An interactive methodology to teach sampling and statistical inference

Abstract

In the course of our experience teaching statistics to students in biological fields, we noticed that they have great difficulty understanding the statistical inference process and sampling theory. These students should be prepared to understand scientific papers, to develop research in health areas, and to establish a good relationship with patients when explaining about diseases and treatment decisions. This paper aims to test a new methodology to teach Biostatistics by developing the statistical thinking to understand inference. Two classes of biological courses at the University of São Paulo State in Araçatuba, Brazil were chosen to be the experimental and control group. In the first group, a new methodology was developed. At the end of the year, both classes were assessed on the same test as to the understanding of the statistical inference.