Identifying and Overcoming Barriers to Teaching a Reformed Introductory Statistics Course

Panel Discussion at the Joint Statistical Meetings 2007

Organizer: Doug Zahn, Zahn and Associates, Tallahassee, Florida
Panelists: Marjorie Bond, Monmouth College IL
Christine Kohnen, St. Olaf College MN
Karen Kinard, Tallahassee Community College FL
Mary Parker, Austin Community College TX

Abstract: Much effort has been expended to develop materials and methods to be used in teaching reformed introductory statistics courses. However, there remain substantial barriers to their production and implementation. These barriers include time, change, and technology. Interestingly enough, each of these is a barrier in a different way for faculty, students, and administrators involved in these courses. During this session we will present questions we have identified relating to these barriers, solicit additional questions from the audience, do a Pareto analysis to identify the audience's preferences, and address as many questions as possible, in order of the audience's preferences.

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

All it takes to make a difference
is the courage to stop proving I was right
in being unable to make a difference –

to stop assigning cause for my inability
to the circumstances outside myself
and
to be willing to have been that way,

and to see that the fear of being a failure
is a lot less important than
the unique opportunity I have
to make a difference.

Handout, pages 1 & 2: (doc) Handout, pages 3 & 4 . (doc)

Slides (to be added soon) From the session: Audience additions to the list of barriers to implementing a reformed introductory statistics course

Useful Links for Statistics Educators, with annotations

Materials on Intrapersonal Learning Intrapersonal Barriers | (doc) (Also see the links on our "links document.") Making a Difference | (doc)