Use of a Website and Virtual Laboratory for Teaching of Descriptive Statistics

Abstract

[EN] Most of the statistical information in newspapers, magazines, business reports and other publications consists of data that are summarized and presented in a way that it is easy to read and understand. These summaries of data, which can be tabular, graphical or numerical are known as descriptive statistics. In addition, the presentations in tables and graphs to summarize data, numerical descriptive statistics are also used. Within this context, is developing a web page with a virtual laboratory of the themes of descriptive statistics, which proposes a study guide which aims to reorient and upgrade the approach that must address the study of statistical methods, awakening the topics that were developed so that cases raised to develop learning environments that would enable it to meet the knowledge and manipulate it. With this philosophy, applets, web sites with access to real data, software for free use and in general resources used in the web 2.0, referring to a second generation in the history of the web based on user communities, that foster collaboration and fast exchange of information between them. The technology allows us to enjoy the following principle of the use of the modern statistics. It is not as important to memorize formulas or perform complex arithmetic calculations by hand. One can instead focus on results with any type of technology, to give practical meaning to results through critical thinking. This has to make the students really have to make an effort to understand and interpret the results.