The Royal Statistical Society Centre for Statistical Education invites you to a series of activities to mark the beginning of the Royal Statistical Society’s 10-year statistical literacy campaign, getstats.
The events run from Wednesday 20 - Wednesday 27 October 2010, with two days in London at the RSS and four in Plymouth at the RSSCSE. The launch of the campaign on World Statistics Day, 20 October, is being marked by a read paper to the Society by Chris Wild, Maxine Pfannkuch, Matt Regan (University of Auckland, NZ) and Nicholas Horton (Smith College, USA). It is entitled 'Towards More Accessible Conceptions of Statistical Inference'. Do not miss this - for many, this paper represents what the RSS 10-year statistical literacy campaign is all about! Read paper full Details here
For more details please click the 'Read More' link below.
All are welcome. In addition the RSSCSE will award a number of bursaries to help with accommodation in Plymouth.
For more details please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , or phone 01752 5854757, alternatively you can register your attendance for any or all of these days using the link below.
Thurs 21 October - Fourth International CensusAtSchool Workshop
Royal Statistical Society, London. 10.00 - 15.30
Enriching the Understanding of Statistics AtSchool
For more information on the fourth International CensusAtSchool workshop to be held in London please view the CensusAtSchool site.
Session 1 Maxine Pfannkuch, Matt Regan and Chris Wild, University of Auckland
Generalising from data
Using role plays involving the voices of teachers, students, statisticians and researchers, we explore how students think, how teachers present statistical arguments and emphasise some important imperatives for unlocking stories from data
Session 2 Kate Richards, AtSchool Coordinator, Royal Statistical Centre for Statistical Education
and Martha Aliaga, Director of Education, American Statistical Association
Improving data handling and functional skills of school-aged learners using their own data and data from other schools nationally and internationally.
Session 3 Matt Regan and Maxine Pfannkuch, University of Auckland
Generalising from data: Making a claim. Workshop 1
We will show how we use hands-on activities to immerse students in ideas about sample, population, sampling variability and how to ‘make a claim’ when comparing two groups
Session 4 Matt Regan and Maxine Pfannkuch, University of Auckland
Generalising from data: Engaging with Shape. Workshop 2
Unlocking the stories behind data requires an appreciation of the connection between sample and population distributions, and shape and context. We will present some activities we have used to engage students with ideas about shapes and the relationships between shapes and stories. We will show how we use hands-on activities to immerse students in ideas about sample, population, sampling variability and how to ‘make a claim’ when comparing two groups
Session 5 Chris Wild, University of Auckland
Early Statistical Inferences: 'The eyes have it'
We discuss issues involved in formulating beginning versions of statistical inference and present some specific and highly visual proposals. These are built upon simple metaphors and novel ways of experiencing sampling variation. They are intended to underpin more advanced and formal methods of making inferences. Our proposal uses visual comparisons to enable the inferential step to be made without taking the eyes off relevant graphs of the data. This allows the time and conceptual distances between questions, data and conclusions to be minimised, so that the most critical linkages can be made. This talk overlaps substantially wit the talk Towards more accessible conceptions of statistical inference given at the RSS on the afternoon of Wednesday 20 October
You can register for this day here Registration Link
Fri 22 October - Young Statisticians Day
RSSCSE, University of Plymouth, 9.30 - 15.30
Making Statistics More Accessible
Session 1 Environment: Statistics for science
Dr Stan Yip, Research Fellow – University of Exeter
This talk describes some of the hot topics in environmental statistics and looks at the importance of statistics in environmental science.
Session 2 Government: Statistician or analyst? A life in the day of an assistant statistician
Dr Daryl Lloyd, Head of Vehicle Licensing – Government Statistical Service
This talk provides some background on how to join the GSS and explores the types of roles undertaken by Fast Stream Statistician’s during the first five years of their careers.
Session 3 Academia: There’s no theorem like Bayes Theorem
Dr Paul Hewson, Lecturer in Statistics – University of Plymouth
Dr Hewson outlines the value of a career in Life Science Research which ultimately led him to explore the burden of mental health in various parts of England as well as alternative methods for analysing data on acute malnutrition.
Session 4 Industry: A year in the life of a statistician
Tim J. Wyatt, fourth year student in Mathematics, Operational Research and Statistics, Cardiff University
Mathematics undergraduate Tim Wyatt details his year’s experience working in drug-development for GlaxoSmithKline. He will outline the importance of statistics in the field, the role statisticians play in the drug development process, and why the Pharmaceutical sector may be right for you.
Session 5 Medical: Piecing together an epidemiological puzzle
Ross Harris, Statistician, Health Protection Agency
Accurately assessing the prevalence of a disease is made rather difficult when many of those infected are unaware of
their disease status, and are part of an elusive population that is difficult to monitor. Bayesian evidence synthesis attempts to bring together various data sources, like the pieces of a jigsaw, in order to provide an overall picture. Ross describes the challenges of putting the puzzle together.
Session 6 Finance: Statistics at the Bank of England
Eleanor Broughton, Analyst in Monetary and Financial Statistics, Bank of England
The Bank of England’s in-house team of statisticians compile, analyse and publish data from all banks and building societies across the country. The data reveal patterns and trends present in the economy, and are used to inform decisions taken by a wide range of users.
Session 7 2011 CensusAtSchool Project Interactive workshop for teachers
Kate Richards, AtSchool Coordinator, Royal Statistical Centre for Statistical Education
This workshop will showcase the CensusAtSchool resources and demonstrate how the real data collected from school pupils can be used by learners and their teachers to solve problems.
Session 8 Tea and talk for pupils
Speakers and undergraduates
Pupils will have an opportunity to talk to undergraduates and speakers about careers in statistics and university life.
Close and launch of RSSCSE Statistics Club for Sout West Schools
You can register for this day here Registration Link
Mon 25 October - Schools Day
RSSCSE, University of Plymouth, 9.30 - 15.30
Enriching the Understanding of Teaching and Learning Statistics
In addition to key statistical educators from within the UK, the RSSCSE is honoured to be able to host three colleagues from the University of Auckland who are world leaders in producing innovative approaches to teaching statistics in schools. The day promises to be a landmark event in statistical education for schoolteachers. There is no fee for the day but please book early to secure a place and to help us with catering needs.
Plenary 1 Maxine Pfannkuch, Matt Regan and Chris Wild, University of Auckland
Generalising from data
Using role plays involving the voices of teachers, students, statisticians and researchers, we explore how students think, how teachers present statistical arguments and emphasise some important imperatives for unlocking stories from data.
Parallel Sessions 1
Session 1a Kate Richards, RSSCSE
The 2011 CensusAtSchool Project
Session 1b Douglas Butler, ICT Training Centre, Oundle
Handling Data in Autograph (11-16)
Session 1c Charlie Stripp, Chief Executive, Mathematics in Education and Industry (MEI)
Motivating Probability
Parallel Sessions 2
Session 2a TBA, Minitab
Minitab for Schools
Session 2b Douglas Butler, ICT Training Centre, Oundle
Handling Data in Autograph (16-19)
Session 2c Maxine Pfannkuch and Matt Regan, University of Auckland
Generalising from data: Making a claim. Workshop 1
Parallel Sessions 3
Session 3a Neil Sheldon, Manchester Grammar school
Variation: it's what statistics is all about
Session 3b Stella Dudzic, Programme Leader (Curriculum), MEI
Inroducing Hypothesis Testing
Session 3c Maxine Pfannkuch and Matt Regan, University of Auckland
Generalising from data: Engaging with Shape. Workshop 2
Plenary 2 Chris Wild, University of Auckland
Early Statistical Inferences: 'The eyes have it'
This session focuses on formulating beginning versions of statistical inference and presents some specific and highly visual proposals. These are built upon simple metaphors and novel ways of experiencing sampling variation.
You can register for this day here Registration Link
Tues 26 October - Higher Education Day
RSSCSE, University of Plymouth, 9.30 - 16.30
Higher Education Academy Maths, Stats and OR Network
Royal Statistical Society Centre for Statistical Education
Engaging Teachers and Learners of Statistics in Higher Education
Under the auspices of the HEA Maths, Stats and OR Network, the RSSCSE is proud to invite you to a series of presentations/workshops on leading edge methods of teaching statistics at all levels in higher education. We are particularly pleased to welcome as presenters two key members of the Department of Statistics at the University of Auckland, New Zealand. For 20 years the department at Auckland has led the world in developing innovative ways to improve students’ statistical thinking. There is no fee for the day: book early here to avoid disappointment and to help us assess catering needs.
Session 1 Chris Wild, Professor of Statistics, University of Auckland
Visual Inferences and Gaining Inzight
First we will talk about plots and plot-annotations that facilitate the making of instant visual inferences about within-group comparisons that can benefit students and data analysts alike for a range of applications from standard intro-stat situations to the effects of factor variables in generalized linear models. Second we introduce a data analysis system called “inzight” (“insight” with a nz pun) designed initially for use in New Zealand high schools but now with capabilities that extend to multivariable graphics and generalised linear models. Our desire has been to provide a tool that will actively encourage the exploration of multivariate data sets and enable emphasis to be kept almost entirely on seeing what data is saying rather than learning how to drive software. The visual inference features of the first part of the talk are, of course, implemented in inzight.
Session 2 Chris Triggs, Professor and Head of Department of Statistics, University of Auckland
Statistics: Why do we need it? - and if we do, how should it be taught?
There is an increasing demand for courses in Statistics for groups of students, often post-graduates, from a wide variety of disciplines. Most of these students come with little of the background and preparation of traditional undergraduates majoring in Statistics. What is the material that these students really need, and how should it be presented? This talk will describe a few experiences - some successful and some not, from attempting to present courses of this type in New Zealand and Australia.
Session 3 Julian Stander, University of Plymouth
R 4 US
(R for Undergraduate Statistics)
In this presentation I will cover a wide range of uses of R for teaching statistics to undergraduates of all abilities that will include: arithmetic operations, histograms, boxplots, scatter plots, regression and R packages. Teachers of statistics to specialists and non-specialists will be most welcome.
Session 4 Paul Hewson, University of Plymouth and RSSCSE
Analysis of the UK National Student Survey (NSS) for STEM Subjects
One cannot easily compare institutions using the NSS because respondents in different subject areas appear to have different patterns of response to the survey and different institutions offer different mixes of courses. It is also clear, for example, that females are more likely to complete the survey than males. Clearly, if there are strong gender differences in response rate, gender differences in satisfaction, gender differences in course selection and course differences between institutions, naive comparison of subjects and institutions is problematic. This session will report the results of a multilevel modelling analysis, and provide opportunities to discuss the practical implication of the adjustments that are made in order to make a meaningful analysis of the NSS.
Session 5 John Marriott, Ewan Crawford and Neville Davies, RSSCSE and MSOR Network
A Dynamic In-class Survey Tool with Real Time Data Retrieval for Teaching Statistics
In this session a real-time classroom survey tool will be demonstrated together with an illustration of how this might help engage first year students who experience statistics as a service course.
Session 6 Helen MacGillivray, Queensland University of Technology
Provisional Title: Aspects of Group Problem Solving for Teaching Statistics and More
You can register for this day here Registration Link
Weds 27 October - Workplace Day
RSSCSE, University of Plymouth, 10.30 - 16.00
Enriching Southwest Businesses with Statistics
The RSSCSE invites you to a day where you can find out how statistics can help you and your business improve its efficiency and profitability through taking a fresh look at data. This will include externally produced data such as from government agencies, internally generated data from carrying out your day to day business activities and new resources for online training your workforce so that they can become more statistically literate.
The sessions will invite you to discuss the quantitative skills needed in your own business – please give some thought to this so that in the final session we can plan how the speakers and RSSCSE can help you over the following months.
Session 1 Roland Caulcutt, Caulcutt Associates
Teaching Statistics to Black Belts
What are greenbelts and blackbelts and why might your business need one? I will discuss the statistical techniques
most used by blackbelts including data analysis and presentation of conclusions. I will focus on graphics and not mathematics.
Session 2 Shirley Coleman, Industrial Statistics Research Unit, Newcastle University
Quality Results using Quantitative Skills
This session is about doing the right process, the right way to give quality results. Quantitative Skills produce an impact which can be evaluated by Practical Statistical Efficiency (PSE). Some examples of measuring, charting and using basic statistics in good and poor projects will be discussed and then the methodology will be applied to projects volunteered by the attendees.
Session 3 Paul Hewson, University of Plymouth
Statistics Online Training for Local Authorities, Businesses and other organisations who use data
In this presentation I will discuss our experience with developing online statistics training material using an easy to use Internet-based content management system. I will then discuss ways in which the RSSCSE plans to expand the resource to take into account training needs of employees of attendees and others in the south West.
Session 4 Open Discussion
You can register for this day here Registration Link
To cover administration costs there is nominal fee for the day of £40 per person. If more than one person from an organisation wishes to attend, the fee is £20 per extra person.
We expect this enrichment day for businesses to be popular, so please register your attendance early by emailing This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , calling 01752 585457 or by using the registration link below.
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Phone: (0)1752 5854757
Register: Registration Link
