Statistical decisions: classroom experiences
Statistical decisions: classroom experiences
Tibor Nemetz
Statistical decisions: classroom experiences
This paper reports on our experiments with the educational goal of a
discussion type introduction to some notions of Hypotheses testing
problems through simple examples, which require a minimum of
knowledge from probability calculus. This notions included the
concept of decision rules, decision functions, error probabilities.
Emphasize was given to the nature of statistical decisions. The
teaching followed hands-on, discovery methods of the new maths and
open discussions were preferred to the frontal way of teaching.
Where ever it was possible, we tried to find interrelations with
traditional mathematics curriculum areas, or to find ways to comment
on "modern maths" tasks.
Our presentation goes through four rather simple examples
which allow us to explain typical suggestions from the classroom
floor. The paper also provide a set of further decision problems
which proved rather useful to highlight this goals and offer some
short comments to them.
At the end of the paper an Appendix E offers excursions to
traditional mathematics. A second Appendix S gives the solution of
the problems raised within the report.