New Technologies, Software, and e-Learning – Enriching Courses in Introductory Statistics and Probability

Year 2017, Volume: 1 Issue: 2, 62 - 78, 29.12.2017

Manfred Borovcnık

Abstract

New Technologies changed the applications of
statistics completely so that more statistics is applied nowadays than 25 years
ago, which generates a need for a wider education in statistics even at an
introductory level. At the same time, these technologies open the way to teach
the subject matter of statistics completely differently than in the
pre-computer era. We illustrate various approaches of technology-based teaching
and identify key issues for their success. Large-scale e-learning projects,
locally organised computer-based learning environments, and additional applets
used to illustrate complex concepts, calculations outsourced to software are
some of the many options to enrich the statistics course. The recommendations are
for students of non-mathematical studies. The future class at university
includes a diversity of information sources and a new role for academic
teachers as organisers of the work in small groups rather than communicating
the content in a big lecture hall. We illustrate the potential of systemic
solutions for an introductory course in probability and statistics by a general
discussion and by the extensive and long-term feedback from our own students.

Keywords

Success criteria for e-learning, Feedback for students, Exemplary solutions to tasks

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