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University of Minnesota

Faculty Members Involved in the Research Group

Joan Garfield
Bob delMas
Beth Chance (California Polytechnic State University)

Description of Research

The research of this group has focused on the use of simulation software to develop ideas related to statistical inference (e.g., sampling, sampling distributions, and confidence intervals), and ways to teach these concepts using the software. They are also interested in developing assessment tools and techniques to reveal students' statistical literacy, reasoning and thinking. They engage in collaborative classroom research, using students in their introductory statistics classes in their research studies.

Websites

The Tools for Teaching and Assessing Statistical Inference project
www.gen.umn.edu/research/stat_tools

The Web-based Assessment Resource Tools for Improving Statistical Thinking (ARTIST)
https://app.gen.umn.edu/artist

Selected Publications

• Chance, B., delMas, R., & Garfield, J. (2004). Reasoning about sampling distributions. In D. Ben-Zvi and J. Garfield (Eds.), The Challenge of Developing Statistical Literacy, Reasoning, and Thinking (pp. 295-323). Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Kluwer Academic Publishers.
• Chance, B. and Garfield, J. (2002). New approaches to gathering data on student learning for research in statistics education. Statistics Education Research Journal, [Online] 1(2) , fehps.une.edu.au/F/s/curric/cReading/serj.
• Garfield, J., Chance, B., and Snell, J.L. (2001).Technology in college statistics courses. In D. Holton et al. (Eds.). The Teaching and Learning of Mathematics at University Level: An ICMI study (pp. 357-370). Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Kluwer Academic Publishers.
• Garfield, J. & Chance, B. (2000). Assessment in statistics education: Issues and challenges. Mathematical Thinking and Learning, 2, 99-125.
• delMas, R., Garfield, J., & Chance, B. (1999). A model of classroom research in action: Developing simulation activities to improve students' statistical reasoning. Journal of Statistics Education [Online] , 7 (3), www.amstat.org/publications/jse.