Paradoxes and counterexamples in teaching and learning of probability at university

Abstract

This article is devoted to practical aspects of teaching and learning of probability at university. It presents the difficulties and attitudes of first-year university science and engineering students towards using paradoxes and counterexamples as a pedagogical strategy in teaching and learning of probability. It also presents a student's point of view on the effectiveness of this pedagogical strategy.

Keywords:

• paradoxes
• counterexamples
• probability
• teaching
• learning

Acknowledgements

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to our colleagues Professor Dieter Schott and Dr Gabriele Sauerbier from Wismar University of Applied Sciences, Technology, Business and Design, Germany, for translating their students’ responses into English.