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

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Amy E. Smith and Ignacio J. Martinez-Moyano there is a consensus that students should get accustomed to it. Students should see examples performed in class using software and be required to engage in some hands-on use of statistical software as well. One participant said, “Spreadsheet software and a projection system for in-class examples—essential!” However, along with the software, students must also get conceptual explanations. Aptly put by one participant, instructors should “avoid statistical ‘packages’ as ‘black boxes’ (numbers in, numbers out).” In addition to using software frequently, the choice of software is also important. The software employed must be accessible and comprehensible for students. One participant underscored this point by saying, “Use software that students don’t have to pay attention to, so the focus is always on statistics.” Spreadsheet-based statistical packages such as that contained in Microsoft Excel were highly recommended, while more robust statistical packages were ill advised. One participant said, “Stay away from the powerful, esoteric packages— good interface design is never a bad thing!” Along with familiarizing students with statistical software, using computer applications to illustrate statistical concepts was also important to experienced instructors. Using tools like applets that “bring concepts alive” such as scatterplots and correlation, spreadsheet simulations, and even games were among the suggested ways that computer technology adds value to statistics instruction. 3. Emphasize understanding rather than calculations. Focus on interpretation, not results. (Macro category: Focus on process and understanding) As one instructor said, “show them that statistics is fundamentally not about math, it’s about concepts.” This idea was echoed by many in statements like, “Don’t teach math. Teach stats—it’s concepts more than numbers.” The point made by participants here is that students need to know from the first day of class that statistics is about logic and concepts, not math and formulas. Therefore, employing techniques such as beginning the course with a discussion of research questions and using regular language and logic before using notation to explain concepts were among the suggestions made by participants. As one participant indicated, “Use math derivations very sparingly, and only when they provide crucial understanding.” In other words, leave out the math except when it is essential. This is highlighted by the comment made by one instructor, “Always use ‘natural language’—e.g., stating hypotheses in words or as a question before presenting in symbols and then concluding in words.” 4. Take steps to acknowledge and manage anxiety of the students. (Macro category: Student-centric considerations) As just suggested, deemphasizing math was certainly a common message among instructors. However, some math is typically necessary, and math deficiencies and fear are real among students. So, while experienced instructors emphasize that statistics is more about logic than about math, instructors suggested several things to ameliorate some of the math anxiety. For example, 124 Journal of Public Affairs Education
Techniques in Teaching Statistics offer a short math refresher for “brushing up” before the semester of statistics begins, give a brief math quiz at the beginning of the class to give students an idea of what kinds of math skills will be required for the course, provide a formula sheet for exams, and consider giving open-book exams. 5. Require group work both in and outside of class in very small groups. (Macro category: Student-centric considerations) Requiring group work for most aspects of a statistics course was another common theme among instructors participating in this study. Group work requires students to explain concepts to each other, which reinforces understanding rather than results. In addition, group work is another tool for managing student anxiety about statistics. One instructor even said, “Encourage working in pairs on everything except tests.” Instructors suggested techniques such as posing a question to the class and requiring students to think through their response with a neighbor before answering the question and using small groups, each equipped with a flip chart and an assignment to create, for example, a histogram by hand. However, one distinction was evident in comments regarding group work. While most instructors emphasized the value of group work, many instructors also indicated that groups are most effective when they are no larger than two students. As one instructor indicated, “I find this better than small groups in terms of everyone learning.” 6. Give students plenty of opportunities to practice. (Macro category: Student-centric considerations) For many, anxiety is the product of uncertainty. Giving students plenty of examples and practice opportunities will help reduce anxiety and reinforce what the instructor wants them to learn. Among the techniques suggested by instructors for providing practice are handing out past exams; developing and distributing additional sets of practice problems; letting students choose among a set of possible homework questions; giving out answers to practice problems; arranging for an online discussion group for “rapid feedback on questions”; and holding small-group problem-solving sessions. 7. Exude passion, excitement, and even drama for the subject. (Macro category: Student-centric considerations) In any class, students thrive on the passion communicated from the instructor. Statistics is no exception. One instructor suggested that when covering topics such as the central limit theorem, drama is not only appropriate but advised. In the same vein, instructors also can “show [students] that understanding a problem is cool.” The four challenges inherent in teaching statistics to students enrolled in practitioner-oriented master’s degree programs are not necessarily distinct, but rather intertwined. As depicted in Figure 2, the clusters of ideas generated for addressing each of the four challenges are linked to the four macro categories identified: use of relevant real-life applications, use of technology, focus on process Journal of Public Affairs Education 125
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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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Blue-Collar Teaching from physics.
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Page 93 and 94: Moving Forward by Looking Back Gary
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Page 111 and 112: REFERENCES Ashwander v. Tennessee V
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Page 139 and 140: Felbinger, C. L., Holzer, M., & Whi
Page 141 and 142: Snee, R. D. (1993). What’s missin
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Page 153 and 154: Table 1. Descriptive Statistics of
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Sharing Student Research with the W
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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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