http://www.causeweb.org/cwis/SPT--Home.php CAUSEweb.org RSS Feed.(CAUSE: Consortium for the Advancement of Undergraduate Statistics Education) http://www.causeweb.org/images/logo.jpg http://www.causeweb.org/ 144 40 CAUSEweb.org en-us editor@causeweb.org webmaster@causeweb.org Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0500 Fri, 05 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0500 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 http://www.causeweb.org/cwis/SPT--FullRecord.php?ResourceId=2009 January 26, 2010 webinar presented by Alicia Gram, Smith College, and hosted by Leigh Slauson, Capital University. This webinar describes an activity that uses data collected from an experiment looking at the relationship between two categorical variables: whether a cotton plant was exposed to spider mites; and did the plant contract Wilt disease? The activity uses randomization to explore whether there is a difference between the occurrence of the disease with and without the mites. The webinar includes a discussion of the learning goals of the activity, followed by an implementation of the activity then suggestions for assessment. The implementation first uses a physical simulation, then a simulation using technology. (Extra materials, including Fathom instructions for the simulation, available for download free of charge). Thu, 04 Feb 2010 14:44:37 -0500 http://www.causeweb.org/cwis/SPT--FullRecord.php?ResourceId=1798 During this simulation activity, students generate sampling distributions of the sample mean for n = 5 and n = 50 with Fathom 2 and use these distributions to confirm the Central Limit Theorem. Students sample from a large population of randomly selected pennies. Given that the variable of interest is the age of the pennies, which has a geometric distribution, this is a particularly convincing demonstration of the Central Limit Theorem in action. This activity includes detailed instructions on how to use Fathom to generate sampling distributions. The author will provide the Fathom data file upon request. Sat, 30 Jan 2010 20:16:42 -0500 http://www.causeweb.org/cwis/SPT--FullRecord.php?ResourceId=2007 AniWiki is a gallery for statistical animations in several subjects such as probability, linear models, multivariate statistics, and nonparametric statistics. Most of the animations are created in the R environment. Sun, 10 Jan 2010 22:01:45 -0500 http://www.causeweb.org/cwis/SPT--FullRecord.php?ResourceId=2006 "The true logic of this world is the calculus of probabilities." This is a quote of Scottish physicist and mathematician James Clerk Maxwell (1831 - 1879). The quote is found on page 197 in volume 1 of The Scientific Letters and Papers of James Clerk Maxwell, (James Clerk Maxwell and Peter Michael Harman, ed.). Sat, 02 Jan 2010 22:37:18 -0500 http://www.causeweb.org/cwis/SPT--FullRecord.php?ResourceId=2005 "In earlier times they had no statistics and so they had to fall back on lies." This is a quote by Canadian economist Stephen Leacock (1869 - 1944). The quote is found on page 265 of his 1938 book In Model Memoirs and Other Sketches from Simple to Serious Sat, 02 Jan 2010 17:15:32 -0500 http://www.causeweb.org/cwis/SPT--FullRecord.php?ResourceId=2004 This joke can be used in a discussion of how sample size affects the reliability of the sample mean. The joke may be found amongst the extensive Science Jokes resources at www.newyorkscienceteacher.com Fri, 01 Jan 2010 12:29:24 -0500 http://www.causeweb.org/cwis/SPT--FullRecord.php?ResourceId=2003 "Statistics" is a poem by Canadian physician Neil Harding McAlister (1952 - ). The poem contains material that can help with class discussions about sample surveys, medical experiments, and significance testing. Wed, 30 Dec 2009 21:08:08 -0500 http://www.causeweb.org/cwis/SPT--FullRecord.php?ResourceId=50 Some basic statistical analysis tools that allow the user to input their own data or use the pre-existing data and perform the desired test (e.g ANOVA, Descriptive, t-test, chi-square, correlation and regression). Wed, 30 Dec 2009 13:02:27 -0500 http://www.causeweb.org/cwis/SPT--FullRecord.php?ResourceId=845 This page contains an index of datasets for nursing related studies. Each dataset is accompanied by a worksheet asking students to analyze certain aspects of the data; a description of the study; and a description of each of the variables used. Wed, 30 Dec 2009 12:58:01 -0500 http://www.causeweb.org/cwis/SPT--FullRecord.php?ResourceId=521 This applet shows balls falling through a grid of posts to show the central limit theorem in action. Wed, 30 Dec 2009 12:54:27 -0500 http://www.causeweb.org/cwis/SPT--FullRecord.php?ResourceId=1797 This is my take on the ubiquitous M&Ms counting activity. Each student records the color proportions in a fun-size bag of M&Ms. We pool the class data and run a Chi-Square goodness-of-fit test to determine whether or not the color proportions match those claimed on the manufacturer's website. We consistently find that the proportions do not match. The blue M&Ms, in particular, are underrepresented. This activity also includes a review of the 1-proportion z confidence interval. Wed, 30 Dec 2009 12:46:40 -0500 http://www.causeweb.org/cwis/SPT--FullRecord.php?ResourceId=1734 This activity is an example of Cooperative Learning in Statistics.It uses student's own data to introduce bivariate relationship using hand size to predict height. Students enter their data through a real-time online database. Data from different classes are stored and accumulated in the database. This real-time database approach speeds up the data gathering process and shifts the data entry and cleansing from instructor to engaging students in the process of data production.Key words: Regression, correlation data collection, body measurements Wed, 30 Dec 2009 12:44:32 -0500 http://www.causeweb.org/cwis/SPT--FullRecord.php?ResourceId=1795 IQR in a Box is a video that provides a fun rendition of the use of IQR to describe variability and boxplots to describe distributions.Credits: Concept, director, lyrics by Allison Lind, props by Maria Nunez, cinematography by Kristen Jaderlrab, and vocals by Ashok Krishnan, Avi Hakim, and Michelled Dominguez. The video is a parody of a famous Saturday Night Live musical skit by Andy Samberg and Justin Timberlake. (Note: because of the nature of the original Saturday Night Live skit, this video may be more appropriate for use in a club or end-of-term party rather than a classroom setting.)The video was produced in 2007 for Marie Diener-West's course in biostatistics at Johns Hopkins University . Wed, 30 Dec 2009 12:43:37 -0500 http://www.causeweb.org/cwis/SPT--FullRecord.php?ResourceId=1096 This site offers exit poll data that was previously provided by Voter News Service. Wed, 30 Dec 2009 12:37:41 -0500 http://www.causeweb.org/cwis/SPT--FullRecord.php?ResourceId=1173 The Decision Bonsai are a hybrid of concept maps and decision trees. They were originally developed to give introductory statistics students a map to inference procedures but have evolved to be used for other topics. The tree is 'grown' during the semester so that students build a picture of the relationships in their mind. Recent work is moving toward the development of more complete concept maps for introductory statistics, statistical quality methods and probability and stochastic processes courses. These Decision Bonsai would be then pointed to at appropriate points in the concept maps. Wed, 30 Dec 2009 12:35:55 -0500 http://www.causeweb.org/cwis/SPT--FullRecord.php?ResourceId=2002 "Avoid Linear extrapolation ... The turkey's first 1000 days are a seemingly unending succession of gradually improving circumstances confirmed by daily experience. What happens on Day 1001? Thanksgiving." The quote is by John E. Sener (1954 - ) of Sener Learning services found in the on-line article Strategies for Effective “2020 Vision” -- #1: Avoid Linear Extrapolation at www.senerlearning.net/?q=node/176. The quote is paraphrasing the turkey metaphor made famous by Bertrand Russell and Nassim Nicholas Taleb. Tue, 29 Dec 2009 18:21:42 -0500 http://www.causeweb.org/cwis/SPT--FullRecord.php?ResourceId=2001 This short article begins with a brief explanation of 3D barcodes (what they are and how they are used), and then provides an argument for why statistics should be studied and how statistics is a part of everyday life. Several links are shared for other resources related to teaching and learning statistics, in addition to a link to a career options in statistics. Fri, 25 Dec 2009 15:40:03 -0500 http://www.causeweb.org/cwis/SPT--FullRecord.php?ResourceId=2000 "I bet on a horse at ten-to-one. It didn't come in until half-past five." is a quote by comedian and violinist Henny Youngman (1906 - 1998). Thu, 24 Dec 2009 17:04:08 -0500 http://www.causeweb.org/cwis/SPT--FullRecord.php?ResourceId=1999 "Certitude is not the test of certainty. We have been cock-sure of many things that were not so." is a quote of American Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. (1841 - 1935). The quote is found in an article written by Justice Holmes in 1918 for the Harvard Law Review v. 32, page 40. The quote is also found in the book Statistically Speaking, a Dictionary of Quotations by Carl Gaither and Alma Cavazos-Gaither. Thu, 24 Dec 2009 11:37:45 -0500 http://www.causeweb.org/cwis/SPT--FullRecord.php?ResourceId=1996 "Most accidents in well-designed systems involve two or more events of low probability occurring in the worst possible combination." is a quote by American systems engineering expert Robert E. Machol (1917 - 1998). The quote is found in his 1975 column "Principles of Operations Research" for the journal Interfaces vol. 5, pages 53-54 (this column was titled "The Titanic Coincidence." Tue, 22 Dec 2009 11:31:53 -0500 http://www.causeweb.org/cwis/SPT--FullRecord.php?ResourceId=1994 This four slide animation deals with the difficulty of drawing random samples. The cartoon animation was drawn by John Landers (www.landers.co.uk) based on an idea from Dennis Pearl (The Ohio State University). Free to use in the classroom and on course web sites. Tue, 22 Dec 2009 10:53:52 -0500 http://www.causeweb.org/cwis/SPT--FullRecord.php?ResourceId=1993 A cartoon to teach about issues in designing a well-controlled experiment. Cartoon by John Landers (www.landers.co.uk) based on an idea from Dennis Pearl (The Ohio State University). Free to use in the classroom and on course web sites. Tue, 22 Dec 2009 10:49:59 -0500 http://www.causeweb.org/cwis/SPT--FullRecord.php?ResourceId=1992 November 24, 2009 Activity webinar presented by Carl Lee, Central Michigan University, and hosted by Leigh Slauson, Capital University. This webinar introduces a real-time online hands-on activity database for teaching introductory statistics. One particular activity, "How well can hand size predict height?", is used to engage students with a real-time activity in order to learn bivariate relationships. Various other activities can be found at stat.cst.cmich.edu/statact. The real-time database approach speeds up the process of data gathering and shifts the focus in order to engage students in the process of data production and statistical investigation. Wed, 09 Dec 2009 22:31:17 -0500 http://www.causeweb.org/cwis/SPT--FullRecord.php?ResourceId=1991 Statistically Speaking is a 5 minute 35 second video that can be used in discussing various concepts in descriptive statistics. The video was written, directed, and produced by Cameron W. Hatch and the cast includes (order of appearance) Mala Grewal, Sally Atkinson, Griffin Hatch, Jeff Hatch, Matt Burnham, and Sylvia Burnham. Mon, 07 Dec 2009 22:01:35 -0500 http://www.causeweb.org/cwis/SPT--FullRecord.php?ResourceId=1990 "I am not accustomed to saying anything with certainty after only one or two observations. " is a quote by Flemish anatomist Andreas Vesalius (1514-1564). The quote is found in Epistola rationem modumque propinandi radicis Chynae decocti. Sat, 05 Dec 2009 23:12:38 -0500