well this indeed is interesting ... i now know what we can talk about for
the first ENTIRE week of a basic stat class ...
histograms and bar charts
1. a compilation of all the definitions thereof (including greek roots)
2. discussion of whether a "histogram" can be used for depicting a discrete
probability distribution
3. ways to construct by hand
4. computer stat packages approaches to making them
5. making computers force UNequal interval sizes for histograms
6. write a short term paper on 1 to 5 above
and just think ... the trend (for a long time now) in so many institutions
is for ONE course to teach students all they ever need (want??) to know
about statistical matters ...
at this rate ...
1 week for histograms
1 week for boxplots
1 week for stem and leaf diagrams .... hmmm ... this might take TWO weeks
1 week for the median ....
etc.
seems like we have to sort of agree on some approach .... then stick with
it and run ... or else students will be so confused ... their fear level
will go up by 200% ... over what it is already ...
why don't students get scared blue with intro psy ... or intro geography?
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