KEEPING STUDENTSENGAGEDKari Lock Morgan

STAT 790: Teaching Statistics10/17/12

MAKE THEM WANT TO PAY ATTENTION Choose examples that will be interesting to

students (or let them choose the example!) Generate curiosity, and make discoveries Humor Teach material that will be helpful for problem

sets and exams, and mention that Show your own enthusiasm for statistics Keep the focus on the students Go at a pace they can follow Think before making all necessary information

available later

ARTICLE

Zimmer, Carl. “Stop Paying Attention: Zoning Out is a Crucial Mental State,” The Brain, Discover Magazine, 6/15/09.

I am going to do my best to hold your attention until the very last word of this column. Actually, I know it’s futile. Along the way, your mind will wander off, then return, then drift away again. But I can console myself with some recent research on the subject of mind wandering. Mind wandering is not necessarily the sign of a boring column. It’s just one of the things that make us human. …

INVOLVED STUDENTS = ENGAGED STUDENTS Making them want to pay attention may not

be enough Involving your students forces them to be

engaged! Involve your students in any way you can

Think, pair, shareClickersLive demosClass ActivitiesGroup activities/problemsGuided handoutsLet them generate their own dataParticipation

THINK, PAIR, SHARE Think of a professor you’ve had who was

particularly engaging What did he/she do to make class so

engaging?

CLICKERS Students click in answers to multiple choice

questions Clickers are linked to students, so can be

used for mini quizzes, graded participation Easy way to…

Get everyone thinkingAssess whether the class is with youStimulate discussionLet students know how they compareForce students to engage with the materialCollect data

“Easy” QuestionsStraightforward, relatively quickStudents should be able to get the answer

Purpose: INVOLVE the students! Gauge student understandingSolidify concepts and definitions

Review/recap materialQuick assessment

1. Higher: 2575842. Lower: 2582753. The Same:

2582764. No Clue: 372023

THE FORMULA FOR A 95% CI USES 1.96 AS A MULTIPLIER OF THE SE. IF WE INSTEAD WANTED A 99% CI, WOULD WE USE A NUMBER HIGHER OR LOWER THAN 1.96?

?X SE

2.6

Text answer to 37607

Chart

WHAT’S THE EXPECTED RETURN OF THIS PORTFOLIO?

Total Shares Expected ReturnGOOGLE 500 8%

MICROSOFT 500 4%

1. 4%: 5247052. 6%: 5247463. 12%: 5247474. I need more information:

524748 Need to know the price of each share

Text answer to 37607Chart

Discussion QuestionsQuestions require thought and reasoningYou don’t expect all students to get the answer

Ask once, do not give the answerCall on students to defend their answersHave a class discussion, or discuss in pairsAsk the same question again

Results:Students very engaged in discussionsOn the second polling, many more correct answersStudents form their own opinions with reasoningStudents hear the reasoning of their peers, helping

them figure out the correct answer Students have to convince others

Answers when asked the first time…

Answers after discussion…

FIRST RED CARD Gets a bag of reese’s pieces!

http://xkcd.com/882/

Jelly Beans Cause Acne!

http://xkcd.com/882/

LIVE DEMOS Do something other than just lecture

Examples: First red card from stacked deck Jelly Beans cause acne cartoon

Better than just lecturing, but not quite as good as having the students do something…

CLASS ACTIVITIES Try to ensure every student is involved

For example, make everyone contribute to a class dot plot

Great because you can guide the activity

Should clarify a particular concept – always save time to discuss afterwards

ExamplesReese’s Pieces for sampling distribution, confidence

intervals, bootstrappingLincoln’s Gettysburg Address for random sampling

LINCOLN’S GETTYSBURG ADDRESS“Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth, on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this. But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate—we can not consecrate—we can not hallow—this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they here gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”

CAN YOU AVOID SAMPLING BIAS?

Actual average: 4.29 letters People are TERRIBLE at selecting a good sample,

even when explicitly trying to avoid sampling bias! We need a better way…

1 Four 35in 69dedicate 103But, 137add 171here 205these 239that2 score 36a 70a 104in 138or 172to 206honored 240this3 and 37great 71portion 105a 139detract. 173the 207dead 241nation,4 seven 38civil 72of 106larger 140The 174unfinished 208we 242under5 years 39war, 73that 107sense, 141world 175work 209take 243God,6 ago, 40testing 74field 108we 142will 176which 210increased 244shall7 our 41whether 75as 109cannot 143little 177they 211devotion 245have8 fathers 42that 76a 110dedicate, 144note, 178who 212to 246a9 brought 43nation, 77final 111we 145nor 179fought 213that 247new10 forth 44or 78resting 112cannot 146long 180here 214cause 248birth11 upon 45any 79place 113consecrate, 147remember, 181have 215for 249of12 this 46nation 80for 114we 148what 182thus 216which 250freedom,13 continent 47so 81those 115cannot 149we 183far 217they 251and14 a 48conceived 82who 116hallow 150say 184so 218gave 252that15 new 49and 83here 117this 151here, 185nobly 219the 253government16 nation: 50so 84gave 118ground. 152but 186advanced. 220last 254of17 conceived 51dedicated, 85their 119The 153it 187It 221full 255the18 in 52can 86lives 120brave 154can 188is 222measure 256people,19 liberty, 53long 87that 121men, 155never 189rather 223of 257by20 and 54endure. 88that 122living 156forget 190for 224devotion, 258the21 dedicated 55We 89nation 123and 157what 191us 225that 259people,22 to 56are 90might 124dead, 158they 192to 226we 260for23 the 57met 91live. 125who 159did 193be 227here 261the24 proposition 58on 92It 126struggled 160here. 194here 228highly 262people,25 that 59a 93is 127here 161It 195dedicated 229resolve 263shall26 all 60great 94altogether 128have 162is 196to 230that 264not27 men 61battlefield 95fitting 129consecrated 163for 197the 231these 265perish28 are 62of 96and 130it, 164us 198great 232dead 266from29 created 63that 97proper 131far 165the 199task 233shall 267the30 equal. 64war. 98that 132above 166living, 200remaining 234not 268earth.31 Now 65We 99we 133our 167rather, 201before 235have32 we 66have 100should 134poor 168to 202us, 236died33 are 67come 101do 135power 169be 203that 237in34 engaged 68to 102this. 136to 170dedicated 204from 238vain,

LINCOLN’S GETTYSBURG ADDRESS

Fall 2011:

Spring 2012:

GROUP ACTIVITIES/PROBLEMS Have students work in pairs or small groups

Activities should not be too long, because everyone works at a different pace. Don’t want some students waiting forever for other students

Can do a mandatory part and an “if time” part

The Pygmalion Effect

Source: Rosenthal, R. and Jacobsen, L. (1968). “Pygmalion in the Classroom: Teacher Expectation and Pupils’ Intellectual Development.” Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc.

Teachers were told that certain children (chosen randomly) were expected to be “growth spurters,” based on the Harvard Test of Inflected Acquisition (a test that didn’t actually exist). These children were selected randomly.The response variable is change in IQ over the course of one year.

The Pygmalion Effectn s

Control Students

255 8.42 12.0

“Growth Spurters”

65 12.22 13.3

X

Does this provide evidence that merely expecting a child to do well actually causes the child to do better?

(a) Yes(b) No If so, how much

better?*s1 and s2 were not given, so I set them to give the correct p-value

GUIDED HANDOUTS A more in depth activity, often in pairs or small

groups

While students are working, you can circulate and answer questions

Example: Correlation explorationCraps

CARS DATA HANDOUTQuantitative Variables:

Weight (pounds) City MPG Fuel capacity (gallons) Page number (in Consumer Reports) Time to go ¼ mile (in seconds) Acceleration time from 0 to 60 mph

Relationships Weight vs. CityMPG Weight vs. FuelCapacity PageNum vs. Fuel Capacity Weight vs. QtrMile Acc060 vs. QtrMile CityMPG vs. QtrMile

CAR ASSOCIATIONS

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

CityMPG16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32

Cars99 Scatter Plot

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

FuelCap10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24

Cars99 Scatter Plot

22002400260028003000320034003600380040004200

14 15 16 17 18 19 20QtrMile

Cars99 Scatter Plot

0

50

100

150

200

250

10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24FuelCap

Cars99 Scatter Plot

56789

10111213

QtrMile14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Cars99 Scatter Plot

1618

20

2224

26

2830

14 15 16 17 18 19 20QtrMile

Cars99 Scatter Plot

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

CityMPG16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32

Cars99 Scatter Plot

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

FuelCap10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24

Cars99 Scatter Plot

22002400260028003000320034003600380040004200

14 15 16 17 18 19 20QtrMile

Cars99 Scatter Plot

0

50

100

150

200

250

10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24FuelCap

Cars99 Scatter Plot

56789

10111213

QtrMile14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Cars99 Scatter Plot

1618

20

2224

26

2830

14 15 16 17 18 19 20QtrMile

Cars99 Scatter Plot

CAR CORRELATIONS

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

CityMPG16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32

Cars99 Scatter Plot

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

FuelCap10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24

Cars99 Scatter Plot

22002400260028003000320034003600380040004200

14 15 16 17 18 19 20QtrMile

Cars99 Scatter Plot

0

50

100

150

200

250

10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24FuelCap

Cars99 Scatter Plot

56789

10111213

QtrMile14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Cars99 Scatter Plot

1618

20

2224

26

2830

14 15 16 17 18 19 20QtrMile

Cars99 Scatter Plot

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

CityMPG16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32

Cars99 Scatter Plot

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

FuelCap10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24

Cars99 Scatter Plot

22002400260028003000320034003600380040004200

14 15 16 17 18 19 20QtrMile

Cars99 Scatter Plot

0

50

100

150

200

250

10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24FuelCap

Cars99 Scatter Plot

56789

10111213

QtrMile14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Cars99 Scatter Plot

1618

20

2224

26

2830

14 15 16 17 18 19 20QtrMile

Cars99 Scatter Plot

What are the properties of correlation?

(-.91)

(.89)

(-.08)

(-.45)

(.99)

(.51)

COLLECT DATA Examples:

ESP experiment for hypothesis testing Rock paper scissors for chi-square tests 5 seconds of exercise and pulse rate for experimental design Proportion of tongue rollers for confidence intervals

ENCOURAGE AND STIMULATE PARTICIPATION Set the tone early…

First Class Have them introduce themselves (to you and to their classmates) Make it clear immediately that you want them to talk Candy for talking?

Before Each Class Talk to them informally before class

Learn names! (roster with pictures on STORM) Know your students

Encourage questions When answering, keep the class in mind

Ask questions and… WAIT for the students to answer NEVER treat any response as “stupid”

MAKE STUDENTS THINK! Give the students something mentally active

to do… don’t let them just passively listen to you talk

Give them something to think about and ensure that they actually thinkAsk students to write down an answer or guessPair and share, group workUse show of hands or clickers to quickly get

everyone involvedRegularly ask for and encourage questions,

comments, and thoughtsHave them work problems in class

People have many different strategies for keeping students engaged… experiment and find what works for you

It’s often not what you do, but how you do it

How are YOU going to keep your students engaged?