A MULTIMEDIA WORKSTATION ENVIRONMENT FOR TEACHING DATA ANALYSIS

DATA ANALYSIS AND STATISTICS ARE OF INCREASING IMPORTANCE IN TRAINING SCIENTISTS, SOCIAL SCIENTISTS, AND BUSINESS PEOPLE. THE DEMAND FOR STATISTICS EDUCATION HAS GROWN RAPIDLY BUT STATISTICS IS NOTORIOUSLY DIFFICULT TO TEACH WELL. STUDENTS WITH MATHEMATICS ANXIETY OR WITH POOR MATHEMATICS PREPARATION FIND THE RELENTLESSLY SEQUENTIAL PRESENTATION OF THESE CORUSES PARTICULARLY DIFFICULT. RECENT ADVANCES IN MULTIMEDIA ON DESKTOP WORKSTATIONS PERMIT THE USE OF FULL-MOTION VIDEO, ANIMATION, SIMULATION, AND DATA ANALYSIS INTO AN ENVIRONMENT FOR TEACHING THE CONCEPTS OF MODERN STATISTICS. SUCH A COMPUTER-BASED INSTRUCTION ENVIRONMENT FACILITATES PERSONALIZED INSTRUCTION, AND USES A VARIETY OF VISUALIZATION METHODS TO MAKE STATISTICS CONCEPTS AND METHODS EASIER TO LEARN AND UNDERSTAND. RESEARCHERS ARE STUDYING THE FEASIBILITY OF BUILDING SUCH A WORKSTATION, AND PRODUCING A PROTOTYPE LESSON. THEY ARE USING THE STATISTICS PACKAGE, AND A PROPRIETARY AUTHORING PACKAGE TO ASSESS CURRENT AND ANTICIPATED COSTS FOR HARDWARE, SOFTWARE, COURSEWARE, AND VIDEO.