Real Data AtSchool: New Experiences with Interactive Methods of Data Exploration for Teachers

Abstract

We review our experiences with both CensusAtSchool and ExperimentsAtSchool over the last 10 years with helping teachers overcome the difficulties of coping with increasingly complex new technologies, larger and more realistic data sets while simultaneously increasing the levels of statistical literacy in students and working more conceptually. We describe our interactive web-based data investigation tool which interacts with our large datasets of real data from learners around the world and describe material and tools that we have used to help improve both teachers’ pedagogy and students’ learning and understanding of statistics. We believe that the next steps in statistics education should include helping teachers enjoy and understand data exploration which, in turn, will help improve students learning of statistics at school level.