A Statistics Carol
A Ghost Story of Statistics Education
The grumpy old
statistics teacher
A Visit from the Ghost of
Statistics Education Past
ASA: Fred Mosteller
Chervaney, N., Collier, R., Fienberg, S.,
Johnson, P & Neter, J. (1977). A framework
            .,
for the development of measurement
instruments for evaluating the introductory
statistics course. The American Statistician,
31, 17–23.
Plans for first NCTM Yearbook on teaching
statistics
Interest in the UK
  Center for Statistics Education
  Teaching Statistics (Journal)
                                                4
But Where could Someone Study
     Statistics Education?

No graduate programs
No graduate courses
Some articles here and there, across
journals, disciplines and libraries




                                       5
The First Ph.D. Thesis (?)



Mike Shaughnessy
Michigan State University
Department of Mathematics




                                  6
The Second Ph.D. Thesis (?)



Joan Garfield
University of Minnesota
Educational Psychology




                                 7
A Seminar on Difficulties
       Learning Statistics
Andrew 'Chick' Ahlgren and Joan Garfield
assembled faculty from 11 different
departments
   Anthropology                 Applied Statistics
   Biostatistics                Business
   Curriculum and Instruction   Educational Psychology
   General College              Mathematics Education
   Psychology                   Sociology
   Theoretical Statistics
                                                         8
Two More Dissertations
     Completed
      Cliff Konold
      University of Massachusettes,
      Amherst




    Robert delMas
    University of Minnesota

                                      9
Trying to Make Connections
No conferences (except ICOTS 1) or journals
for publishing statistics education research
Networks
  The 'Probability Ghetto' (at mathematics
  education conferences
  International Study Group for Learning
  Probability and Statistics



                                               10
How was Statistics being Taught?
Little research and no connections
from research to teaching practice
                 +
    Mostly without technology
                 +
        Mostly calculations
                 +
        A lot of probability

   Unhappy statistics students

                                     11
But Things Began to Change
More interest by ASA, MAA, NCTM
The Quantitative Literacy Project
Journal of Statistics Education
IASE is created and grows
Funding by NSF
  Creation of innovative new courses
  Influential calls for reform in the teaching of
  statistics (George Cobb, David Moore)

                                                    12
The First Graduate Program in
Statistics Education is Established

 The Quantitative Methods in Education track
 in Educational Psychology approves a new
 area of concentration and three new
 graduate courses in statistics education
 Mailings sent out to recruit students for the
 program and about the first course offering
 One student applies and is accepted.
                                                 13
A Visit from the Ghost of
Statistics Education Present
The first stat ed course is taught
Becoming a Teacher of Statistics
Fall 2002
Things Keep Improving

Two new statistics education journals
  SERJ
  TISE
CAUSE is launched
USCOTS is launched
IASE activities and ICOTS grows

                                        16
The Statistics Education Graduate
         Program Grows

 Number of faculty has quadrupled
 Students apply, graduate and get jobs
 Grants are awarded
 Many publications, presentations, workshops




                                               17
Students and Degrees

17 admitted students (15 enrolled)
  2 M.A.
  15 Ph.D.
5 Degrees awarded
  1 M.A.
  4 Ph.D.
3 statistics education minors awarded to
students outside of the department

                                           18
Graduation 2012




                  19
Courses

Becoming a Teacher of Statistics course
  Taught 9 times (5 classroom/4 online)–93 students
  across the university and United States
Statistics Education Research Seminar
  Taught 6 times (classroom)–39 students
  2 published journal articles
Statistics Teaching Internship
  Taken by 10 students

                                                  21
Invited Speakers

Dani Ben-Zvi         Robert Gould      Tamara Moore
Michael Bulmer       Bill Harkness     Dennis Pearl
Beth Chance          Nicholas Horton   Michael Rodriguez
George Cobb          Daniel Kaplan     Allan Rossman
Robert delMas        Cliff Konold      Daniel Schwartz
Bill Finzer          Julie Legler      Laurie Snell
Christine Franklin   Richard Lesh      Chris Wild
Amy Froehlich        Robin Lock
Iddo Gal             Xiao-Li Meng
                                                       22
It has been a Productive 10 Years...
 24 grants (internal and national) totaling
 $3,766,346
 40 journal articles
 16 book chapters
 4 books
 106 conference presentations/posters
 22 workshops
 46 invited webinars/seminars/professional talks

                                                   23
...Even for Our Students
7 published journal articles or book chapters
that graduate students have co-authored
27 conference presentations/posters co-
presented
2 workshops co-presented
8 invited webinars/seminars/professional
talks co-presented


                                            24
...Really Productive.




                        25
We are an Award Winning
          Program...
1 national award for the statistics education
program (AP A)
6 national faculty awards
4 graduate student teaching awards




                                                26
...that Believes in Professional
              Service
10 elected or appointed positions held in
statistics education (6 currently)
7 associate editor positions (on Statistics
Education journals)
3 current editor/co-editor positions (on
Statistics Education journals)
8 assessment instruments developed for use
by the statistics education community

                                              27
And our Mission is to Promote
Change to Improve the Teaching
  and Learning of Statistics

                  "Never doubt that a small group
                  of thoughtful,   committed
                  citizens can change the world.
                  Indeed, it's the only thing that
                  ever has.
                          "

                                    - Margaret Mead




                                                      28
The Present is Pretty Good
Better connections between research and
practice
Many new ideas and curricula
Continued emphasis on improved pedagogy
ASA endorsed Guidelines for Graduate
Programs in Statistics Education (2009)
Better assessments to evaluate student
learning

                                          29
A Visit from the Ghost of
Statistics Education Yet to Come
The Future is Even More
           Promising
Graduates of statistics education research
programs going off into the world
New graduate programs and courses being
designed and launched
More conferences devoted to better teaching of
statistics
  USCOTS (Making Change Happen)
  eCOTS
National survey on statistics teaching (e-ATLAS
Project)                                       31
Message to the Grumpy Statistics
            Teacher
Open your eyes, its an exciting time
New prestige for statistics
Exciting new data
Many great resources
A thriving statistics education community
There is NO EXCUSE for not taking the
teaching of statistics seriously and striving
to be an excellent teacher
                                            32
The grumpy
 statistics teacher
  was grumpy no
 more, but taught
with renewed vigor,
  using research-
 based classroom
  and assessment
     practices.
And this Optimistic View of the
 Future is Possible Because...
All of you contributed to it!
After 10 years of having the only graduate
program in statistics education we are
excited to see other programs getting ready
to admit students.


                                Thank you!

                                              34

A Statistics Carol: A Ghost Story of Statistics Education

  • 1.
    A Statistics Carol AGhost Story of Statistics Education
  • 2.
  • 3.
    A Visit fromthe Ghost of Statistics Education Past
  • 4.
    ASA: Fred Mosteller Chervaney,N., Collier, R., Fienberg, S., Johnson, P & Neter, J. (1977). A framework ., for the development of measurement instruments for evaluating the introductory statistics course. The American Statistician, 31, 17–23. Plans for first NCTM Yearbook on teaching statistics Interest in the UK Center for Statistics Education Teaching Statistics (Journal) 4
  • 5.
    But Where couldSomeone Study Statistics Education? No graduate programs No graduate courses Some articles here and there, across journals, disciplines and libraries 5
  • 6.
    The First Ph.D.Thesis (?) Mike Shaughnessy Michigan State University Department of Mathematics 6
  • 7.
    The Second Ph.D.Thesis (?) Joan Garfield University of Minnesota Educational Psychology 7
  • 8.
    A Seminar onDifficulties Learning Statistics Andrew 'Chick' Ahlgren and Joan Garfield assembled faculty from 11 different departments Anthropology Applied Statistics Biostatistics Business Curriculum and Instruction Educational Psychology General College Mathematics Education Psychology Sociology Theoretical Statistics 8
  • 9.
    Two More Dissertations Completed Cliff Konold University of Massachusettes, Amherst Robert delMas University of Minnesota 9
  • 10.
    Trying to MakeConnections No conferences (except ICOTS 1) or journals for publishing statistics education research Networks The 'Probability Ghetto' (at mathematics education conferences International Study Group for Learning Probability and Statistics 10
  • 11.
    How was Statisticsbeing Taught? Little research and no connections from research to teaching practice + Mostly without technology + Mostly calculations + A lot of probability Unhappy statistics students 11
  • 12.
    But Things Beganto Change More interest by ASA, MAA, NCTM The Quantitative Literacy Project Journal of Statistics Education IASE is created and grows Funding by NSF Creation of innovative new courses Influential calls for reform in the teaching of statistics (George Cobb, David Moore) 12
  • 13.
    The First GraduateProgram in Statistics Education is Established The Quantitative Methods in Education track in Educational Psychology approves a new area of concentration and three new graduate courses in statistics education Mailings sent out to recruit students for the program and about the first course offering One student applies and is accepted. 13
  • 14.
    A Visit fromthe Ghost of Statistics Education Present
  • 15.
    The first stated course is taught Becoming a Teacher of Statistics Fall 2002
  • 16.
    Things Keep Improving Twonew statistics education journals SERJ TISE CAUSE is launched USCOTS is launched IASE activities and ICOTS grows 16
  • 17.
    The Statistics EducationGraduate Program Grows Number of faculty has quadrupled Students apply, graduate and get jobs Grants are awarded Many publications, presentations, workshops 17
  • 18.
    Students and Degrees 17admitted students (15 enrolled) 2 M.A. 15 Ph.D. 5 Degrees awarded 1 M.A. 4 Ph.D. 3 statistics education minors awarded to students outside of the department 18
  • 19.
  • 20.
    Courses Becoming a Teacherof Statistics course Taught 9 times (5 classroom/4 online)–93 students across the university and United States Statistics Education Research Seminar Taught 6 times (classroom)–39 students 2 published journal articles Statistics Teaching Internship Taken by 10 students 21
  • 21.
    Invited Speakers Dani Ben-Zvi Robert Gould Tamara Moore Michael Bulmer Bill Harkness Dennis Pearl Beth Chance Nicholas Horton Michael Rodriguez George Cobb Daniel Kaplan Allan Rossman Robert delMas Cliff Konold Daniel Schwartz Bill Finzer Julie Legler Laurie Snell Christine Franklin Richard Lesh Chris Wild Amy Froehlich Robin Lock Iddo Gal Xiao-Li Meng 22
  • 22.
    It has beena Productive 10 Years... 24 grants (internal and national) totaling $3,766,346 40 journal articles 16 book chapters 4 books 106 conference presentations/posters 22 workshops 46 invited webinars/seminars/professional talks 23
  • 23.
    ...Even for OurStudents 7 published journal articles or book chapters that graduate students have co-authored 27 conference presentations/posters co- presented 2 workshops co-presented 8 invited webinars/seminars/professional talks co-presented 24
  • 24.
  • 25.
    We are anAward Winning Program... 1 national award for the statistics education program (AP A) 6 national faculty awards 4 graduate student teaching awards 26
  • 26.
    ...that Believes inProfessional Service 10 elected or appointed positions held in statistics education (6 currently) 7 associate editor positions (on Statistics Education journals) 3 current editor/co-editor positions (on Statistics Education journals) 8 assessment instruments developed for use by the statistics education community 27
  • 27.
    And our Missionis to Promote Change to Improve the Teaching and Learning of Statistics "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has. " - Margaret Mead 28
  • 28.
    The Present isPretty Good Better connections between research and practice Many new ideas and curricula Continued emphasis on improved pedagogy ASA endorsed Guidelines for Graduate Programs in Statistics Education (2009) Better assessments to evaluate student learning 29
  • 29.
    A Visit fromthe Ghost of Statistics Education Yet to Come
  • 30.
    The Future isEven More Promising Graduates of statistics education research programs going off into the world New graduate programs and courses being designed and launched More conferences devoted to better teaching of statistics USCOTS (Making Change Happen) eCOTS National survey on statistics teaching (e-ATLAS Project) 31
  • 31.
    Message to theGrumpy Statistics Teacher Open your eyes, its an exciting time New prestige for statistics Exciting new data Many great resources A thriving statistics education community There is NO EXCUSE for not taking the teaching of statistics seriously and striving to be an excellent teacher 32
  • 32.
    The grumpy statisticsteacher was grumpy no more, but taught with renewed vigor, using research- based classroom and assessment practices.
  • 33.
    And this OptimisticView of the Future is Possible Because... All of you contributed to it! After 10 years of having the only graduate program in statistics education we are excited to see other programs getting ready to admit students. Thank you! 34