WINTER 2012 - National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and ...

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Amy E. Smith and Ignacio J. Martinez-Moyano address the quantitative underpreparedness and math anxiety of students, instructors should focus on applying statistics to real life and require students to engage in actual data collection. To tackle students’ desire to memorize rather than understand, instructors should use relevant examples, select textbooks that are appropriate and employ practical examples, and use “story” problems. To deal with low levels of motivation, participation, and engagement among students, instructors should be sure to emphasize interpretation and understanding, not results; build knowledge incrementally; and allow memorization. In a general sense, instructors should focus on four macro categories of tools and philosophies when trying to address each of the challenges associated with statistics education emerge (Figure 2): use of relevant real-life applications, use of technology, focus on process and understanding, and student-centric considerations. Additionally, seven pieces of advice for instructors can be garnered from the four macro categories. Advice for Statistics Instructors: Insights to Take into the Classroom 1. Use topical examples from current events and practitioner sources and very clearly illuminate how statistics relates to these examples of real life. (Macro category: Use of relevant real-life applications) The emphasis on using concrete examples of applied statistics was the most common suggestion among instructors participating in the Delphi exercise. It was clear that these real-life examples were not only advisable, but an absolute necessity. These examples should come from sources familiar to the students, sources they encounter in their lives—or, as more succinctly stressed by one participant, “from practitioner sources, not journals.” Another participant suggested working with the same articles and readings that the students are simultaneously using in other courses. To illustrate how statistics relates to real life, one instructor said, “Elaborate the client’s stories behind the statistics.” In addition to other common suggestions such as using assignments that require analyzing statistics in current events, many instructors also suggested having students conduct an original data analysis exercise. Some suggested that students design a study, collect a small amount of original data on a topic of interest to them (related either to an academic program or an outside interest), conduct the analysis, and write up the results. Others suggested employing the help of other faculty to “engage [students] in a real world project in an area of interest to them.” Finally, selecting an appropriate textbook that uses relevant examples was also discussed as paramount. 2. Use computer applications early and often, but not without conceptual explanation. (Macro category: Use of technology) One theme that received overwhelming attention among experienced instructors teaching statistics in practitioner-oriented master’s degree programs was the use of statistical software by students. This is considered essential, and 122 Journal of Public Affairs Education
Figure 2. Expanded Model of Research Production and Research Use Emphasize interpretation and understanding, not results [Ch 4] Build knowledge incrementally [Ch 4] Use relevant examples and require students to do the same [Ch 4] Use relevant real-life examples [Ch 1] Emphasize process, not the results [Ch 1] [Ch 1] Designing and/or selecting tools effective for learning Apply statistics to real life [Ch 2] Provide examples of bad use of statistics [Ch 4] Reiterate the same problems using different techniques [Ch 3] Use relevant examples [Ch 3] Focus on Process and Understanding Use of Technology Use “story” Problems [Ch 3] [Ch 2] Deal with low levels of motivation, participation, and engagement of students Do easy math [Ch 1] Use notation early [Ch 1] Select textbooks that employ practical examples [Ch 3] Select an appropriate text [Ch 3] Techniques in Teaching Statistics Require data collection exercises [Ch 1] [Ch 3] Neutralize tendency to want to memorize instead of understand Employ computer applications [Ch 1] Student-centric Considerations Use of Relevant Real-life Applications Require data collection exercises [Ch 1] Use simulation to generate insights about statistical concepts[Ch 1] Demonstrate the value of understanding statistics [Ch 1] Allow memorization [Ch 4] Ignore lack of motivation [Ch 2] [Ch 4] Overcome quantitative underppreparedness and math anxiety of students Utilize on-line discussion groups [Ch 3] Journal of Public Affairs Education 123
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JPAE VOLUME 18 NUMBER 1 JOURNAL OF
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Journal of Public Affairs Education
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FROM THE EDITOR In the symposium in
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NASPAA Presidential Address Annual
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Leading by Example: Modeling Global
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FROM THE GUEST EDITOR FROM THE GUES
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FROM THE GUEST EDITOR A SYMPOSIUM I
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on other fronts, certainly it can h
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Picasso, P. (1937). Guernica. Pictu
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A View from the 50th Street Gate on
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Reflections of a Working-Class Acad
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Reflections of a Working Class Acad
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Reflections of a Working Class Acad
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Class Rooms Kenneth Oldfield Univer
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Class Rooms although I did, but not
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Class Rooms GRADUATE SCHOOL I was u
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Class Rooms the odds this appointee
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Class Rooms The Great Leveler, too
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Class Rooms of higher learning and
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ook (Oldfield & Johnson, 2009). The
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Didactic Changes Class Rooms Pedago
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Admittedly, it will be difficult to
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hooks, b. (2000). Where we stand: C
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Shaw, G. B. (1928). The intelligent
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What’s a Girl Like You Doing in a
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What’s a Girl Like You For exampl
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What’s a Girl Like You and operat
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What’s a Girl Like You captured t
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What’s a Girl Like You full-blown
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What’s a Girl Like You inside). I
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What’s a Girl Like You and collea
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What’s a Girl Like You toward ser
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Blue-Collar Teaching in a White-Col
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Blue-Collar Teaching Half of my fam
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negative impact on ARP downloads (
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Knowledge and Skills for Policy Mak
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Stories from Local Public Managers
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and writing the proposal for the co
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Another echoes: Stories from Local
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I think communication is one of the
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Creating Quality Online Course Desi
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it was achieved. The assessment of
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Fulbright Program for Foreign Stude
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Review of Moral Controversies in Am
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application of those foundations to
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Journal of Public Affairs Education
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Information for Contributors The Jo
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