Writing Assignments to Assess Statistical Thinking. Issue 1 (2nd January 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Woodard, Victoria; Lee, Hollylynne; Woodard, Roger
• Is Part Of: Journal of statistics education. Volume 28:Issue 1(2020)
• Page Start: 32
• Page End: 44
• Publication Date: 2020-01-02
• Subjects: Argumentation -- Statistical thinking -- Second statistics course -- Written assessment; Statistics -- Study and teaching -- Periodicals; Statistics -- Study and teaching; Periodicals; 519.5071
• DOI: 10.1080/10691898.2019.1696257
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1069-1898

Abstract

Abstract: One of the main goals of statistics is to use data to provide evidence in support of an argument. This article will discuss some popular forms of writing assessments currently in use, to demonstrate the differences between the methods for structuring the students' learning to support their arguments with evidence. We share a model, which was originally created to assess students in introductory statistics and has been adapted for the second course in statistics, which takes a unique approach toward assessing the students' understanding of statistical concepts through writing. In this model, students are expected to answer prompts that required them to (1) take a stance on an argument, (2) defend their position with facts given in the prompt, (3) discern the implications that those facts implied, and (4) give a proper conclusion to their argument. We provide examples of a few of the writing assignment prompts used in the course, their intended assessment purpose, and common answers that students gave to these assignments. Supplementary materials for this article are available online.