Using Real‐Life Major League Baseball Data in an Introductory Statistics Course

A primary goal of introductory statistics courses is to develop a student's ability to think statistically. To motivate students to this end, the literature suggests that statistics courses use exercises that are relevant and familiar to students. Work in educational psychology highlights the importance of connecting new concepts to pre‐existing knowledge, mental models, or schema. One method to meet these criteria is to develop exercises and problems that use real‐life data. While real‐life data provide a context for the application of statistical methods, the data does not necessarily provide a context or process for developing the ability to think statistically. This teaching brief describes a set of logical, sequential, and ready‐to‐use exercises that motivate statistical inquiry and thought in line with the GAISE College Report recommendations. The exercises use real‐life data freely sourced from Major League Baseball and the nonfiction story of Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game. Student reactions indicate that these exercises, which are anchored in real‐life data with a real‐life story, are successful in motivating student interest in statistics.     

The model minority and the inferior minority myths: Understanding stereotypes and their implications for student learning

In‐depth interviews with an Asian American and a black student reveal the negative influence of racial stereotypes on their learning experiences. Samuel Museus shares their stories and offers recommendations for postsecondary educators.     

La recherche pedagogique en Suisse

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Literacy for self-reliance: A critical exploration of Nyerere’s legacy in Tanzanian education policies

International Review of Education - The global movement to achieve the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda rests on strengthening international...     

Increased reliability of an objective personality measure for children

The Missouri Children's Picture Series (MCPS) is explored as an assessment tool for boys in residential treatment. Extreme ease of administration is an attractive feature of the test. Boys in treatment usually have shown low test-retest reliability, in contrast to other populations. Higher, significant reliability was obtained in the present study by a split-deck procedure. It is suggested that the test is better administered to disturbed boys in two sittings, to offset their distractibility and short attention span. Under these conditions, the test can be applied to future work with this type of subject population.