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This review has been accessed times since March 17, 2005

Gelman, Andrew, and Nolan, Deborah (2002). Teaching Statistics: A Bag of Tricks. New York Oxford University Press.

Pages xv + 299
$120.00 (Hardcover)   ISBN 0 19 857225 5
$49.50 (Paper)   ISBN 0 19 857224 7

Reviewed by Abbot L. Packard
University of West Georgia

March 17, 2005

Statistics instructors have often heard students lament that they see no practical use for statistics. Some researchers have found that students’ negative attitudes toward statistics create a major obstacle to successful learning (Cashin & Elmore, 1997; Fullerton & Umphrey, 2001). The very first chapter of this book tackles these issues and following chapters provide strategies that help the instructor address the attitudes that block students’ effective learning.

The keys to effectively teaching statistics are clarifying relevance of the content to the students and involving students in the process of their own learning. This book is not intended for students but for the teachers of high school and college courses in statistics, describing methods to incorporate in their classes. Most instructors or professors teaching statistics gather a few stories and activities to make certain concepts teachable. Over the years, the authors, Gelman and Nolan, have collected and developed tools, tricks and examples to aid instruction. There are more than 100 activities for courses in introductory statistics as well as activities for advanced courses.

Part One: Introductory Probability and Statistics

From the second chapter and beyond, concepts of probability and an overview using class participation demonstrations and examples are outlined.

Using graphs and class data collection within classes are described to illustrate concepts of statistics. As one example, linear regression and correlation are taught using graphing the least square methods. Concepts of data collection are illustrated with dice, telephone books and examples of “wacky surveys.” Questionnaire design, collecting and validating data, as well as how to write up results are demonstrated in the chapter on survey sampling. The use of a questionnaire found in the book, typical exam questions, taste tests and observational studies show students even more about collecting data. A chapter on statistical literacy emphasizes examples of statistics in everyday events using articles commonly found in newspapers. A chapter covering probability provides suggestions and activities to reinforce concepts of random numbers, probabilities of simple, conditional and compound events. Further knowledge is illustrated with statistical inference, confidence intervals, hypothesis testing and applied inference. Lying with statistics hooks students into further understanding of “statistical communication.”

Part Two: Putting it all together

A chapter on “How to do it” illustrates to the instructor the processes of getting started, class activities, use of exams as well as other projects and resources. This chapter, as with those before it, gives the instructor supplementary material to work with and the starting point from which to increase and expand their teaching by conducting a little research of their own. Illustrated are concepts of “using exams to teach” which explains the authors’ ideas about the knowledge gained by students from exams. Well-documented classroom projects provide additional teaching and application activities that will stimulate the students’ interest and increase their understanding. A segment suggests writing assignments that will prepare students to put into practice what is being learned in the classroom. A chapter on creating a structured course using material contained in the book gives the reader steps and material to incorporate these ideas in their teaching. Sample courses are laid out as guidelines for the statistics instructors.

Part Three: More advanced Courses

The last section of the book delves into teaching more complex statistical concepts. A chapter on decision theory and Bayesian statistics is included in this section. There are also chapters covering more student activities, examples found in newspapers, and more problems and projects in probability.

This is a book that leaves the reader with a desire to include more activities that will illustrate and reinforce teaching, and several ideas to pursue in teaching statistics to add to the “bag of tricks” started by these authors.

References

Cashin, S. E., & Elmore, P. B. (1997). Instruments used to assess attitudes toward statistics: A psychometric evaluation. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Chicago, IL.

Fullerton, J. A., & Umphrey, D. (2001). An analysis of attitudes toward statistics: Gender differences among advertising majors. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 456 479)

About the Reviewer

Abbot L. Packard
Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership and Professional Studies
College of Education
University of West Georgia
143 Education Annex
1601 Maple Street
Carrollton, Georgia 30118-5160
Email: apackard@westga.edu

Research Interests: Using data to lead change in curriculum and learning, computer delivered instruction, Adult education, methods to improve teaching of statistics and research methodology. The reviewer has a Ph.D. in Research and Evaluation from the College of Education at Virginia Tech.

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