Calculating ellipse area by the Monte Carlo method and analysing dice poker with Excel at high school

Abstract

This paper reports on lessons in which 18–19 years old high school students modelled random processes with Excel. In the first lesson, 26 students formulated a hypothesis on the area of ellipse by using the analogy between the areas of circle, square and rectangle. They verified the hypothesis by the Monte Carlo method with a spreadsheet model developed in the lesson. In the second lesson, 27 students analysed the dice poker game. First, they calculated the probability of the hands by combinatorial formulae. Then, they verified the result with a spreadsheet model developed in the lesson. The students were given a questionnaire to find out if they found the lesson interesting and contributing to their mathematical and technological knowledge.

Keywords:

• modelling
• random process
• simulation
• spreadsheets

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.