Assessment and the Process of Learning Statistics

Abstract

Because assessment drives student learning, it can be used as a powerful tool to encourage students to adopt deep rather than surface learning strategies. Many standard assessment questions tend to reinforce the memorisation of procedures rather than the understanding of concepts. To counteract this trend, some techniques for constructing questions that test understanding of concepts and that address specific goals of statistical education are described and illustrated with examples.

• Assessment goals
• Memorising procedures
• Assessing understanding

Acknowledgement

Part of this paper was presented at the Statistical Education Workshop associated with SISC'96, Sydney. The author's research on questions was supported by a Queensland University of Technology Teaching and Learning Grant.