> On Tue, 9 Oct 2001, Ray Thomas wrote:> ... no doubt a useful report [but]
> > seems to confuse numerical skills with the assessment of evidence.
>
> I don't see the problem or paradox in this, Ray. The point is that maths
> is often perceived as a domain separate from real life.
Thanks, Allan, yes I think that is largely the point.
It is possible that the report didn't delineate or define the various
skills very well, that are needed to 'do' data analysis (and therefore
exploit the empirical datasets that the Data Archive and other
national data centres are making available for education). But we
think there's an opportunity to get those quantitative skills included
in the national debate about 'key skills' etc. that is going on in the
'learning and teaching' arena.
The section Ray quotes is from the Rationale (or why it matters)
section. Getting back to the survey results (evidence), the survey
asked teachers what their purposes for use of data in the classroom
were (those who used data in some form in their teaching):
"A majority, 56% of those teaching with data, ticked 'To add an
empirical dimension to the subject'. This was the sole purpose given
by 23 people (16%). Nearly half, 45%, also used data 'To teach
statistics or data analysis methods.' More than a third, 38%, had
another purpose: 'To teach numeracy or critical thinking skills.' The
average number of selected purposes was three." (There were other
purposes given as well, you can see at
http://datalib.ed.ac.uk/projects/datateach/findings/currentuse.html
scrolling down to Q12 if you wish.)
It was very interesting to us that, for methods-type courses, the
primary purpose was 'To teach statistics or data analysis methods.'
But for subject-based courses, the primary reason was 'To add an
empirical dimension to the subject'.
At the same time, methods teachers were more likely to incorporate
'hands-on' data analysis into coursework than subject-based teachers.
So we think more can be done to support teachers who want to expose
their students to the use of data for purposes of evaluating evidence
about a subject. The idea is to move these quantitative skills out of
the 'ghetto' of methods and statistics courses only (although those
teachers also may need more support for using current, interesting
datasets effectively).
More idealistically, if students are exposed to empirical data
throughout their courses of interest, they won't see it as such a
scary, specialist domain that someone else does. It's not about
creating more social statisticians, but raising everyone's skills to
be able to be critical 'consumers' of statistics and reports in
whatever field they go into.
Hope that addresses the right issues for Ray's critique.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Robin Rice
Data Librarian
Edinburgh University Data Library
Main Library Bldg., George Square
Edinburgh EH8 9LJ
[log in to unmask]
0131 651 1431
http://datalib.ed.ac.uk
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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