Teaching and learning statistics in college: How learning materials should be designed

Abstract

The evolving nature of statistics implies that the skill of reading statistical information to be essential for college students. To encourage the skill, learning materials need to be appropriately developed. This article aimed to synthesize the issues and suggestions from the current empirical research in statistics education relevant to designing statistics learning materials for college students. The data were collected from from111 research articles published from the last 15 years, which were related to teaching and learning statistics in college. Cognitive and social cognitive learning perspectives were used in reviewing and synthesizing the research, which may reveal the different concerns for a specific situation. Three key suggestions for designing statistics learning materials for college students were identified: using real-life data; familiar contexts; and interactive materials. The reviews also suggested the urgent need for research focusing on designing learning materials for statistics.