Basic Statistics
Instructor's Guide

Skills Students Need

This module addresses research skills and provides opportunities for information gathering, synthesis, and analysis in solving problems and critical thinking.

Students should have the following skills prior to using this module:

The instructor should identify local resources that can provide these students with the skills they need to complete this module. Some examples of these resources include:

Identification of students lacking these skills and providing them with learning opportunities to acquire these skills is a critical necessity. This module will not provide this instruction. It will only provide the opportunity for students to utilize these resources in a meaningful, relevant manner.

 

ANGEL

The instructor should explain that the content for this module resides in ANGEL and ask students to read the content, and complete any relevant activities prior to any in-class instruction.   Provide students with the following information:

 

Quizzes, Reflective Questions and Activities

Each module contains activities designed to help students learn and practice the concepts presented.   Reflective questions help students recall what they already know about the topic as well as to work through new ideas and concepts.   Worksheets and tip sheets supplement the instruction and give students an opportunity for additional practice.   Quizzes provide yet another means for students to practice as well as to check to be sure they have read and understand the materials.

The modules all have a standard layout. When you import a module into your ANGEL group or course a folder with the module's name will be added under the "Lessons" tab (course) or the "Content" tab (group). This folder can be moved and placed within another folder if desired.

To start the module, students should open the first file in the list inside each module's folder. This file has the word lesson as part of its name and contains the links to other parts of the lesson.

Open the first file in the module folder to begin the lesson.

This "master" file contains descriptions of the purpose, goals, and objectives, as well as instructions for completing the module, references to materials used in designing and developing the content of the module, a summary of the important points in the module, and a survey for students to complete after finishing the module. (Survey results are available to editors in the group or course through the on-line grade report tool.)

The rest of the files in each module's folder are accessed through links embedded within the content. As the student reads the content and completes the activities, other files from the folder will be used.   Some students may become confused if they try to complete the module by working their way down the list and viewing each file without reading the accompanying materials.   Instructors may want to make a point of announcing in class and/or putting directions in the syllabus about how to complete each module.

Note: The module will not work correctly if the student does not begin with the "master" file and work through the activities using the embedded links.

Scores for quizzes are recorded in ANGEL and can be accessed through the on-line grade report tool. Responses to reflective questions using the "My Notes" tool are accessible only to the person who types them - they are not available to the group or course editors. If you, as the instructor, want to see the answers to the reflective quesitons, you will need to have the students use a word processor to record their answers instead of the "My Notes" tool.

In addition to the quizzes and activities already written into each module, owners/editors may want to add discussion (message) boards, chat rooms, surveys, links, etc. These are all tools that are available within ANGEL. Instructors also have the option of editing and adding or deleting quiz questions and/or quizzes.

As the instructor, you will need to choose which assignments students are to complete, determine if and how credit will be given for the assignments, and establish due dates and submission methods for the assignments.   Including this information in your course syllabus will make it readily available to students.

Following are the assignments embedded in the Statistics module:

Activity 1:   Quiz

Activity 2:   Quiz

Activity 3:   Quiz

Activity 4 and 5:   Activity - find examples of data sets and calculate the mean, median, and mode;   define "r" and "p."

 

Relationship to Other iStudy Modules

This module should be used before or in conjunction with the Source Access and Evaluation Modules, for statistics are one method for evaluating source materials. It can also be used in conjunction with the Oral Report Module.

 

Suggested In-class Methods of Presentation

Lecture

Discussion

OPTIONAL - Have students look in the local or college newspaper for examples of statistics. Have them identify the statistics used.

Note : This is an excellent opportunity to utilize and reinforce the cooperative learning techniques found in the Cooperative Learning Module.

 

Key Points

These points are covered in the iStudy module, but should be emphasized in any discussions.

Mean, median, and mode

Separate symptoms from causes (significance, P value)

Define and analyze the problem (correlation, r value)

 

Assessment Data Sets

Instructors can use the following data sets to ascertain a student's understanding of the concepts presented in this module.

Data Set A) 1, 2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 4, 4, 5

Data Set B) 1, 2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 4, 5, 15

Data Set C) 1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 4, 4, 6, 7, 8

Data Set D) 1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3

Data Set E) 3, 3, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10

In the data set A), find its mean, median, and mode.

In the data set B), find its mean, median, and mode.

In the data set C), find its mean, median, and mode.

In the data set D), find its mean, median, and mode.

In the data set E), find its mean, median, and mode.

 

Assessment

Through observing both the group's and the individual's activity, the instructor may assess student performance. Assessment criteria are as follows (Instructors supply the percentage weights:)

Where

Domain

Activities

%

iStudy module

Knowledge

The learner can define the follow-ing statistical terms; Mean, Median, Mode, Significance, P-value, Correlation, and r-value

In-class

Comprehension

With respect to the data set A) through E) above, the learner can explain the following cases: 1) Mean = Median = Mode 2) Mean ¹Median = Mode 3) Mean = Median ¹Mode 4) Mean = Mode ¹Median 5) Mean ¹Median ¹Mode

The learner can explain the following questions: 1) What does it mean by p<.05? 2) What does it mean by r=-1, r=0, r=1?

In-class

Application

The learner can interpret data by using the statistical terms, when given a set of data.

iStudy module

Synthesis

The learner can make a set of data him/herself under a certain rule and interpret it by using the statistical terms.

100