Dear Instructor,
Are you currently teaching an introductory statistics course at the postsecondary level?
If yes, I am writing to request your assistance in helping to gather data to assist in the
development of a learning map of topics typically taught in introductory statistics. A
theoretical map (Stat-LM) of statistics knowledge and skills exists, but to determine
whether the theoretical arrangement of knowledge and skills is accurate for actual
students, we need information about how students think about statistical ideas and
problems. The research team has assembled the Stat-LM Assessment, which will be presented
in an online Qualtrics survey.
Our team requests your help at this time by asking your students to complete the Stat-LM
Assessment. Each participating student will receive about 30 items, and different students
may receive different collections of items. All items relate to material taught in a
typical introductory statistics course. Student responses to the questions will used to
assess the accuracy of the hypothesized structure of our learning map model.
The first 50 instructors who volunteer, and whose students complete the Stat-LM
Assessment, will receive a $40 Amazon gift card. In addition to a report including the
names of your participating students, we will share a summary of the statistical knowledge
captured from all participating students. Instructors may choose to administer the
assessment items to your students either inside or outside of the classroom. You may want
to offer extra credit to your students as an incentive.
Ideally, we would prefer that your student complete the Stat-LM Assessment by December 17,
2021. If this will not be possible, please let me know. I sincerely hope that you will be
able to help during this phase of our study.
The information collected about your students will be used by:
Dr. Laura Ziegler, Iowa State University
Dr. Angela Broaddus, Benedictine College
Dr. Jonathan Templin, the University of Iowa
Please let us know if you are interested by filling out this survey:
https://iastate.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_4UiAAxmt4RXCUMS.
Sincerely,
Laura Ziegler
Iowa State University
Department of Statistics
lziegler(a)iastate.edu
Researcher Contact Information
Angela Broaddus, PhD
Principal Investigator
Mathematics and Computer Science
Benedictine College
1020 North 2nd Street
Atchison, Kansas 66002
913-360-7435
abroaddus(a)benedictine.edu