Scribd
Upload
56 views3 pages

01 Supplement Teaching Tips

This document provides teaching tips for statistics courses at the undergraduate level. It suggests keeping a 2/3 instruction to 1/3 problem-solving ratio to engage students. It also recommends using recitations, clickers, and ALEKS software to enhance learning, especially in large "mega sections" of 200-400 students. ALEKS works best when students consistently use both the learning and assessment modes for 3-5 hours per week. Computer labs and online homework systems like Connect can also be effective teaching tools if implemented properly.

Uploaded by

Bruno Marins
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
56 views3 pages

01 Supplement Teaching Tips

This document provides teaching tips for statistics courses at the undergraduate level. It suggests keeping a 2/3 instruction to 1/3 problem-solving ratio to engage students. It also recommends using recitations, clickers, and ALEKS software to enhance learning, especially in large "mega sections" of 200-400 students. ALEKS works best when students consistently use both the learning and assessment modes for 3-5 hours per week. Computer labs and online homework systems like Connect can also be effective teaching tools if implemented properly.

Uploaded by

Bruno Marins
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 3

Teaching Tips

Teaching Tips

In General
Undergraduate business students at a traditional four year university range in age
between 18 and 21, their math skills are strong, and their desire to be engaged is
high.Advancements in higher education have focused on using technology to engage
students during class, allowing for peer instruction during class, and giving students an
opportunity to develop critical thinking in the classroom. In our experience, the more
time spent during class actually working problems and discussing outcomes, increases the
interest level of the student.
In all classes, regardless of size, a ratio of 2/3 instructiontime to 1/3 individual
problem solving time keeps students engaged. Requiring a uniform calculator helps
immensely. We have found that a basic financial calculator with two variable statistics
works well. Encourage students to work together on problems during the lecture.
Students who grasp the concepts quickly can often offer insight to a struggling student to
make the “light bulb pop on”. And in this process, those students who do have a strong
understanding gain an even deeper appreciation of statistics.

Mega Sections
Many universities now teach introductory statistics in a “mega” section with
enrollments between 200 and 400 students. While this may be a less than ideal structure
for teaching a statistics course, it is a reality with which instructors at large universities
are now faced. Experience has shown us that the pace of the class has as much to do with
the size of the class as with the quantitative skills of the students. Developing a method
that works in spite of the large classroom size is a challenge. We offer several suggestions
based on our own practice to enhance the experience of the mega section.

 Recitations: Offering recitations alongside the mega section lectures


certainly helps the learning process. A typical week would be two 50-
minute lectures with all 400 students followed by a 50-minute recitation
for 40-50 students. New material is presented in the lecture only.
Recitation time is for working problems in a small environment with more
opportunities for individual feedback. Recitations can be very effective
when led by a knowledgeable “learning assistant” such as an
upperclassman or a graduate student. Young undergraduates are often
more comfortable with someone they consider a peer. Recitations can also
be used for examinations, keeping the lectures free for new material.

 Clickers: Using technology such as an audience response system (they are


often called “clickers”) can help make the large classroom an interactive
experience for everyone. Clickers work. They allow students to answer
questions during class, anonymously. The instructor can immediately
provide feedback by showing the class distribution of responses. In our
experience, students like the interactive nature of the classroom and learn
from the fast feedback. Questions should be diverse. Short calculations
work better than long detailed calculations. Critical thinking types of

1
Teaching Tips

questions such as restating the decision to reject the null hypothesis in


terms of a business decision are excellent for developing critical thinking
skills. Questions dealing with difficult concepts such as sampling
variability and the central limit theorem allow students an opportunity to
discuss these important statistical ideas. Asking 3 or 4 questions during a
50 minute lecture is appropriate. Dispersing the questions throughout the
lecture is usually more effective than asking all questions at the beginning
or at the end. Students tend to lose interest once they know the “clickers”
are off.

ALEKS
ALEKS can be used effectively in a variety of class sizes. We have used ALEKS with
small summer courses as well as mega sections. The key to making ALEKS effective is
the consistent use of both the learning mode AND assessments. In our experience,
students who use ALEKS in the manner for which it was intended do show greater
success in all aspects of a course than students who do not use ALEKS consistently. We
have used a final ALEKS assessment as a course homework grade rather than grading
textbook homework. In our experience it is a reasonable expectation that every student
can master 70% of the topics in a one semester course (see outline) by the end of 16
weeks if they work consistently 3-5 hours each week.
Educating students about ALEKS is critical. Key points to consider:
 ALEKS requires precise answers and therefore can frustrate students. Instructors
must consistently remind students that precision is important.
 ALEKS assessments are learning tools just as much as the learning mode.
Requesting assessments for students on a regular basis throughout the semester is
critical.
 ALEKS continuously pushes students to learn. It will not allow students to get
into “cruise mode”. This can also be frustrating but it happens to be one of the
most effective features of the tool.
 ALEKS quizzes should probably be used for practice, not for grades. Focusing the
students’ attention on the quizzes distracts them from the most effective features
(see above.)

Computer Labs
Teaching in a computer lab can be an exhilarating experience. Although students
can be tempted to wander on the web, there are software controls that some institutions
have available so that students are not allowed to browse. But having access to the web
can make for some great classroom exercises using websites such as the Bureau of Labor
Statistics. We have included several classroom exercises that make use of a computer lab
in the projects document.

2
Teaching Tips

CONNECT
Students have shown they like working homework online because they can get
instant feedback on whether they are correct or not correct. They can also work the
homework at any time of the day and still receive feedback. We have used Connect with
success as long as the homework is not high stakes. A workable format is to create
homework assignments that can be worked as many times as the student needs. We use
quizzes for graded assessments. By allowing a window of a few days to a week for
quizzes, students feel less pressure when taking the quiz and seem to be more likely to
work on their own. Obviously it is difficult to monitor student work when assigning
online assessments but we’ve found that in spite of this, students seem to score in
reasonable ranges on the Connect quizzes. McGraw Hill and the authors are continuously
taking faculty feedback on Connect exercises, including setting appropriate tolerances,
and welcome your feedback and input.

You might also like