Learning the principles of simulation using the birthday problem

Using the famous Birthday problem, we present here a practical activity that allows students to perceive the basic reasoning behind simulation and explore its potential. Through a playful approach with probabilities, students are led along a path that illustrates difficulties with intuition and introduces them to theoretical results for sample proportions.     

Odds That Don't Add Up,Revisited

This article investigates two interesting applications of probability by considering future bets on the Superbowl and the odds of the favoured team winning in a championship series.     

CLASSROOM NOTE: A Roll of the Dice: Illustrating the Central Limit Theorem

The sampling (probability) distribution for the sum of dice is presented graphically as a compelling demonstration of the Central Limit Theorem.     

Using Shiny to illustrate the probability density function concept

The transition from the probability mass function for discrete random variables to the probability density function for continuous random variables is not straightforward, especially to students from the health and social sciences. An R Shiny application was created to assist the learning process of probability density function.     

Odds that don't add up!

This artical presents examples of situations where a lack of understanding of probability leads to erroneous expectations.     

Murphy's Law of Maps

Using probability theory, I show that the “urban myth” that map locations tend to lie on the edges or down the central crease is based in fact.     

In All Probability,Probability is not All

The national lottery is often portrayed as a game of pure chance with no room for strategy. This misperception seems to stem from the application of probability instead of expectancy considerations, and can be utilized to introduce the statistical concept of expectation.     

A Constructivist Approach to Teaching Permutations and Combinations

A lesson is described where students construct their own knowledge of permutations and combinations by exploring a problem situation. This helps students gain an appreciation of real-world implications of these topics while developing a strong conceptual understanding of them.     

When mathematics and statistics collide in assessment tasks

Because the disciplines of mathematics and statistics are naturally intertwined, designing assessment questions that disentangle mathematical and statistical reasoning can be challenging. We explore the writing statistics assessment tasks that take into consideration potential mathematical reasoning they may inadvertently activate.     

Wimbledon 2010: A Fifth Set Cliff‐hanger in the Murray vs. Federer Final?

Imagine the scene. The year is 2010 and Andy Murray and Roger Federer are playing each other for the first time in the Wimbledon Championships final. Will it be a straight sets victory or a nail‐biting five‐set match?     

What Are the Chances?

A lottery coincidence provides the background for discussing the assessment of probabilities and the definition of events.     

What is the Applied Probability Trust?

This is the third and last in the short series of articles outlining the work of the organisations that sponsor Teaching Statistics.     

Part-time Employment and Performance at A-level

How many sixth-formers have part-time paid employment, and does this affect their performance at A-level? This article describes how one teaching institution set up a project to collect and analyse data in an attempt to find answers to these questions.     

大学英语自学教程（上）教材剖析

对大学英语自学教程（上）的教学要求、教学内容、教材的教学方法、注意事项以及教材的优缺点方面进行了粗浅的分析;教学要求是英语的基本词汇和语法,课程的主要目的是培养学习者的阅读能力;教学内容主要从文章选用、设计的优点以及语法编排的优点方面进行了详细的阐述,并且针对该教材的教学方法及注意事项方面进行说明,进一步提出了本教材的一些不足之处。     

Do Football Teams Have Clusters of Wins,Draws and Defeats?

The issue of whether football teams have good or bad patches during the course of a season is of concern to many supporters. This interest can be harnessed to make the classroom teaching of probability more relevant. In this article, the unfamiliar runs test for multiple outcomes is used to test for possible clustering in wins, draws and defeats in a short series of consecutive matches.     

The Game of Luk KOW

Luk Kow is a Chinese game played with three dice. Students may find it interesting to simulate the game and to study its properties.