Thanks Peter!
Knd regards,
Meena
Meena Kotecha, Chartered Mathematician, PGCertHE (RSS)
Listed amongst 50 most influential university professionals
Co-chair of mathematics education conference 2015
LSE Teaching Excellence Prize Winner 2008 and 2013
Invited member of RSS Education committee
Invited committee member of the London Branch of the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications
The Glory of India & Certificate of Excellence Award 2010
Academic Associate & Fellow of The Higher Education Academy
Departments of Statistics & Management
London School of Economics
Mobile: 00447986055724
http://meenakotecha.wordpress.com/
Twitter: lseMeena61
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=59623668&trk=tab_pro
-----Original Message-----
From: Peter Mitchell [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 19 October 2015 16:08
To: Kotecha1,M
Cc: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Seeking your comments - statistics support
Meena,
What you are proposing to RSS looks similar to what has been done by the Sigma Network from time to time and around the country. I have been to meetings in Sheffield, Manchester and Birmingham over the past few years and enjoyed enjoyed exchanging experiences with others who teach statistics to those taking other subjects but needing some quantitative methods in their subject. This is what statisticians call service teaching, I believe, but in my case done by a non-statistician (a biologist who has picked up the stats over the years). This included the meetings that David Bowers mentioned which were aimed at tutors working in support centres - they were also helpful to me. I teach quantitative methods to adult learners on part-time degree courses (evening classes) across a wide range of subjects, all in one class of about 20 to 30. I have been doing this for over ten years now and do remember at the beginning being rather uncertain about what to cover and at what depth. Limitations of time (currently 16 hours in 8 sessions of
2 hours) and experience of the low starting point in numeracy of many students soon moderated my ambitions of what could be covered.
I agree with Paul Wilson that learning about statistics is not the same as training on a package, and that often it is the ability to interpret statistics that is more important than being able to DO statistics. For example, in my 16 hours there is not time to teach how to do any statistical test but I concentrate on what I call statistical awareness:
being able to recognize which test is being done (in the literature), the key terms used (test statistic, P value, null hypothesis, etc.), and understand what has been found out. If and when the students that I teach need to carry out statistical tests in their own research, then at least they have a good foundation to build on and can see what they need to go and learn, with the support centre or in other ways.
What works for me is spending little time in class in exposition (get them to read handouts in advance and try a taster task) but most on actually doing and discussing quantitative methods, usually in small groups with feedback to the whole class at intervals. No use of computers in class but they all use the same calculator for descriptive statistics for which I provide a better manual than the one from the manufacturer. Engagement is the most important thing so examples of quantitative methods from everyday life and as many of their subjects as possible help.
Peter.
On 19/10/2015 09:50, Kotecha1,M wrote:
> Thanks Larissa. Will forward this.
>
> Best wishes,
>
> Meena
>
> Meena Kotecha, Chartered Mathematician, PGCertHE (RSS)
>
> _Listed amongst 50 most influential university professionals_
> <https://www.jisc.ac.uk/blog/uk-higher-education-social-media-influenc
> ers-named-05-oct-2015>
>
> _Co-chair of mathematics education conference 2015_
> <http://www.ima.org.uk/conferences/conferences_calendar/barriers_and_e
> nablers_to_learning_maths.cfm>
>
> LSE Teaching Excellence Prize Winner 2008 and 2013
>
> _Invited member of RSS Education committee_ <http://www.rss.org.uk/>
>
> _Invited committee member of the London Branch of the Institute of
> Mathematics and its Applications (IMA)_
> <http://www.ima.org.uk/activities/branches/london.cfm.html>
>
> The Glory of India & Certificate of Excellence Award 2010
>
> Academic Associate & Fellow of The Higher Education Academy
>
> Departments of Statistics & Management
>
> London School of Economics
>
> Mobile: 00447986055724
>
> _http://meenakotecha.wordpress.com/_
>
> Twitter: lseMeena61
>
> LinkedIn:
> _http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=59623668&trk=tab_pro_
>
> *From:*The sigma network for cross-university mathematics and
> statistics support [mailto:[log in to unmask]] *On Behalf Of
> *Larissa Fradkin
> *Sent:* 18 October 2015 20:58
> *To:* [log in to unmask]
> *Subject:* Re: Seeking your comments - statistics support
>
> Hi Meena
>
> I want to follow up on what Paul writes. Have to say from the outset
> that although I taught a bit of statistics to non-specialists I didn't
> do so for a long time and consistently. So I do not wish to
> participate in any discussions concerning teaching statistics. But my
> expertise is in teaching engineering maths to those on the
> engineering/technician interface and my contribution is on this related subject.
>
> I agree with Paul that most mathematicians do not put their teaching
> into engineering context and most engineers confuse students, because
> their understanding of mathematics is not deep enough. For years now
> I have tried to find a way to share my experience on how you can teach
> those who do not have any intrinsic interest in mathematics to a level
> that allows them to develop some appreciation of the subject and
> ability to apply it in situations of interest to them. Have not found it yet.
> I think it would be very useful to professional bodies such as IMA
> to support initiatives such as mine to develop professional
> development courses that are not as generic as they are now but go
> into nitty-gritty of how teaching specific subjects to non-specialists can be effected.
>
> All the best
>
> Larissa
>
> ______________________________________________
>
> Larissa Fradkin, BSc, PhD, CEng, CPhys, FIET, FIMA, FInstP, MLMS
>
> Emerita Professor, London South Bank University
>
> Associated Professor, Brunel University
>
> Managing Director,
>
> Sound Mathematics Ltd.,
> Registered Office: 11 Mulberry Close, Cambridge CB4 2AS, U.K.
>
> Company Registration No: 7072191
>
> VAT No: 981303232
>
> URL: http://www.soundmathematics.com
>
> http:/www.ultrasoundmathematics.com
> <http://www.ultrasoundmathematics.com>
>
>
> Mobile: +44 (0) 7885543003
>
> -------- Original Message --------
> Subject: Re: Seeking your comments - statistics support
> From: "Wilson, Paul" <[log in to unmask]
> <mailto:[log in to unmask]>>
> Date: Sun, October 18, 2015 4:11 pm
> To: [log in to unmask]
> <mailto:[log in to unmask]>
>
> Hi Meena---the issue of statistics for non-specialists is a very
> complicated one. It to a very large extent parallels arguments about
> mathematics for engineers and similar people who need to employ
> aspects of a discipline in the process of becoming expert in their
> own discipline. There is the age old argument--do you employ
> mathematicians/statisticians to teach mathematics/statistics to
> engineers, sociologists, geographers, pharmacists et?. When this is
> done there tends to be a lack of relevancy in the course content.
> On the other hand if, say, geographers take on the teaching of
> mathematics or statistics the person who gets the job of delivering
> the course often has a very potted knowledge of what they are teaching.
>
> It does occur to me whether a body such as the RSS should offer
> some sort of a certificate/diploma in statistics that could be
> studied by people as an "add on" to their existing degree. This in
> my opinion should be a qualification in statistics, /not/ SPSS or a
> similar package. All too often people seek instruction in SPSS, and
> somehow think that they are being educated in statistics; it has
> *not* been my experience that the ability to click menu items in
> SPSS helps people learn statistics, it has been my exoperience that
> once a person has a reasonable grasp of the basics of statistics
> they will learn SPSS (or similar--in truth I am not a fan of SPSS)
> in no time. Also, I believe that within any discipline the number
> of people that need to be able to interpret statistics far outweighs
> the number that need to be able to p[roduce statistics themselves.
>
> I'll leave it here---I am more than happy to assist you with this
> project if required.
>
> Regards
>
> Paul
>
> *Dr. Paul Wilson*
>
> *Senior Lecturer in Statistics*
>
> *School of Mathematics and Computer Science*
>
> *Faculty of Science and Engineering *
>
> *University of Wolverhampton*
>
> *Wulfruna Street*
>
> *Wolverhampton*
>
> *WV1 1LY*
>
> **
>
> *Phone: +44 (0)1902 321444*
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> --
>
> *From:*The sigma network for cross-university mathematics and
> statistics support [[log in to unmask]
> <mailto:[log in to unmask]>] on behalf of Kotecha1,M
> [[log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]>]
> *Sent:* 18 October 2015 12:36
> *To:* [log in to unmask]
> <mailto:[log in to unmask]>
> *Subject:* Re: Seeking your comments - statistics support
>
> Dear David,
>
> Thank you so much for your time and constructive comments. I will
> forward your comments to the RSS and be in touch.
>
> Knd regards,
>
> Meena
>
> Meena Kotecha, Chartered Mathematician, PGCertHE (RSS)
>
> _Listed amongst 50 most influential university professionals_
>
> <https://www.timeshighereducation.com/carousels/50-most-influential-uk
> -higher-education-professionals-social-media>
>
> _Co-chair of mathematics education conference 2015_
>
> <http://www.ima.org.uk/conferences/conferences_calendar/barriers_and_e
> nablers_to_learning_maths.cfm>
>
> LSE Teaching Excellence Prize Winner 2008 and 2013
>
> _Invited member of RSS Education committee_
> <http://www.rss.org.uk/>
>
> _Invited committee member of the London Branch of the Institute of
> Mathematics and its Applications_
> <http://www.ima.org.uk/activities/branches/london.cfm.html>
>
> The Glory of India & Certificate of Excellence Award 2010
>
> Academic Associate & Fellow of The Higher Education Academy
>
> Departments of Statistics & Management
>
> London School of Economics
>
> Mobile: 00447986055724
>
> _http://meenakotecha.wordpress.com/_
>
> Twitter: lseMeena61
>
> LinkedIn:
> _http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=59623668&trk=tab_pro_
>
> *From:*David Bowers [_mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> *Sent:* 18 October 2015 11:19
> *To:* Kotecha1,M; [log in to unmask]
> <mailto:[log in to unmask]>
> *Subject:* RE: Seeking your comments - statistics support
>
> Dear Meena,
>
> Thank you for sharing this.
>
> In my experience, this "issue" may concern two different groups of
> lecturers: (1) those who "know" statistics, but who are unsure how
> to structure a teaching schedule and methodology when required to
> deliver a course particularly to "non-specialist" students with
> uncertain prior knowledge; and (2) lecturers who are not statistics
> specialists themselves but who have been given a "stats & research
> methods" module to teach within their department and don't feel
> secure in their own knowledge. I think your focus is on the former
> group, but I have experience of (and would not underestimate) the
> problems of the latter.
>
> For group (1) it is an issue of pedagogy, approaches to learning &
> teaching. For group (2) it is an issue of subject knowledge
> enhancement. Might your proposal wish to differentiate between these
> groups?
>
> For information, the regional hubs of the *sigma *Network for
> Mathematics and Statistics Support (_www.sigma-network.ac.uk_
> <http://www.sigma-network.ac.uk>) have in the past years run
> workshops for tutors working in Maths and Stats Support Centres, to
> help them to confidently work with a range of students who require
> additional support in statistics. These workshops have included
> aspects relevant to both pedagogy and subject knowledge. If anyone
> working in maths & stats support has a continued interest in this,
> please let me or your regional *sigma *Hub Coordinator know so that
> future such workshops might be planned.
>
> Finally, the *sigma *Network is soon to launch a Special Interest
> Group specifically with an interest in Statistics Support for
> non-specialist students. This is certainly an area on many people's
> mind at the moment. Further comments and insights from this list
> would be welcome.
>
> Many thanks
>
> David
>
> *David Bowers*
> *Consultant for Mathematics, Statistics and Learning Development*
> *Chair, sigma Network for Excellence in Mathematics and Statistics
> Support (**_www.sigma-network.ac.uk_
> <http://www.sigma-network.ac.uk>**)*
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> --
>
> Date: Wed, 14 Oct 2015 08:10:07 +0000
> From: [log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Seeking your comments
> To: [log in to unmask]
> <mailto:[log in to unmask]>
>
> Dear colleagues,
>
> As an invited member of the Royal Statistical Society Education
> committee I presented this proposal (attached) to the RSS. We have
> been thinking about running two pilot sessions at the RSS.
>
> I would like to invite your comments and look forward to hearing
> from you soon!
>
> Best wishes,
>
> Meena
>
> Meena Kotecha, Chartered Mathematician, PGCertHE (RSS)
>
> _Listed amongst 50 most influential university professionals_
>
> <https://www.jisc.ac.uk/blog/uk-higher-education-social-media-influenc
> ers-named-05-oct-2015>
>
> _Co-chair of mathematics education conference 2015_
>
> <http://www.ima.org.uk/conferences/conferences_calendar/barriers_and_e
> nablers_to_learning_maths.cfm>
>
> LSE Teaching Excellence Prize Winner 2008 and 2013
>
> _Invited member of RSS Education committee_
> <http://www.rss.org.uk/>
>
> _Invited committee member of the London Branch of the Institute of
> Mathematics and its Applications (IMA)_
> <http://www.ima.org.uk/activities/branches/london.cfm.html>
>
> The Glory of India & Certificate of Excellence Award 2010
>
> Academic Associate & Fellow of The Higher Education Academy
>
> Departments of Statistics & Management
>
> London School of Economics
>
> Mobile: 00447986055724
>
> _http://meenakotecha.wordpress.com/_
>
> Twitter: lseMeena61
>
> LinkedIn:
> _http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=59623668&trk=tab_pro_
>
|
