--------------------------Apologies for Cross-Posting-----------------------
The Maths, Stats & OR Network in association with the Royal Statistical
Society Centre for Statistical Education is offering a range of
opportunities for studying how to teach statistics at Higher Education (HE)
level.
In many UK higher education (HE) mathematics/statistics departments there
may be one or two new lecturers in mathematics and/or statistics appointed
every few years. Similarly, other departments that might award, for example,
business-, science-, economics-, psychology-, or engineering-type degrees,
may have their own new and/or established teachers of statistics who may, or
may not be subject specialists in that field. Nevertheless, all these
teachers of statistics need to think very deeply about how to teach the
subject. The material offered by the Maths, Stats & OR Network and the Royal
Statistical Society Centre for Statistical Education is designed for such a
purpose and, we hope, will help to build the bridge between generic
induction courses for new staff and add to a portfolio of continuing
professional development (CPD). We hope it will help to solve some of the
problems faced by new, and established staff who need to teach statistics.
Three opportunities are available: 1) individuals study for a Certificate in
Teaching Statistics in HE which is awarded by the Royal Statistical Society;
2) it may be used as a single optional unit within a University PGCert or
Diploma in Learning and Teaching (the course is well suited for staff
induction courses); 3) it may be used just as background material for
support of individual study.
The course material comprises of six sections:
I. An Overview of Statistics in HE
This section helps a new teacher to view statistics in the national and,
where appropriate, international context, and to become aware of the variety
of support mechanisms that exist.
II. Learning Statistics
This section develops those elements of learning theory that have an
immediate impact on the teaching of statistics, and contains many
illustrations.
III. Teaching Statistics - General
This section studies a broad range of issues faced by the statistics
teacher.
IV. Teaching Statistics - Specific
This section opens up the opportunity for teachers to look at their own
selection of topics that they do, or may teach, and examines the contexts in
which the teaching can occur.
V. Feedback and Assessment in Statistics
This section provides a study of specific methods appropriate to the
formation and assessment of students' understanding and skills in
statistics.
VI. Computer Supported Statistics Teaching
This section is web-based and explores both the use of statistical software
and of the Internet in the teaching of statistics. This includes issues on
the teaching of the many uses of the computer in statistics and also the use
of the computer as a teaching tool.
Further details, including an online course booking form, are available at
the Royal Statistical Society Centre for Statistical Education website:
http://science.ntu.ac.uk/rsscse/activities/distanceLearning.htm , or by
contacting me directly.
Michael Grove,
Manager Maths, Stats & OR Network - Part of The Higher Education Academy,
School of Mathematics and Statistics,
The University of Birmingham,
Birmingham,
B15 2TT.
Tel: 0121 414 4800
Fax: 0121 414 3389
[log in to unmask]
|