CONTEXT VUU is one of the first Historically Black Colleges and Universities(HBCU) established in the Nation. It started in 1865 in a one room jail previously used to house slaves arriving to the Port of Richmond, and runaway slaves. It is located on the Northside in Richmond, Virginia. VUU is a four year liberal arts college, with a graduate school of Theology. It has about 1400 undergraduates, and 400 graduate students. The course I teach is designed for students in the Social Sciences: Social Work, Sociology, and Criminal Justice. The Math dept. offers another course in statistics targeting tudents in the Natural Sciences and Business. The course I teach (SOC 315-- Intro to Social Statistics) is offered every semester, with one section each. We do not offer online instruction yet, but discussions are going on about the possibility of starting such a venture, and expanding it to distance learning. The only course offered online is a one credit course on Computer Literacy. Most students are either Juniors or Seniors. Most are female (The ratio of female to male at VUU is about 60:40). Of the 26 students I have this semester, 24 are African American, one is Hispanic (M), and one hails from the Czech Republic (F). SOC 315 is a required course for the majors in SOC, SWK, and in CCJ. It is expected that every student enrolling in this class would have completed successfully the Core requirements for two semesters (6 credit hours) of college math. However, by the time I see the students, most have forgotten the basics neccesssary for Stat. I have to start reminding them how to convert from simple fractions to decimals, how to calculate percentages, and the concept of probability, etc. I suspect his is because the Social Sciences do not offer continuity to the Natural Sciences or Math, and thus the absence of reinforcement. I am trying to establish stronger communication with the MAT Dept. in order to coordinate their offerings with my class' needs

PROCEDURE How do you plan to teach the course to the on-line students : Not Applicable. However, I am using OLI as a component of the class. I project certain modules during the class session, and use it while lecturing. I also assign reading the OLI modules as homework, and the exercises are required. The frst one is due by September 29. I am also using JoinIn-on-TurningPoint from Turning Technologies. The book from Thomson publishing comes with a remote control and I have a receiver connected to the computer in the classroom. I project the question on the screen, and each student clicks the answer, which appears on the grid. If you are not familiar with this system, log on to: WWW.turningtechnologies.com and check it out. I am the only one responsible for this class I will use the modules relevant to Descriptive Stat, and elements of the modules on Inferential. The course syllabus has 4 components: 1. Descriptive (Frequencies, tables, graphs, etc,; Central Tendency & Dispersion; z-score; Chi square etc). 2. Probability 3. Linear Correlation 4. Regression If I have some time left, I touch on the principles of hypothesis testing and ANOVA Grading system includes:quizzes & tests, midterm, final, and OLI. Attendance does not carry a grade, but excessive absence risks reduction of grade. Major problem is the uneveness that students encounter in availability of Internet. Not all have home computers, and even some who are in the dorms have begun experiencing service interruptions. We are the earliest HBCU and one of the first four universitries nationally to establish wireless connection 5 years ago. The equipment is now obsolete, and many of the wireless radios that capture the signal from the main antenna are failing. We cannot replace them because we are planning to go with a more cutting edge technology, but we can't do it yet because of finances. So, we are jerry rigging the system until later this year when we convert to the new technology.

PEDAGOGICAL APPROACH I use a variety of instructional methosds/styles: lectrure, OLI in class projection, TurningPoint in-class projection and quizzing, stuents solving problems on the board, quizzes that are then evaluated and discussed in class, and hands on simulation in class. an example of the latter is when I explain Central Tendency and the normal distribution. I take a handful of sugar and slowly dribble it on a sheet of paper on the desk in front of the class. I then have them come up to see it "up close and personal". I point out that most of the grains are piled in the center of the mound, and less as we go farther away from the center. I also point out the few grains that had fallen toward the edge of the paper (outliers), etc. I use M & Ms to explain sampling and randomness (they get to eat the M & Ms later). I use playing cards and a pair of die to explain probability. I used a bungy cord to explain the standard deviation ( I mark it with ink before stretching it). I like OLI's examples that are animated. eg. the one animation that shows the scatterplots and their changing form as we move the cursor. Practicing what we discuss in class is the best way to retain the material. Not to try to memorize, but to understand. If they can intuitively gain insight into the principles that I am talking about, then they will have begun the process of retaining it. And, do the exercises, and use OLI! I usually start with a clean and abstract definition and then instantiate it with interesting examples. Sociological studies seem to indicate that minorities relate better to concrete exmples that are then transfered to the abstract, than they do to the opposite. Such studies apply to some people from abroad as well. What I actually do is start with the concrete to the abstract, and when the students are comfortable with me and my approach to teaching, I begin introducing the abstract concepts before making the concrete connection. My very first lecture I begin by stating that scientific research and statistics would not have been possible without Nature's two tendencies: The affinity toward harmony, and its tolerance for diversity. Then I give examples from the class: We are all identical (harmony): one head, two eyes, two arms, etc. You would not mistake any of us for a tree. But we are also quite different (diversity): shape of eyes, skin color, height, length of hair, etc. Then I say that in statistics and research we call Nature's two conflicting tendencies "Central tendency", and "dispersion/variation/variability". How do you plan to use StatTutor in the course? I use it as part of the constellation of instructional methods. I ask the students to exercise, and I use it in class to make a point. Are you giving any additional assignments besides the questions in the modules and the quizzes and the StatTutor labs and if so what sort? From the text, ones that I make up, and from Turning-Point. I am also available quite extensively to tutor them individually in my office. Is there anything we should understand about your pedagogical approach that we have not asked about? Seems to work for me. I have been receiving high marks on my students evaluations of this course. They tell me they start by dreading it, but then it turns into fun. No one has dozed off yet during class!

LEARNING Ineteresting that you asked! I happen to be teaching a course on General Psychology this semster. In the first chapter, the author states that the best knowledge is one where the student uses questions and tries to answer them, then reviews the answers and makes corrections. This opposite is the least favorable method of taking notes and trying to memorize them. OLI is suited for the best method if the students follow my instruction and use it religiously and methodically. (I noticed that 22 of them have already registered.) In my case, I suspect the answer to your question would lie in the middle. I believe in individualized instruction whenever possible. No one method will fit every one, though some method may be more fitting to most. Some students do better if I explain the wide parameters, then allow then to intuitively fill in the blanks, then go back and see where they made mistakes. Other students thrive better academically if shown the concrete aspects of their learning anf then work with them to overlay the principles and abstract notions. I try to do both, especially with a course that offers a topic that is notorious for being difficult and scary. I try to dispel those myths, and make it enjoyable by showing the practical application of statisics, and that we all have been doing staistics even though we never thought of it that way, like when we pick the lottery. I also spend a lot of time in individual conferences. I like students and it seems to resonate with them. I beieve they are willing to give Statistics a fighting chacne because of me. I ask them not to be negative toward it, but to at least be neutral. Then I say that gazillion students before you, all over the world came in scared, and yet manged to pass their stat class. I believe learning happens beter in a climate of congeniality, trust, and care. I am lucky that the class is relatively small. I do not know how my approacjh will work with ayuditorium size classes. Then there is that student who, no matter what, is determined to fail. I do not have an answer for that except try again.

Motivation First, it is because of my fascination with technology and its uses in education. Second, becasue I believe that it offers the students a more interesting avenue for learning the material than reading the texbook. I cannot guarantee every student will buy a text book. But I know they will be on OLI. I am going to ry to have it as a link on ANGEL, our CMS. Third, it is probably intriguing and familiar to a greneration that has been raised on the Ineternet. Sometimes I think studetns are more familiar with a web site than with a book! Finally, after attending the workshop, I am convinced that I can use its content as a powerful tool IN ADDITION to what I do in class, to make my classes more effective.