An Introduction to Statistics: An Active Learning Approach

In An Introduction to Statistics Kieth Carlson and Jennifer Winquist encourage an active approach to learning statistics.

While the chapters in this book introduce basic and key concepts, this book is unique in the depth of its active pedagogical approach. Carefully placed reading questions throughout each chapter reinforce difficult concepts and guide student learning; 29 in-depth activities, each accompanied by learning objectives, carefully developed scenarios, problem sets, and quiz questions give students the opportunity to test or demonstrate their understanding of basic concepts while they read detailed explanations of more complex statistical concepts; and 15 sets of practice problems further solidify student learning.

When using most traditional text books, students only perform statistical procedures after they read multiple pages of text. This book adopts a workbook approach that forces students to be actively engaged while they read explanations. Most of the activities are self-correcting so if students misunderstand a concept their misunderstanding is corrected early in the learning process. After completing these activities, students are far more likely to understand the material than when they simply read the material.

Carlson and Winquist′s approach targets students′ attention toward important statistical issues. Further, this volume is based on contemporary research on memory and the testing effect which requires students to answer questions to facilitate their long term retention. The embedded questions throughout the chapters and activities are designed specifically to take advantage of this testing effect.