Use of TinkerPlots and Fathom in Math, Statistics, and Science

Education—Concept and Curriculum

William Finzer, Senior ScientistKCP Technologies, Emeryville, CA, USA

‣fath•om — (n) a unit of measure; (v) understand; measure the depth of‣tin•ker — (v) attempt to repair or improve

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Why this workshop?

Our global civilization now rests on a vast foundation of data.Japanese K–12 education has embraced data analysis and statistics.Learning about data without using technology is fruitless.

TinkerPlots Demo

Please think of an integer from one to ten and write it down.

Fathom Demo

How much do you think Japanese teachers earn per month?

Timeline

1990’sNational Science Foundation funds development of Fathom and TinkerPlotsNCTM standards emphasize data analysisEmergence of Advanced Placement (AP) Statistics at secondary level

Emergence of Data Analysis as a Mathematics Standard

Timeline continued

1999—Fathom Version 1

2001—TinkerPlots

2007—Fathom Version 2

Current Status~5000 secondary schools using Fathom~1000 middle schools using TinkerPlotsBoth Fathom and TinkerPlots are widely used in math ed coursesFathom is widely used for introductory statistics, including UCLA and University of Minnesota.>12 curriculum modules and textbooks based on Fathom and TinkerPlotsTeaching Statistics with Fathom online course—teachers get UC Berkeley creditMany schools use Fathom or TinkerPlots to analyze school data

Current Status continued

Ontario, Canada has a provincial license for Fathom and TinkerPlotsFathom is widely used in Denmark and GermanyAustralian Statistics Bureau has proposal for national licensesLocalizations for Fathom exist in French, Danish, German, and SpanishNew funding from the National Science Foundation—Data GamesSignificant statistics education research has been done with both Fathom and TinkerPlots

Conceptual Underpinnings of TinkerPlots

Mimic offline practiceBuild visualizations from primitive operationsSupport learner propensitiesAnimate transitionsMake data analysis enjoyable

Conceptual Underpinnings of Fathom

Dynamic manipulationEmphasis on conceptual understandingCentral role of algebraic expressionsSimulation as key to understanding statistical inferenceEasy access to a very wide range of kinds of data

Data Access in Fathom and TinkerPlots

Sample documentsEnter by handWeb page importCopy and paste from other softwareFathom SurveysSimulationVernier probes

Demos

A Statistics Lesson—The essence of statistical inference (grades 11–14)A Math Lesson—A probability simulation (grades 6–8)A Math Lesson—Area and perimeter of rectangles (grades 8–10)A Science Lesson—Cooling (high school)

Japan’s Opportunities—Brainstorming

Leap ahead of the rest of the world by building appropriate use of technology into statistics education practice from the beginning.

Questions and Next Steps