Remember that in the appendix of your courseware, great resources for student engagement help you bring the real world into your classroom! Check out two examples:

1. Direct Mail Game

In the game, students assume the role of a direct mail marketing manager for a company that markets inexpensive computer software. Their task is to develop a mailing strategy by finding mailing lists that will produce sufficient sales to be profitable.

The game provides an environment in which students apply statistical concepts while making business decisions.

While students can explore the game on their own, we recommend playing it in class.

Dr. Hawkes created this game when he was a statistics professor. He says that this lesson was always his students’ favorite each semester.

2. Name That Distribution

Name that Distribution is a concept builder that strengthens analytical skills in distribution recognition and data analysis.

Students view the histogram, frequency, statistics, and sample data of a distribution. They can increase the number of intervals and choose to view a hint if they’re unsure of the answer. As they play with the different options to analyze the data, students combine that information to make an educated guess about the distribution type.

Check out a hint:

Below is an example of a distribution type:

Students new to this kind of data analysis will begin to understand how they can apply this knowledge to the many real-world scenarios that they can evaluate through detecting typical or skewed data.

The Direct Mail lesson is available in:

• Discovering Statistics Appendix A.9
• Discovering Business Statistics Appendix A.10
• Beginning Statistics Appendix A.5

The Name that Distribution lesson is available in Appendix A.3 in all three statistics courses.