Resources for personal development: Improving your Skills as a Statistics Teacher

Introduction

Universities are becoming committed to supporting the development of the educational and teaching skills of their staff. The problem for the staff however is how this might best be done. The Higher Education Academy (HEA) Mathematics, Statistics and OR (MSOR) Network has been developing resources to help the educational and professional development of HE staff who teach statistics.

The resources are directed to those who teach statistics as academic staff in mathematics or statistics departments or within medicine, geography, psychology, business studies etc. or possibly as research staff. The resources use both written and internet delivery and can be studied in a variety of ways. They are designed to provide considerable flexibility in both the choice of material and its use to fit the particular needs of the teacher's situation.

Please consider the resources and approaches described here and how they might help you in developing your teaching. Please contact us with any comments, questions and requests.

The Statistics Teaching Resources

The resources comprise a number of learning units in written form and one that is web-based. They offer various optional ways of supporting study and development, including a dedicated web site and e-mail or telephone support. These provide the opportunity to become a member of a peer group, from across the world, of others who are involved in the teaching of statistics. The Royal Statistical Society accredited these resources. Its use by lecturers may be quoted for the fulfilment of CPD requirements. The main resources are:

• Learning Statistics: This gives a development of those elements of learning theory that have an immediate impact on the teaching of statistics, with many illustrations. It is designed to provide lecturers with many examples of good practice in statistics teaching, but emphasising, on educational grounds, why they are good practice.
• Teaching Statistics: This gives a broad study of issues faced by the statistics lecturer. It includes the opportunity for teachers to look at their own selection of specific statistical topics.
• Feedback & Assessment in Statistics: This provides a study of the specific methods appropriate to the formation and assessment of students' understanding and skills in statistics.
• Computer Supported Statistics Teaching: This is a web-based unit that explores both the use of statistical software and of the Internet in the teaching of statistics.

As well as these main units there are some supplementary resources and a web site.

Using the Resources for CPD

We offer several models of potential use:

• Personal Study and Development: You might use just one or two sections for study each year and explore their application in your teaching. This can be done on a purely personal basis or links can be created with a peer group of statistics teachers organised by the MSOR Network. Tutorial support and/or assessment can also be provided.
• Within a University CPD Programme: The resources can be used under licence and modified and delivered entirely within your universities own CPD system. The university would negotiate with the MSOR Network on the appropriate way to fit the resources within your structure.
• Within PG Certificates, Diplomas and MScs: For staff doing such formal courses it is often possible for the university to use elements of the resources for optional sections to be studied as part of the course.
• The RSS Certificate in Teaching Statistics in HE: As a different approach it is possible to study the standard or the 'Open Learning' versions of the Royal Statistical Society Certificate in Teaching Statistics in Higher Education. This is accredited by the RSS. The open learning version of this Certificate provides for maximum flexibility in long-term CPD study and assessment.