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The birds and the bees: interactive graphics and problem solving in the teaching of statistics

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Abstract

Software which allows interactive exploration of graphical displays is widely available. In addition there now exist sophisticated ‘authoring tools’ which allow more general textual and graphical material to be presented in computer-based form. The role of an authoring tool in providing a graphical interface to a strategy for solving simple statistical problems in the context of teaching is discussed. This interface allows a variety of resources to be integrated. Specific examples, including the use of dynamic graphical displays in exploring data and in communicating the meaning of a model, are proposed. These ideas are illustrated by a problem involving the identification of the sex of a herring gull.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. of Statistics, The University of Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK

    Adrian Bowman

  2. Computing Service, The University of Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK

    James Currall

  3. Research Machines PLC, 183 Milton Park, Abingdon

    Richard Lyall

Authors
  1. Adrian Bowman
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  2. James Currall
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  3. Richard Lyall
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Bowman, A., Currall, J. & Lyall, R. The birds and the bees: interactive graphics and problem solving in the teaching of statistics. Statistics and Computing 7, 237–246 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1018546404769

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1018546404769

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