Transcript Slide 1

Assessing Internet Resources
in Statistics Education
Ginger Holmes Rowell
Middle Tennessee State University
September 11, 2007
Internet
• A Great Source of
Statistics Education
Learning Resources
– interactive applets,
videos, tutorials,
lesson plans, case
studies, engaging
learning activities, …
Issues with Internet-based
Instructional Technologies
• Limited time for
• Finding & evaluating
• Selecting & assessing
• Amount of information on the Internet
can be overwhelming.
Now what was
that URL???
Assessing - Technology
As teachers, we are accustomed to
assessing student learning.
Assessing - Technology
Is that different from assessing technologybased learning resources?
Overview
• A General Approach for Assessing
Instructional Technologies
– Triadic Assessment
• Example of Existing Assessments
– Digital Libraries
– MERLOT/CAUSEweb Peer Review
Criteria
• Other Resources/Examples
Internet-Based Instructional Technologies:
Large Statistics Projects
Rice Virtual Lab in Statistics
http://illuminations.nctm.org
Virtual Laboratories in
Probability and Statistics
http://www.math.uah.edu/stat/
http://onlinestatbook.com/rvls.html
http://www.cvgs.k12.va.us/DIGSTATS/
General Assessment:
Instructional Technologies
• The TLT Group,
Teaching, Learning,
and Technology
http://www.tltgroup.org/
• Flashlight Program:
For the Study and
Improvement of Educational Uses of Technology
http://www.tltgroup.org/flashlightP.htm
Technology Assessment
• Monad Approach
• Dyadic Approach
• Triadic Approach
Technology
Activity
Outcome
Flashlight Project, The TLT Group, Gilbert
Assessing Technology
An Example
Desired Outcome
Recognize convergence of empirical distribution to theoretical function.
Visualize shape of binomial distribution for different values of n and p.
Select Activity
Simulate a binomial experiment 10, 100 & 1000 times.
Vary n and p.
Select Technology
10 Simulations – Low Tech
1000 Simulations – High Tech (Computer Simulation)
Binomial Distribution Simulation
(n=10, p=0.5)
10 Repetitions
100 Repetitions
1000 Repetitions
Note the apparent convergence of the relative frequency
function (red) to the probability mass function (blue).
http://www.math.uah.edu/stat/bernoulli/Binomial.xhtml
Binomial n=10
p = 0.15
p = 0.5
p = 0.85
Note the change in the shape of the distribution (blue) as p changes.
http://www.math.uah.edu/stat/bernoulli/Binomial.xhtml
One Solution for Internet-based
Instructional Technologies
• Digital Libraries
• Organized, Searchable
• Reviewed & Assessed (sometimes)
• National Science Digital Library
(www.nsdl.org)
Digital Library Projects
http://www.merlot.org/
http://www.causeweb.org
http://www.mathdl.org/
http://www.smete.org/
(Science, Math, Engineering & Technology Education)
MERLOT & CAUSEweb
http://www.merlot.org/
– Not just for statistics
– An established assessment process
http://www.causeweb.org
– Mission: support undergraduate statistics
teachers & learners
www.CAUSEweb.org
•
Digital Library for
Undergraduate
Statistics Education
•
CAUSEway
workshops
•
USCOTS
•
Webinars
•
Future
Opportunities (keep
checking this
website.)
•
Getting Started
•
Guidelines for
Research
•
Readings &
Publications
•
Literature Index
•
Dissertations
•
Working Groups
and Projects
www.merlot.org
www.merlot.org
MERLOT Statistics
• MERLOT Statistics and CAUSEweb share
an Editorial Board
– Roger Woodard, Editor [email protected]
• Peer reviewed materials appear in both
locations & a composite review is shown
• Peer reviews help to:
– Pass on expert knowledge
– Point out possible downsides
MERLOT/CAUSEweb
Review Components
• Descriptive
– All items in MERLOT and CAUSEweb
have a descriptive component
• Evaluation
– Peer-reviewed items have an evaluation
component
– Evaluations are shown on the record
– MERLOT has a “star” rating system
Review Component:
Description
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Overview
Type of Material
Technical Requirements
Learning Goals*
Recommended Uses*
Target Student Population
Prerequisites*
* only required on peer reviewed items
Review Component:
Evaluation
• Content Quality
• Potential Effectiveness
as a Teaching Tool
• Ease of Use
• Issues and Comments
CAUSEweb/MERLOT
Review Criteria Overview
• Quality of Content (concepts, models and
skills): valid & educationally significant
• Likely Effectiveness: improves ability to
learn material, easily integrated, learning goals
easily identifiable, conducive for writing good
learning assignments, promotes/uses effective
learning strategies
• Ease of Use: easy first time use, consistent
appearance, clear instructions, not limited by
technical resources
Content Quality
• Does the item present valid concepts,
models, and skills?
– Is the information presented by the item factually
correct?
– Does the item use appropriate vocabulary?
– Does the information presented by the item follow
generally accepted notation?
– Does the item encourage appropriate statistical
practice?
– Does the item integrate graphics and multimedia
when appropriate?
Content Quality
• Does the item present educationally
significant concepts, models, and skills?
– Does the item help develop conceptual
understanding of statistics?
– Is the item non-trivial? Is the level of
understanding obtained relative to the amount of
time required?
• Is the item dealing with an important
topic?
– Does it deal with a topic that students typically find
challenging?
Potential Effectiveness as a
Teaching Tool
• Are the teaching-learning goals easy
to identify?
• Can the item be readily integrated
into a statistics course or
curriculum?
– Does the item fit into standard presentation
of statistics courses?
– Can the item be used with standard texts?
Potential Effectiveness as a
Teaching Tool
• Does the item promote and/or use
effective learning strategies?
– Does the item promote active engagement?
– Does the item help develop critical thinking
skills?
– Will the item promote student discovery?
• Can learning be readily assessed?
Ease of Use
• How easy is the item to use for the first time?
• Does the item have a consistent feel and
appearance?
• Does the item have clear instructions?
• Is the item convenient and inviting to use?
• Does the item provide an effective feedback
mechanism?
• Can the item be used by individuals with a variety
of backgrounds/technical skills?
• Is technical support necessary?
• Is the item limited by technical resources such as
Internet connection speed or special plug-ins?
Interested in helping Peer
Review for
CAUSEweb/MERLOT?
Contact:
[email protected]
Other Technology Assessment
Resources & Examples
• Network for the Evaluation of Education
and Training Technologies
– Comparison Terms
– Example: Robert DelMas paper/software
• ARTIST
– Great Resource for Statistics Assessment
– On-line Introductory Statistics Test Builder
General Assessment:
Instructional Technologies
Network for the Evaluation of Education
and Training Technologies (EvNet)
• National multi-discipline, multi-sector network
• Committed to improving instructional
technologies (used in Canadian education)
through research focused on assessment and
evaluation
http://socserv2.socsci.mcmaster.ca/srnet/exsum.htm
Technology Assessment:
EvNet Best/Worst Practices
• Best Practice Labels
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
• Worst Practice Labels
Warmware
– Coldware
Inclusive
– Blocks access
Access Equity
– Expensive/costly
User Control
– Loss of Control
Learner Driven
– Destructive of
collaborative learning
Knowledge building
– No interactivity
Meaningful
Interaction
–…
EvNet, p. 2-3
– Multidimensional http://socserv2.socsci.mcmaster.ca/srnet/exsum.htm
–…
Best Practices Example
• Robert delMas: develop & assess software
• Software: Sampling Distribution
• Objective: students explore simulations of
sampling distributions to learn and/or
discover Central Limit Theorem concepts
• Assessment: combine existing research
models (Nickerson and Holland et al. "Inductive Reasoning
Model") list features to promote understanding
(1996 ISAE Roundtable Conference on the Role of Technology)
ARTIST: Assessment Resource Tools
for Improving Statistical Thinking
https://ore.gen.umn.edu/artist/index.html
ARTIST Assessment Builder
(for Introductory Statistics)
Free login
https://ore.gen.umn.edu/artist/index.html
References
• Cuneo, Carl. "Twenty Criteria for Evaluating Instructional Technologies:
From Best to Worst Practices." EvNet Website.
http://socserv2.mcmaster.ca/srnet/tools/tktoc.htm Retrieved July 26,
2004.
• delMas, Robert. "A Framework for the Evaluation of Software for
Teaching Statistical Concepts" 1996 IASE Roundtable Conference
Proceedings. Website Version.
http://www.stat.Auckland.ac.nz/~iase/php?show=8. PDF file
7.delMas.pdf. Retrieved July 15, 2004.
• EvNet, Network for the Evaluation of Training and Technology.
http://socserv2.socsci.mcmaster.ca/srnet/exsum.htm Retrieved July 23,
2004.
References Continued
• Garfield, Joan. "Preface" to 1996 IASE Roundtable Conference
Proceedings. Website Version. http://www.stat.Auckland.ac.nz/
~iase/php?show=8. PDF file iforward.pdf. Retrieved July 23, 2004.
• Gilbert, Steven. "What is a Triad?" PowerPoint Presentation. The
Teaching, Learning, and Technology Group.
http://www.tltgroup.org/media/fl/Triad.htm Retrieved July 2002.
• Gilbert, Steven. The Teaching, Learning, and Technology Group.
http://www.tltgroup.org/resources/TranslucentTechnologies5-08-02.htm
Retrieved July 2002.
• Shaughnessy, J. Michael. "Discussion: Empirical Research On
Technology And Teaching Statistics" 1996 IASE Roundtable
Conference Proceedings. Website Version.
http://www.stat.Auckland.ac.nz/~iase/php?show=8. PDF file
17.shaughnessy.pdf. Retrieved July 23, 2004.
References Continued
• Siegrist, Kyle. "The Binomial Coin Experiment." Virtual Laboratories in
Probability and Statistics, 1997-2004. University of Alabama in
Huntsville. http://www.math.uah.edu/stat/ Retrieved June 2002.
• The Teaching, Learning, and Technology (TLT) Group. Information
Page. The TLT Group. http://www.tltgroup.org/ Retrieved July 2002.
• Valdez, Gilbert. "Evaluation Standards and Criteria for Technology
Implementation," North Central Regional Educational Laboratory.
http://www.ncrel.org/tandl/eval_standards_and_criteria.htm Retrieved
July 23, 2004.