How I Teach Statistics

How an instructor can integrate the examples from this blog is determined, in part, by the environment in which they teach. To better understand where I am coming from and how I teach, here is some information on the settings in which I teach statistics, as well as some information on my personal orientation towards teaching statistics. 

When I teach on-campus statistics:

I use Illowsky and Dean's Introductory Statistics as well as Crash Course's statistics series, the Annenberg Foundation's Against All Odds videos, and assorted Khan Academy videos.

My university uses Blackboard, so I created ALL of the homework assignments for the class in Blackboard, and it took forever. Like, hours and hours to create multiple versions of the same question in an attempt to curb cheating. But, ultimately, it is worth it.

Previously, my students purchased access to a website that provided them with homework questions and their textbook, and that cost around ~$110. 

I also transitioned from using SPSS to using JASP  for student data analysis. For the purposes of my class, JASP contains every analysis my students learn (and then some). I think it is easier to access effect sizes in JASP than it is in SPSS. And many of my students downloaded JASP onto their own laptops, so not only are they learning how to use JASP in my class, they now have access to JASP in the future. 

My class is listed as Psychological Statistics and meets the requirements for an introductory statistics course at my university.

I teach two sections of this class every Fall and Spring.

I also teach Honors Psychological statistics. This class is capped at 15 and limited to students in Gannon University's Honors program. The format is similar, but we have in-depth discussion days related to ethical issues surrounding data, data collection, and science reporting in modern life.

When I teach online statistics:

My students are traditional Gannon students who elect to take my course online. 

They also use JASP for their data analyses.

The class is seven weeks long (same material as my on-campus class but in half the time. Yes, this does make the course more challenging for my students).

Another way in which this class differs significantly is through the use of weekly discussion boards based on readings from popular magazines and web sites.

I teach this class every Spring, Summer, and Fall semester.

More on how I teach:

Check out my contribution to the Society for the Teaching of Psychology's STP, "This is how I teach." series. I also wrote a chapter in the STP publication For the Love of Teaching Undergraduate Statistics.

Here is an invited blog post I wrote for STP's Graduate Student Teaching Association, entitled Ph.D. Goggles: Very few of your students are getting their PhDs. Stop teaching stats like they are.

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