Rethinking the Teaching of University Statistics: Challenges and Opportunities Learned from the Colombia–UK Dialogue

Abstract

The aim of this paper is first to examine, through a qualitative analysis of statistics syllabi, the current state of statistical education in a sample of universities in Colombia. The focus is on statistics teaching in degrees for economics and business administration students. The results from the qualitative analysis reflect a preponderance of traditional and didactic teaching methods centered on the teacher, not on the student. The second aim is to present findings from a case study that has developed an innovative pedagogical intervention, called a data fellows program, from the University of Manchester, United Kingdom, which evidences opportunities for how statistics can be taught effectively to non-STEM majors. Further, the data fellows model has also been explored in the context of developing statistical and data skills capacities in Latin America. We reflect on how the lessons from the UK case study could open up opportunities for rethinking the teaching of statistics in Colombia through developing data projects and experiential learning to practice statistics in the real world.