Quantitative Evidence for the Use of Simulation and Randomization in the Introductory Statistics Course

Abstract

The use of simulation and randomization in the introductory statistics course is gaining popularity, but what evidence is there that these approaches are improving students’ conceptual understanding and attitudes as we hope? In this talk I will discuss evidence from early full-length versions of such a curriculum, covering issues such as (a) items and scales showing improved conceptual performance compared to traditional curriculum, (b) transferability of findings to different institutions, (c) retention of conceptual understanding post-course and (d) student attitudes. Along the way I will discuss a few areas in which students in both simulation/randomization courses and the traditional course still perform poorly on standardized assessments.