Giorgi, Emanuele (2018) Using a problem-driven approach for teaching statistics at the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences. In: ICOTS 10, 2018-07-08 - 2018-07-13, Kyoto TERRSA.
Full text not available from this repository.Abstract
The African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) is a research and education institute with multiple centers across Africa that offers Master-level programmes in statistics and applied mathematics. In this paper, I first describe the teaching context and pedagogical objectives of AIMS. I then propose a problem-driven approach for teaching statistics which emphasizes the role of statistical inference as integral to scientific investigation. Finally, I illustrate a sample activity where a case study in public health is used to introduce geo-statistical modelling to students. I argue that the proposed approach helps students at AIMS to develop critical thinking skills and gain a deeper understanding of the links between statistical modelling and science.