Applying Cognitive Principles in Teaching Statistics

David Rindskopf CUNY Graduate Center

drindskopf@gc.cuny.edu

Henri Lebesgue’s Contribution

• For a teacher, there is, in my opinion, only one possible way of giving instruction, namely to stand before one's students and think (… penser devant ses élèves).  

Some basic principles• Start simple, gradually add complexities. (“Lie a little”; Lloyd Avant)

• Miller’s magical number seven• Visualize if possible

• One or two steps at a time; not all at once (chalk-talk principle)• Be concrete first, then abstract• Give a context where possible

• (similar to concrete first, then abstract) • Show conceptual formulas, not computational

• (unless you're teaching computation, and then only do it after conceptual formulas)

• Model the thought process (Lebesgue)• (Including writing by hand as you go; chalk-talk again)

• Have a story line

• Start simple, gradually add complexities. (“Lie a little”; Lloyd Avant)• Miller’s magical number seven

• Visualize if possible• One or two steps at a time; not all at once (chalk-talk principle)

• Be concrete first, then abstract• Give a context where possible

• (similar to concrete first, then abstract) • Show conceptual formulas, not computational

• (unless you're teaching computation, and then only do it after conceptual formulas)

• Model the thought process (Lebesgue)• (Including writing by hand as you go; chalk-talk again)

• Have a story line