Technology Innovations in Statistics Education

Technology continues to change not only how we teach, but also what we teach in the introductory course. Recently there has been lively discussion about which topics belong in the course. George Cobb has challenged us to rethink the curriculum in light of the computational power of our technologies. This paper proposes a framework for structuring a course using JMP, omitting some traditional topics, leaving space for emphasis on concepts, on data production, on visualization, and on topics that are rarely included in an introductory course. Through such a structure, we can more directly connect statistics education to students’ disciplinary contexts in business, engineering, social and natural sciences, etc. Additionally, we can strengthen students’ conceptual foundations in the field so that, in their roles as citizens and professionals, they can become more critical consumers of statistical arguments.