Teaching Introductory Statistics Online — Satisfying the Students

Abstract

This paper describes the components of a successful, online, introductory statistics course and shares students' comments and evaluations of each component. Past studies have shown that quality interaction with the professor is lacking in many online courses. While students want a course that is well organized and easy to follow, they also want to interact with the professor and other students. Interactions in this course took place through small group discussions, emails, weekly announcements and graded exams. The course also contained lecture slides with audio prepared by the professor. As the variety and quantity of interaction increased, student satisfaction with the amount of interaction with the professor increased from 75% the first year of the course to 99% the fifth year. Overall satisfaction with the online course increased from 93% the first year to 100% the fifth year.

• Course design
• Online versus traditional learning
• Statistics education

Acknowledgments

I wish to acknowledge, with appreciation, the invaluable assistance of Karl Umble and Ansje Burdick in the original development of this onlline course. In addition, I wish to thank the Associate Editor and the referees for many extremely useful comments.