Journal article
Reinforcing students’ correlation comprehension
International Journal of Learning, Vol.17(11), pp.261-274
2011
Abstract
Graphical presentation of data provides a fast way of extracting information from data and is the primary method for illustrating complicated data structure, and thus facilitates the process of data examination. The graphical representation of data provides valuable cluesto what and how further statistical work ought to be carried out because technically correct statistical graphics disclose significant elements of the information they represent and also serve as an alternative means of effective communication. Even though students who know how to draw statistical graphs and charts often fail to present data in proper graphical format and are unable to convey their thoughts about their findings from their graphical displays of data to their audience because they have difficulty gaining insights
and seeing hidden relationships of data. This hinders the development of students’ graphical understanding of scatterplots, a statistical topic taught in undergraduate study. In this paper we present a critical review of current research in this area from three different perspectives: pedagogy, statistics and cognitive psychology. Specifically, Curcio (1987) outlined a classification model of reading graphical data from a mathematics educator’s perspective; Cook and Weisberg (1997) advocated a model of statistical graphing based on the statistician’s viewpoint; while Carpenter and Shah (1998) developed their model of graphical comprehension and interpretation from a cognitive science position. Arising from oursynthesis of thisresearch we propose a cognitive model of correlation comprehension which helps statistics lecturers to structure undergraduate students’ thought so as to reinforce their graphing capabilities when teaching how to solve correlation problems.
Details
- Title
- Reinforcing students’ correlation comprehension
- Authors
- Merrilyn Goos (Author) - University of QueenslandKen Li (Author) - Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education
- Publication details
- International Journal of Learning, Vol.17(11), pp.261-274
- Publisher
- Common Ground Research Networks
- DOI
- 10.18848/1447-9494/CGP/v17i11/47337
- ISSN
- 1447-9540
- Organisation Unit
- School of Education and Tertiary Access; University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 99569204402621
- Output Type
- Journal article
Metrics
12 Record Views