Computers, Statistics, and the Culture of University Mathematics Education

Abstract

Summary Most students dread taking a course in statistics. Negative attitudes toward statistics have many different causes. Education majors are not usually required to take an undergraduate statistics course, and practicing teachers thus do not appreciate the utility of theory in general or research in particular. Other causes are more related to the way statistics and mathematics courses are taught at the university level. Professors who believe that mathematically intense courses should serve primarily as a weeding-out process sometimes intentionally make their courses more difficult than they need to be, or institute high-handed, unjust policies designed to encourage dropouts. Undue emphases on rote memorization and calculation also contribute to the problem. Because of recent developments in distance education, such high-handed policies are doomed. As students have access to a variety of higher-education courses and programs, they will refuse to patronize traditional universities with policies such as those described above. Universities will be forced to adopt more rational policies. Computers can be used to relieve students from tedious, repetitive tasks and to create more and better opportunities to teach mathematics concepts and application.