Creating Online Education for K-12 Teachers of the Probability and Statistics Common Core (2014-2015)

With many states passing the Common Core educational standards, much of what has been the AP statistics curriculum will now be Common Core curriculum for all students. This project team created an online course that trains teachers to teach the probability and statistics Common Core curriculum.

The course, Teaching Statistical Thinking: Part 1 Descriptive Statistics, prepares high school teachers for teaching descriptive statistics. Teachers learn basic principles for summarizing data in meaningful ways. Satellite videos discuss pedagogy and teach statistical software via examples spanning pop culture, sports, health and other topics suitable for high school classrooms. The course is taught in three units over five weeks:

  1. Getting started with data (1 week)
  2. Single variable graphics and number summaries (1 week)
  3. Graphics and number summaries describing the relationship between two variables (2 weeks)
  4. Review (1 week).

Team members also created a free online textbook and supplementary teaching materials that teachers can use in their classrooms.

Timing

2014-2015

Team Outcomes

Teaching Statistical Thinking: Part 1 Descriptive Statistics

Reflections

Jake Lennert

I personally got to plan, film, edit and publish numerous videos where I explained different statistical lessons. These videos were published on Coursera and seen by thousands of students online. It was an incredible experience knowing that I was able to have an impact on many peoples’ lives. –Jake Lennert

This project team was originally part of the Education & Human Development theme of Bass Connections, which ended in 2022.  

Team Leaders

  • Kate Allman, Arts & Sciences-Program in Education
  • Mine Cetinkaya-Rundel, Arts & Sciences-Statistical Science
  • Dalene Stangl, Arts & Sciences-Statistical Science

/graduate Team Members

  • John Allums, Master of Arts in Teaching-MAT
  • Matthew Miller, Master of Arts in Teaching-MAT

/undergraduate Team Members

  • Madison Enos, English (AB)
  • Jeffrey Ho, Statistical Science (BS), Public Policy Studies (AB2)
  • Jesse Hu, Computer Science (BS)
  • Jacob Lennert, Sociology (AB)
  • Ella Moberg, Psychology (AB)
  • Kathrynann Odamah, Neuroscience (BS)
  • Connor Phillips, Political Science (AB)
  • Hyun Moh Shin, Economics (BS)