Statistical Reasoning | UT Dana Center

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Course Overview

The Dana Center Mathematics Pathways (DCMP) Statistical Reasoning (SR) course is a college-level introductory statistics course organized around broad statistical concepts and intended to serve students pursuing careers in business, allied health, nursing, and the social and behavioral sciences.

Throughout this course, students analyze data, construct and test hypotheses, solve problems, reflect on their work, and make connections between concepts. Students also use simulations and statistical software to analyze and understand data. It is recommended this course be assigned four contact hours per week.

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Table of Contents

Learning Outcomes

This course develops essential conceptual understanding by supporting students in:

Learning good practice in study design
Presentation and interpretation of univariate data using both graphical and numerical methods
Probability
Discrete and continuous probability distributions
Linear regression
Statistical inference
Confidence intervals
Hypothesis testing
Inference for regression
Analysis of variance.

Statistical literacy and statistical thinking are primary themes throughout the course, which promotes student success in future courses, helps students gain skills for the workplace, and prepares them for participation as well-informed, productive citizens.

The in-class activities, instructor resources, and accompanying homework will soon be openly available for use by any instructor.

Student Voice

It wasn't a normal pathway. You had to think outside the box. You had to think, ok, what all does this entail for me to get over here?

Travis Graves completed Statistical Reasoning as part of his Associate’s Degree coursework at Lone Star College—Kingwood. He is now pursuing his Bachelor’s Degree.

Course Information and FAQ

Institutions can use these materials in many different ways to support student achievement in Statistical Reasoning. To meet your institution’s placement policies and serve your students at their preparation level, several implementation options are available.

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College Ready/Bubble Students

College-ready and bubble students (those who place close to the cut-off for college-readiness) take the college-level Statistical Reasoning course. Research shows that students near the cut-off for being deemed college-ready are as likely to pass a college-level course with a B or higher as those who place directly into the college-level course. The preview assignments that are part of Statistical Reasoning are designed to refresh students in the foundational skills required to fully engage in each class meeting.
Unprepared Students Option 1
Students who place in Elementary Algebra or above can take Statistical Reasoning paired with the DCMP QR corequisite support course.

Statistical Reasoning + Corequisite Supports can be offered as either a co-mingled or a cohorted course.
- Co-mingled: The SR parent course contains a mix of college-ready and underprepared students. The underprepared students meet for additional contact hours to complete the corequisite work.
- Cohorted: Specific sections of SR meet for extended hours and are designated solely for underprepared students.
In the corequisite course meetings, underprepared students work collaboratively on the foundational skills needed to engage in upcoming SR class meetings. This work prepares them to complete the Statistical Reasoning preview assignments individually at home. Click here to see a sample calendar.
Unprepared Students Option 2

Students who place below the Beginning Algebra level may still need two semesters to complete their college math requirement. We recommend one semester in the Foundations of Mathematical Reasoning course followed by a semester in the Statistical Reasoning course.

Students in this model may or may not need the corequisite support course during the SR semester. Consider letting the students choose whether to enroll in the additional supports. Alternately, the two courses can be compressed into one semester by meeting seven or eight hours per week.
Very Underprepared Students

Students who place at the Arithmetic or Adult Basic Education level may need additional supports when taking the Foundations of Mathematical Reasoning course. We offer a paired DCMP Foundations of Mathematical Reasoning corequisite support course. We recommend seven contact hours with this model. In the second semester, successful students move on to Statistical Reasoning with paired DCMP corequisite course (recommended seven contact hours).

While this model requires a significant number of contact hours, it reduces the number of semesters needed to reach and complete the college-level course and provides increased supports in a just-in-time manner.

It supports the whole student and teaches them to be thinkers. You see the productive struggle—they become risk-takers willing to take a chance.

Stephanie Andrews
Math Professor, Lone Star College – Kingwood