Incorporating the Internet and Microsoft Excel into the Introductory Statistics Classroom
Annie Yi Han
sund1@earthlink.net
Department of Mathematics
Borough of Manhattan Community College
The City University of New York
199 Chambers Street
New York, NY 10007
Abstract
This project incorporated the use of the Internet and Microsoft Excel in two introductory statistics classrooms. A faculty homepage was developed during the first phase of the project. This web page included the statistics course syllabus, course assignments, the research projects' outline, and links to interesting web sites, data sets, and statistics applets. The project used e- mail as a telecommunication tool between the instructor and statistics students. The students utilized Microsoft Excel as the computational tool for their research projects data analyses.
The second phase of project was accomplished during the Fall 1998 semester. Two of author's four statistic classes participated in this experimental project. The other two classes served as the control group. The two experimental sessions were scheduled for computer lab once each week. In the beginning of the semester, the instructor taught the experimental group on how to log on and navigate the internet. The students were expected to download the course syllabus from the instructor's homepage. The students were introduced to the use of Microsoft Excel during the second week of the semester. The control group was taught in the traditional way (e.g. "chalk talking", "textbook driving") throughout the semester.
Assignments for all four instructor's classes were the same. A pre- and a post- test were given at the beginning and at the end of the Fall 98 semester. The mean and standard deviation of final grades and chapter quizzes for each statistics class were calculated and compared. The tests served as quantitative data. These data were accompanied by qualitative data in the form of surveys. Surveys concerning attitudes toward learning statistics were given to the enrolled students at the beginning and at the end of the semester.
The overall conclusion that can be drawn from this project is that the instructional technology pedagogy improved students understanding of difficult statistic concepts and reduced the number of formulas that must be committed to memory. The quantitative data suggested there was a significant difference in favor the experimental group. The qualitative data suggested a positive effect on students' attitudes toward learning statistics occurred.
© ATCM, Inc., 1999.
Incorporating the Internet and Microsoft Excel into the Introductory Statistics Classroom
Annie Yi Han
sund1@earthlink.net
Department of Mathematics
Borough of Manhattan Community College
The City University of New York
199 Chambers Street
New York, NY 10007
Abstract
This project incorporated the use of the Internet and Microsoft Excel in two introductory statistics classrooms. A faculty homepage was developed during the first phase of the project. This web page included the statistics course syllabus, course assignments, the research projects' outline, and links to interesting web sites, data sets, and statistics applets. The project used e- mail as a telecommunication tool between the instructor and statistics students. The students utilized Microsoft Excel as the computational tool for their research projects data analyses.
The second phase of project was accomplished during the Fall 1998 semester. Two of author's four statistic classes participated in this experimental project. The other two classes served as the control group. The two experimental sessions were scheduled for computer lab once each week. In the beginning of the semester, the instructor taught the experimental group on how to log on and navigate the internet. The students were expected to download the course syllabus from the instructor's homepage. The students were introduced to the use of Microsoft Excel during the second week of the semester. The control group was taught in the traditional way (e.g. "chalk talking", "textbook driving") throughout the semester.
Assignments for all four instructor's classes were the same. A pre- and a post- test were given at the beginning and at the end of the Fall 98 semester. The mean and standard deviation of final grades and chapter quizzes for each statistics class were calculated and compared. The tests served as quantitative data. These data were accompanied by qualitative data in the form of surveys. Surveys concerning attitudes toward learning statistics were given to the enrolled students at the beginning and at the end of the semester.
The overall conclusion that can be drawn from this project is that the instructional technology pedagogy improved students understanding of difficult statistic concepts and reduced the number of formulas that must be committed to memory. The quantitative data suggested there was a significant difference in favor the experimental group. The qualitative data suggested a positive effect on students' attitudes toward learning statistics occurred.
© ATCM, Inc., 1999. |
