Developing statistical reasoning facilitated by Tinkerplots

Abstract

Of interest in this study, based in a class of 26 Year 5/6 students, is the way TinkerPlots facilitated the development of statistical reasoning for students with no previous data handling experience. The class completed four lessons related to data collection, data representation, data summary, and data inference based on a sporting activity, where they had recorded their heart rates before and after the event and used the software TinkerPlots to analyse the data. A month later 12 of the students were individually interviewed with a three-part protocol using TinkerPlots to assess their reasoning in relation to comparing two data sets, to hypothesising relationships and providing evidence, and to interpreting differences in large data sets. The consolidation and transfer of reasoning evidenced in the student interviews demonstrated the value of employing TinkerPlots in the classroom.