Statistics for Teachers

 

When do teachers need statistics?

- marking (putting together reliable, well-supported results)

- reseach (objectively describing the reality, recognising relations among various factors)
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What should we understand?

1. The meaning and formulas for Average, Mode, Median
2. The meaning and method of counting the Weighted Average
3. The meaning and importance of Standard deviation and Correlation
4. How to get and analyse the raw data (research methodology) 

5. How to choose a suitable graphical representation of the survey results

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Task 1  - Analysing research data

Download the example spreadsheet from capsa 

- go to folder PCSkills, file PcSkillsZakladyStatistiky.xls

1. Add some more mock questions and mock answers into the survey - just to have some data to work with.

2. Use the sum, average, mode and median formulas to get -summarising results.

3. In some surveys it is very important to mutually relate various findings -  to prove or disprove a correlation between two facts/answers. Identify the possibilities and explore the standard deviation and correlation within your data. 

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Task 2 - Supporting activities

1. Downolad the excel file KorelacePriklad.xls form capsa. Use the formula explained in this link: Korelace v excelu - příklad to find out the correlations among the given sets of data.

2. Study the articles linked below. You should understand, and be able to explain and apply at least the descriptive statistics. Ask the tutor for help if necessary.


Tips:

• Pie graphs are used only when describing the split of a limited sum of recipients or other data. Example: Identifying the use of potatoes in the kitchen:  50% get boiled, 25% are mashed, the rest is used to make soups.
• Connected lines in graphs should be used to describe continuous processes.
• 3D graphs enable presenting more variables within one graph.

Try to focus on the examples - to understand the information in the data before dealing with the methods.
Consider real-life examples,  or use the real data to experiment with descriptive statistics.

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Help:
Vážený průměr
Weighted Average in Excel
Excel Help - Weighted Average
Excel Help - Descriptive Statistics


Descriptive statistics - Distribution, Central Tendency (Average, Mode, Median), Dispersion, Standard Deviation

Standard Deviation in Wiki

Směrodatná odchylka - see the graph to get the meaning

Correlation example

Úvod do popisné statistky

Popisná statistika

Rozptyl (variance)

Rozptyl nám udává, jak moc jsou hodnoty v našem statistickém soubory rozptýleny.

Směrodatná odchylka

Směrodatná odchylka, podobně jako rozptyl, určuje jako moc jsou hodnoty rozptýleny či odchýleny od průměru hodnot. Směrodatná odchylka je rovna odmocnině z rozptylu,

Co je korelace?
Čtyřpolní a kontingenční tabulka
Měření závislosti, korelace a regrese

Co je to vlastně korelace?

Korelace je lineární závislost mezi dvěma veličinami (slovo „lineární“ je důležité – veličiny na sobě totiž mohou záviset i jinak než lineárně). Míru korelace vyjadřuje tzv. korelační koeficient, který nabývá hodnot od –1 do 1.

• Hodnota 0 znamená, že mezi veličinami lineární závislost není.
• Kladné hodnoty znamenají, že je mezi veličinami vztah „čím více – tím více“, s růstem jedné veličiny roste i druhá.
• Záporné hodnoty znamenají, že je mezi veličinami vztah „čím více – tím méně“, tedy s růstem jedné veličiny druhá veličina klesá.
• Čím blíže je hodnota korelačního koeficientu jedné nebo mínus jedné, tím je vztah silnější. Hodnoty kolem nuly znamenají, že hodnoty žádný vztah nemají.

Podstatné je zdůraznit, že korelace není totéž jako příčinná závislost. Pokud spolu dvě veličiny korelují, neznamená to nutně, že jedna ovlivňuje druhou. Bylo například ukázáno, že počet čápů a počet narozených dětí v jednotlivých evropských státech spolu koreluje (korelace okolo 0,6). Znamená to, že čápi nosí děti?

Kahoot and the principles of teaching

 Do you know kahoot?

It is a fast developing commercial platform which aims at techers, offering a space to create fast quizzes to be played online - on a PC or a phone. The scores are registered and compared, which makes the game highly competitive and motivating. Therefore the platform becomes still more popular among the teachers and students.

TASK 1

1. Play this kahoot quiz:  https://kahoot.it/challenge/09992845?challenge-id=560ec7a1-e1c2-4ea5-850a-88c60ab1c104_1618432207739
2. Summarise the advantages and disadvantages of such activity in English language teaching. Consider both the views of students AND teachers.

TASK 2

1. Make pairs. 
2. Register into Kahoot and create a quiz of your own.
3. List the types of questions which are offered (including the premium version). Compare with the types available in Moodle.
4. In pairs, try out the quizzes you made. Share the links in the project excel chart, so that more people can try them out.

To consider:

Would you prefer Moodle or Kahoot for constant teaching/learning support? What are the criteria? Enter your considerations into the comment to this blog.

Multiple Choice

 

MC is a frequently used and favoured type of task/test. Why?

Suggested format:

• 10 questions
• 4 distractors for each (no mistakes allowed as distractors!)
• For questions and answers, preferably use sentences, not isolated words. Do not translate.
• Keep in mind WHAT you want to teach. Language, facts, or both?

Feedback should include

• correct language input
• additional information/facts
• hints or directions toward the correct answer

MC tasks, above all task types, must offer a high quality feedback: motivating, positive, informative.

How do I make a good feedback in multiple choice?

Just follow these simple tips:

• DO NOT use capitals, exclamation marks, "NO!" "Unfortunately..." etc.
• Be positive :) - do not start the feedback with "Sorry, no..."
• Add extra information in good English, eg.:

Where do lions live? Chosen answer: "Malaysia" 

Feedback: "Tigers live in India, but lions live in Africa."

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TASK 1

• Choose a simple vocabulary-focused topic, e.g. furniture, winter clothes... remember the fields you covered at high school.
• Create a list of 10 vocabulary items you want to teach and practice.
• Formulate 5 MC questions, and 4 distractors to each.
• Add suitable feedback to each distractor.

TASK 2

Having all the items described above ready, go to moodle and create a MC test in your personal space.

Postup - pro české nastavení:

• Zapnout režim úprav
• Založit test. to byste měli mít hotové :)
• Otevřít test
• Zvolit příkaz Upravit test
• Zvolit příkaz Přidat +novou úlohu
• Zvolit typ Výběr z možných odpovědí

Vyplněním formuláře vytvoříte první otázku.

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Another independent freeware to create interactive exercises:

Hot Potatoes