://www.swin.edu.au/maths/iase/newsletters.html. I wish to thank Brian Phillips, President of IASE, for allowing me to use these summaries when preparing this article. Brian and the writers of the complete summaries should be considered as co-authors of this article. This article will end with a preview of IASE activities over the next few years and information on how to join IASE.
SUMMARIES OF THE INVITED PAPER MEETINGS
Complete copies of the papers summarized here, plus some of
the discussants' remarks and almost all of the other
invited and contributed papers presented at the Biennial
Session, can be found at http://www.stat.fi/isi99/proceedings.html.
IPM 58. Statistical education and significance tests
controversy.
Organizer: Carmen Batanero
(Spain). The first paper in this session was Teaching
Hypothesis Testing. Can it Still be Useful? by Henrik
Dahl (Norway). He discussed the teaching of key concepts.
He also described problems in teaching these concepts and
suggested some meaningful examples that can help students
to understand the basic concepts behind statistical tests.
The second paper was Some Empirical Evidence on Learning
Difficulties about Testing Hypotheses by Angustias
Vallecillos (Spain). She presented a survey of the
experimental research on this topic, as well as a summary
of the results in her own comprehensive assessment of
undergraduates' learning difficulties concerning
statistical tests. She also pointed out some difficulties
and errors that underlie the problems described and that
should be taken into account to improve the teaching and
learning of the topics. Students' conceptions about key
concepts in statistical tests were also described. The
third paper was Beyond the Significance Test
Controversy: Prime Time for Bayes? by Bruno
Lecoutre (France). To solve the paradoxical situation
around statistical tests, he suggested that a positive
agreement on the procedures that bypass the common misuses
of statistical tests is needed. He proposed that the
Bayesian philosophy should become an attractive challenge
for the scientists, applied statisticians and statistics
instructors of the 21st century.
IPM 59. Teaching and training multivariate
data-analysis.
Organizer: Helena Bacelar Nicolau (Portugal). The
first paper in this session was Introduction à la
Classification en Sciences Humaines" by Georges Le
Calvé (France) who described his approach to
teaching an introductory course on cluster analysis for
students in the social and behavioral sciences. Despite
their weak background in mathematics, these students can
easily go from analyzing data and learning from real
examples to being able to understand what a cluster is and
the abstract notion of distance. The second paper was
Discussion, Debate, and Disagreement: Teaching Multiple
Regression by Case Discussion by Peter G. Bryant
(USA). He reported his recent experiences in teaching
courses in statistics, and in particular on multiple
regression, in business schools. He is using the classroom
time for debate and discussion rather than lecture. The
third paper was Teaching Multivariate Data Analysis in
the Fields of Biology and Ecology by Hans-Peter Baeumer
(Germany). He discussed the relevant role of and
techniques for the teaching of multivariate data analysis
in these areas. An applications-oriented approach that
teaches students how to efficiently collect experimental
data as well as how to reliably analyze multivariate data
obtained in laboratory and field experiments was
described. The last paper was Some Remarks in Teaching
the Correlation Coefficient by Kameo Matusita (Japan).
He discussed several suitable counter-examples and how
these lead to some important matters that need to be
attended to when teaching correlation. Important mistakes
that can arise when interpreting correlation coefficients,
graphical representations, and a simulated comparative
study between the affinity coefficient and the correlation
coefficient were also discussed.
IPM 60. Statistical education using flexible learning approaches.
Organizer: Agostino Di Ciaccio (Italy). The first paper was Teaching Statistics with Internet: A Survey of Available Resources and the St@tNet Project by Gilbert Saporta (France). Although an oral presentation was not given a complete written paper is still available at the proceedings web address given above. The second paper was Why do Students Find Statistics so Difficult? by James B. Ramsay (USA). He maintained that a major problem in learning statistics is that statistics and probability theory are essentially acausal. Students find it more difficult to understand statistics than other disciplines that are inherently casual. Implications for the teaching of statistics together with practical suggestions for their implementation were also discussed. The third paper was Multimedia Statistical Labs & Toolkit (TILE ) by Deborah Nolan and Duncan Temple Lang (USA). The TILE project consists of two parts: statistics labs that are designed to teach students how to think critically (and statistically) about quantitative problems that are real and important to them; a toolkit, which provides a flexible and extendible environment where instructors can develop portable teaching applications. Exercises, simulations, problem solving and even animated adventures and puzzles are used to involve the students.
IPM 61. Statistical education for life.
Organizer: Brian Phillips (Australia). The first
paper Justice by the Numbers: Educating Judicial
Decision Makers by Mary Gray and Nawar Al-Shara (USA)
was presented by Hasan Hamdan. In the paper they showed
how the testimony of statistical experts has become
increasingly important in many legal situations and that
judges often have great discretion in deciding what
evidence can be admitted and ultimately in the validity and
weight given to such evidence. They concluded that although
there is no specific code of ethics binding statisticians,
general principles of good teaching would preclude the
complex and muddled presentations that too often appear.
It is the role of the statistical expert to convince the
finders-of-fact that the evidence can be relied upon. The
second paper was Official Statistics and the Outside
World by Vincenzo Lo Moro (Italy). He discussed the
issue of the increasing demand for official statistics from
National Statistical Institutes and the satisfaction of the
users in the workplace with the information and services
they receive. The paper aimed at suggesting an evolutionary
model for the statistical education that is required by the
increased consumption of official statistics. Strategies
to reduce the disappointment of users of statistics were
also discussed. The third paper was Childhood Leukemia
-- Communicating with a Worried Public by Amanda Burls
(UK). This paper describes a case-history of a successful
attempt by a local health authority in the United Kingdom
to deal with high levels of public anxiety about a cluster
of childhood leukemia in Northampton by a risk
communication strategy. This involved working with the
community and media and producing a written report for
parents and later working with the BBC to produce a program
on disease clusters.
IPM 62. Issues involved in the assessment and
evaluation of student learning of statistics.
Organizer: Joan Garfield (USA) Reported by:
Joe Wisenbaker (USA). The first paper was How to Assess
Large Groups with the Minimal Amount of Resources but
Preserving Quality by Susan Starkings (UK). The
advantages and disadvantages of three different approaches
to assessing student learning in the context of large
classes: multiple-choice exams, group work and in-class
presentations were viewed from the perspectives of
diagnostic, formative and summative assessment. Attention
was devoted to the level of effort and preparation required
on the part of the instructor, the depth of knowledge that
can be ascertained, and difficulties posed for the
student. The second paper was A Model of Classroom
Assessment in Action: Using Assessments to Improve Student
Learning and Statistical Reasoning by Beth Chance, Joan
Garfield and Robert delMas (USA). It provided an in-depth
examination of an on-going study of the effectiveness of a
computer simulation activity focused on constructing and
visualizing the concept of sampling distributions. The
perspective on assessment that guided their work was
directed toward the long-term improvement of their computer
program and a search for critical features that might serve
to enhance students' understanding as assessed through
graphics-based test items. The third paper was
Assessment in Statistics Using the Personal Computer
by Giuseppe Cicchitelli, Francesco Bartolucci &
Antonio Forcina (Italy). The system described in this paper
was developed in an effort to supplement an existing
assessment approach relying exclusively on oral
examinations. The testing model employed is a large item
bank with individual items calibrated with respect to item
discrimination and difficulty and permits the selection of
more probing questions in context.
IPM 63. Visualization as an educational tool.
Organizer: Larry Weldon (Canada). The first paper
was Graphical Excellence -- The Importance of Sound
Principles and Practices for Effective Communication by
Thomas Bradstreet (USA). He emphasized that statistics
education needs to stress graphical communication more
seriously than in the past, since graphics are no longer
merely a frill to supplement numerical results but rather a
basic form of quantitative communication. The second paper
was Emphasizing Visualization and Activities in Teaching
Introductory Statistics by Interactive Multimedia by
Hans-Joachim Mittag (Germany). The paper discussed his
multi-media statistical education computer package and the
pedagogical principles underlying it. He showed how to
combine sound, real data sets, pictures and graphics with
optional text buttons to provide students with diverse
preparation information at the appropriate level. The
third paper was Visualization for Teaching All Steps of
Data-Based Scientific Research by Clovis Peres
(Brazil). He proposed that an additional emphasis on the
scientific method, with its circular pattern of objective
---> data ---> conclusion ---> reconsideration of
objective, would help students to bridge the gap between
their technical learning and the needs of the scientific
world.
IPM 42. Statistical training of people working in and
with official statistics.
Organizers: Carol Joyce Blumberg (USA) and
René H. M. Smulders (The Netherlands. The first
paper was The Dissemination of Statistical Literacy
Among Citizens and Public Administration Directors by
Luigi Biggeri and Alberto Zuliani (Italy). They examined
the statistical literacy needs of various users and
recipients including policy makers in both the public and
private sectors, as well as among the mass media and
teachers at the primary and secondary levels. The paper
also contained a description of literacy activities that
have occurred in Italy including a national conference in
1997, a "Census of Children" to be carried out in 1999 to
2001, seminars for journalists and various public
administrators, and the preparation of materials for the
public in print, on television, and on the Internet.
Further, an introduction to the World Numeracy Programme
was given. The second paper was Impact of the Internet
on Official Statistics: New Opportunities and Dilemmas for
Training by Lea Bregar and Irena Ograjensek
(Slovenia). They discussed the Course on European Economic
Statistics (CEES) which they have developed in co-operation
with TES (Training of European Statisticians) Institute and
colleagues at the University of Ljubljana and in Sofia,
Bulgaria. This on-line course uses the Internet and
hyper-media to help increase the quality and efficiency of
users' access to information, flexibility for exploring and
using official statistics, and integration of learning
experiences and knowledge. The third paper was New and
Emerging Demands for Statistical Training in Response to
User Needs: Meeting the Human Resource Challenge in the
Caribbean by Linda Hewitt (Trinidad). The paper begins
with an explanation of how market globalization and the
increased use of computers and other technologies have made
it vital for the Caribbean (and other developing regions)
to produce useful economic, demographic, and social
statistics. Yet, at the University level statistics is
still not regarded as a priority area and given a status
similar to that of Economics, Engineering, the Natural and
Medical Sciences or even the Humanities. The paper
discussed why this has occurred and talked about some
possible first steps for improving the situation.
FUTURE IASE ACTIVITIES
July 31-August 6, 2000 -- International Congress on Mathematics Education -- Makuhari, Japan. IASE has been involved in the planning of several sessions for ICME-9. Further information on these sessions can be found at http://www.swin.edu.au/maths/iase/icme9.html. Further information on ICME-9 can be found at: http://www.ma.kagu.sut.ac.jp/~icme-9.
August 7-11, 2000 -- Round Table Conference: Training Researchers in the Use of Statistics -- Tokyo, Japan. This is a conference that can be attended by invitation only. All invitations have already been extended. There will be 25 papers presented. The proceedings of the conference will be made available to the public. Further information is available at http://www.ugr.es/~batanero/iasert.htm.
August 22-29, 2001 -- ISI 53 Biennial Session -- Seoul, Korea. IASE will be involved in the organization of 11 Invited Paper Meetings at the ISI Session in Seoul, Korea: 1) Forum: IASE and Statistics Education in Developing Countries 2) Undergraduate Level Statistics Programmes 3) The Future of Statistics Education Research 4) Research on Teaching Statistics at School and University Levels 5) Undergraduate Statistics Education in Non-Statistics Degree Programmes 6) Continuing Statistics Education in the Workplace 7) Postgraduate Training of Statisticians 8) Women's Contributions to Leadership in Statistical Education 9) Technology in Statistics Education 10) The Role of Official Statistics in the University Curriculum and 11) Education and the Internet: Effective Structures . Further information on these IASE sessions (including the organizers) can be found at http://www.swin.edu.au/maths/iase/isi53.html
Further information on the ISI Biennial Session can be found at http://www.nso.go.kr/isi2001.
July 6-12, 2002 -- International Conference on Teaching Statistics -- Durban, South Africa. This is the major international conference in Statistics Education that is held every 4 years. Planning for ICOTS-6 is well under way. Details can be found at the ICOTS-6 web site at http://www.beeri.org.il/icots6.
MEMBERSHIP IN IASE
As you can see from all of the activities listed above,
IASE is very active, despite the fact that it is only 7
years old. It is the only global organization whose main
focus is Statistics Education. If you are not already a
member of IASE, I would strongly urge you to consider
joining IASE. At the present exchange rates, dues are only
US $24.00. As part of your membership in IASE you will
become a member of an international community of statistics
educators. This will entitle you to receive the IASE
Review newsletter (devoted exclusively to Statistics
Education) and the ISI Newsletter which deals
with all areas of Statistics at the international level.
Furthermore, you can receive the International
Statistical Review journal and Short Book
Reviews newsletter as well as registration for
conferences organized by the IASE at reduced rates. I have
found all of these very helpful in my teaching of
statistics courses. For further information about the IASE
and for a copy of the IASE Membership form go to the IASE
web site at http://www.cbs.nl/isi/iase.htm.
This site also has many links useful to anyone involved in
statistics education.
If you cannot find any of the information at the web sites I have given in this article or if you have any other questions about IASE activities, please feel free to contact either Brian Phillips (President of IASE) at School of Mathematical Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, PO Box 218, Hawthorn 3122, AUSTRALIA, Fax: (61) 3-9819-0821, email: bphillips@swin.edu.au or me at Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Winona State University, Winona MN 55987-5838, Phone: (507) 457-5589, Fax: (507) 457-5376, email: wncarolj@vax2.winona.msus.edu.