Enhancing student understanding in statistical inference – assessing the effectiveness of a computer interaction

A new simulation has been developed to facilitate developmental learning of statistical inference. This simulation has been designed in the light of current multimedia design principals and cognitive theory. While many simulations have been developed to help students understand a variety of statistical concepts, evaluations of what these simulations actually achieve have been relatively scarce. This paper presents a model for the evaluation of simulations. In particular, the paper discusses the way in which the development of the students’ conceptual understanding has been assessed. Some preliminary results from the evaluation of this specific project are presented.