Tarastats Statistical Consultancy

Statistical thinking for schools

Statistical Thinking for Scholars and Educators

Supporting you in perceiving reality more objectively

Courses

More than fifty years ago, a mathematician called Samuels S. Wilks said that one day skills of statistical thinking will be as important as the skills of reading and writing. This time has now come – the age of digitalization.

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About the courses

What is Statistical Thinking?

Statistical thinking is a thought process that enables a subject or a situation to be analysed objectively. It provides our minds with a thinking methodology that is founded on the key statistical concepts and which empowers the process of turning data and information in to reliable insights.

A ‘human mind data analysis’ versus a ‘statistical data analysis’

Human minds work according to the evidence-based principle – information and data our minds are exposed to are the foundation for our minds’ decision-making process. Our minds collect information, analyse it and form conclusions. A statistical data analysis does it similarly, but with one important difference: the process of collecting data, analysing and forming conclusions is done according to the methodology that assures objectivity and supports the notion of finding the truth. Statistical thinking is the crucial part of this methodology.

How do we help you to develop Statistical Thinking skills?

We introduce you the processes and the thinking that is used in statistical data analysis in a way that is acceptable to a wider spectrum of individuals, even children. We provide you with an experience and examples that enable you to develop statistical thinking skills. Please check the tabs above for more information on the topics covered in this course for the population of your interest, i.e., Teachers, Researchers, Children & Teenagers.

Learning methodology

The course is organised in an interactive way and comprises a mixture of presentations, discussions and team work. The course is built on the teaching philosophy of experiential learning, following the ‘deep-learning’ approach. To provide an environment for discovering and exploring the art of statistical and causal thinking, participants’ thinking is challenged by a number of real world data analysis and data presentation examples. Because the interaction among the participants and instructor is important, each course is limited to 15 participants.

About the instructor

Dr. Ana Kolar has significant experience in teaching at university level. However, she has also proved successful at delivering statistical thinking courses at primary school level. Ana is able to introduce and explain complex topics in a simple manner and she strives towards an educational approach that is based on experiential learning. Ana is the creator of this new approach for developing statistical thinking skills. Read more about Ana here.

 

Teachers

INTERNET, DATA, AND STATISTICAL THINKING

The internet is today’s biggest producer of data. By using it, we not only receive data (information), but we also create it. As a result, the internet appears as a very helpful tool in the process of developing statistical thinking.

This one-day course provides an opportunity to develop statistical thinking skills by exploring the key statistical and non-statistical concepts for developing statistical thinking.

Course objectives

To become familiar with the key statistical and non-statistical concepts for developing statistical thinking skills. In terms of the key statistical concepts, the course provides an introduction to descriptive statistics and causal thinking.

Within the non-statistical concepts, the course provides development of the following skills and understandings:

  • Observational skills (an introduction to effective listening and reading)
  • Deepening the understanding about the differences between objectivity and subjectivity
  • Critical thinking in terms of ‘objective critical thinking’
Covered topics
  • What data are and how they are created
  • What it means to think statistically and what is behind the ‘thinking mechanism’
  • How to be aware of the ‘thinking mechanism’ with which our minds collect and analyse data
  • Descriptive statistics and why knowing about it and understanding it enhances our life, regardless of the profession we are in
  • What is ‘objective critical thinking’ and how to attain it
  • An introduction to causal thinking

Statistical thinking skills offer our human minds a more objective methodology for perceiving reality and thus enhance our capacity to identify credibility of information.

Who should attend?

Educators of all kinds, e.g., pre-school, primary & secondary school, high school, college, higher education and adult education. No prior knowledge on basic statistical concepts is required.

Researchers

HOW TO THINK ABOUT DATA AND DATA ANALYSIS TO OBTAIN OBJECTIVE AND RELIABLE INSIGHTS

Data analytics is becoming a required principal competency for professionals of all types. To obtain trustworthy insights requires not only mastering the key statistical concepts, but also mastering statistical thinking skills.

This one-day intensive course provides you with an opportunity to develop statistical thinking skills by exploring statistical and non-statistical concepts required for developing statistical thinking.

The course introduces the principal statistical tools, analysis techniques and methodologies. The course also introduces the concept of causal thinking, which is the crucial ingredient in the process of deriving reliable understanding of the analysed subject matter.

Course objectives

To become familiar with the key statistical and non-statistical concepts for developing statistical thinking skills. In terms of the key statistical concepts, the course provides an introduction to fundamental ingredients of effective data analysis designs, descriptive statistics and causal thinking.

Within the non-statistical concepts, the course provides development of the following skills and understandings:

  • Observational skills (an introduction to effective listening and reading)
  • Deepening the understanding of the differences between objectivity and subjectivity
  • Critical thinking in terms of ‘objective critical thinking’

Covered topics:

  • Discovering the ‘thinking mechanism’ behind statistical thinking – from subjectivity to objectivity
  • Employing the mechanism of statistical thinking into the process of data analysis and evaluation of results
  • Different types of data and why understanding their origins is crucial in the process of obtaining reliable insights
  • Why missing data should NOT be ignored and the types of information that can be gained from missing data patterns
  • Avoiding bias by understanding limitations of analysed sample data
  • The power of descriptive statistics tools and analysis techniques when learning about the investigated area – when descriptive statistics can and cannot provide reliable insights
  • The key tools and techniques used in descriptive statistics and why understanding shapes of data distributions is fundamental for obtaining reliable insights
  • Correlation is not causation – an introduction to causal effect analysis and causal thinking

Who should attend?

The course is suitable for anyone who wants to discover the art of statistical thinking, learn more or refresh the knowledge about the key statistical concepts and data analysis procedures. No prior knowledge on basic statistical concepts and data analysis is required. However, those who have some prior knowledge will be able to deepen their understanding of data analysis procedures.

Children & Teenagers

INTERNET, DATA, AND STATISTICAL THINKING

Statistical thinking skills offer human minds a more objective methodology for perceiving reality and thus also help in identifying credibility of information.

The internet is today’s biggest producer of data, and by using it, we not only receive data (information), but we also create it. As a result, the internet appears as a very helpful tool in the process of developing statistical thinking.

Course objectives

To be able to separate wheat from chaff and judge successfully the usefulness of data and information that surrounds us. Children and Teenagers become familiar with the term ‘data’ by being introduced to different types of data (internet and non-internet data), the process of how and why data are created, and how we can benefit from information derived from different data presentations or even be misled about it.

To attain a more objective perception of reality in order to enhance decision-making. Our decision-making results from reasoning that we create about information we are exposed to (which is vast in this digital era). The aim of this course is to bring children’s and teenagers’ critical thinking skills to a new level – a level of objective critical thinking – and further upgrade it to statistical thinking.

Covered topics

Participants become familiar with the following topics:

  • Developing understanding about the data: what ‘data’ are, where we find them and how they are created
  • Developing understanding about the difference between objectivity and subjectivity, and how to attain objective thinking
  • Developing understanding about critical thinking and extending it to an ‘objective critical thinking’
  • Developing observational skills, such as effective listening and effective reading
Additional information

These are half day courses available for teenagers and children, ages 11 and upwards.

When and Where

The Statistical Thinking courses for Teachers, Researchers, Children & Teenagers are organised on a per request basis. Should your institution or community be interested in hosting it, or should you require more information, please get in touch via info@tarastats.com or by filling in the contact form below.