200 likes | 217 Views
Explore the need for change in statistics education due to growing interest, Common Core State Standards, and increasing administrative pressure for online courses. Discover how these changes can benefit educators and students alike, driving effective change driven by data.
E N D
What .. Me Change? Beth Chance Cal Poly – San Luis Obispo
Why do we need to change? • Growing interest in field of statistics • Common Core State Standards are coming • New educational needs • New educational demands • Administrative pressure for online courses
But what about ME? • Growing interest in field of statistics • Enrollment in Cal Poly 300-level statistics courses has grown 96% in last four years • New undergraduate Teaching Statistics course for prospective middle school and high school teachers of statistics
But what about ME? • Common Core State Standards are coming • CAOS Pretest Questions: Which of these classes has the least variation in scores? Correct responses: Fall 2008: 21.7% Fall 2012: 40.0%
Took the online challenge • University offered grants, assigned time, technical support for course development
Other positive changes? • With R. delMas and J. Garfield (1999) Research on student interaction with a software environment on sampling distributions
Theory of conceptual change (Posner et al, 1982) • With R. delMas and J. Garfield (1999) Research on student interaction with a software environment on sampling distributions “This model proposes that students who have misconceptions or misunderstandings need to experience an anomaly, or contradictory evidence, before they will change their current conceptions.” = cognitive dissonance
So before I can change • Build on existing literature • Need to find convincing evidence for change… • Collect more data! Guess the variable?
What is the variable? ISI course Hybrid course sabbatical (ISCAM) Moved to Cal Poly
What is the variable? cont. ISI course Hybrid course sabbatical (ISCAM) Moved to Cal Poly Students’ evaluation scores of my teaching “Stat 101” across quarters
Can we explain the pattern? • Old adage: The third time I teach the course is the best • I see the overall structure of the material • I can anticipate common student misconceptions • I have smoothed out the kinks
Can we explain the pattern? • But maybe it’s not surprising for things to go down from there? • But maybe then I begin to know the material too well? • Maybe then I begin to think I’ve already answered that question? • Maybe then I start to get complacent?
So maybe… I need change? • To challenge myself, to keep me on my toes, to reenergize me to see what is going on in my classroom • ISI curriculum • Starting from scratch • Forced me out of my comfort zone • My engagement in course • The big surprise: It’s been fun!
So I propose • Listen to ourselves and our students • Changes can be small
Changes can accumulate (1998)
But to be effective • Changes should come from within you, your students • Changes should benefit you, your students • Changes should be driven by data • Is there an issue? What is the current state? • How do things differ after the change? • Be open to alternative explanations
So how do we make effective change? • Cognitive dissonance • Help yourself • Assessment • New perspectives • Group effort • Existing educational literature