Chris Reading | University of New England - Australia (original) (raw)

Papers by Chris Reading

STATISTICS EDUCATION RESEARCH JOURNAL

This report includes a brief introduction to the Statistical Reasoning, Thinking and Literacy (SR... more This report includes a brief introduction to the Statistical Reasoning, Thinking and Literacy (SRTL) Research Forum Program, an overview of SRTL-2 and STRL-3, and summaries of each of the SRTL-2 presentations. First published May 2002 at Statistics Education Research Journal: Archives

The Statistics Education Research Journal (SERJ) is a peer-reviewed electronic journal of the Int... more The Statistics Education Research Journal (SERJ) is a peer-reviewed electronic journal of the International Association for Statistical Education (IASE) and the International Statistical Institute (ISI). SERJ is published twice a year and is free. SERJ aims to advance research-based knowledge that can help to improve the teaching, learning, and understanding of statistics or probability at all educational levels and in both formal (classroombased) and informal (out-of-classroom) contexts. Such research may examine, for example, cognitive, motivational, attitudinal, curricular, teaching-related, technology-related, organizational, or societal factors and processes that are related to the development and understanding of stochastic knowledge. In addition, research may focus on how people use or apply statistical and probabilistic information and ideas, broadly viewed. The Journal encourages the submission of quality papers related to the above goals, such as reports of original resear...

International Journal of Information and Communication Technology Education, 2016

Four distinct constructs were identified from a survey of a sample of pre-service science teacher... more Four distinct constructs were identified from a survey of a sample of pre-service science teachers at a regional Australian University. The constructs emerged after employing Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) on respondents' perceptions of pedagogical practices incorporating the use of Information Communication and Technology (ICT). The key components of the survey were derived from a Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPACK) survey developed for a national project. For future investigations of TPACK application in university contexts, a four-construct configuration of pre-service teacher TPACK perceptions is proposed requiring empirical confirmation. This inquiry depicts a portrait of emerging domains of TPACK. The relevance of the findings and their implications for universities that rely heavily on ICT in the delivery of are discussed, especially in relation to improving teaching practices.

The Internet and Higher Education, 2015

ABSTRACT The current generation of learners have been referred to as ‘digital natives’ in reflect... more ABSTRACT The current generation of learners have been referred to as ‘digital natives’ in reflection of their apparent ease and familiarity with digital technology. However, questions remain about how prepared students are for university e-learning environments. This research explores student and staff perceptions of the level of preparedness for students for a university e-learning environment mediated by a Learning Management System. Findings suggest that while students may be reasonably prepared to deal with the technology of e-learning, for activities such as, reading and writing, being clear and concise in responses, synthesizing ideas, planning strategies, making arguments, and working with others, students are not well prepared.

Data and context in statistics education: …, 2010

There has been an increasing focus in recent years on theoretical frameworks to describe cognitiv... more There has been an increasing focus in recent years on theoretical frameworks to describe cognitive development of statistical concepts. There is now a need to encourage the use of these frameworks to inform practice in the teaching and learning of statistics. This paper focuses on ...

We are glad to report the result of the election for the IASE Executive for 2001-2003. There was ... more We are glad to report the result of the election for the IASE Executive for 2001-2003. There was a large participation (over 150 ballots received) and all the candidates received a great support. They will be working for the IASE in the next two years and will be very happy to receive your feedback and answer any questions you might have. The new Executive is listed below.

This paper reports on a study of high school students ’ understanding of statistics. Grade 7 to 1... more This paper reports on a study of high school students ’ understanding of statistics. Grade 7 to 12 students (n=180) completed an open-ended written response task about data description and prediction. Follow-up interviews were undertaken with 15 students. The SOLO Taxonomy and the Rasch Model were used to analyse the polychotomously categorised data. This analysis indicated student responses fell into two cycles within the concrete-symbolic mode, with two parallel paths of cognitive growth within these cycles. These findings suggest a need to modify approaches to teaching so as to better take into account the level of students ’ understanding of statistics.

This report is located at www.dest.gov.au and www.simerr.une.edu.au Apart from any use as permitt... more This report is located at www.dest.gov.au and www.simerr.une.edu.au Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part of this publication may be reproduced by any means without written permission of the publisher. You may download, display, print and reproduce this material in unaltered form only (retaining this notice) for your personal, non-commercial use and use within your organisation.

A randomized trial of 265 consenting students was conducted within an introductory biostatistics ... more A randomized trial of 265 consenting students was conducted within an introductory biostatistics course: 69 received eight small group cooperative learning sessions; 97 accessed internet learning sessions; 96 received no intervention. Effect on examination score (95% CI) was assessed by intent-to-treat analysis and by incorporating reported participation. No difference was found by intent-to-treat analysis. After incorporating reported participation, adjusted average improvement was 1.7 points (-1.8, 5.2) per cooperative session and 2.1 points (-1.4, 5.5) per internet session after one examination. After four examinations, adjusted average improvement for four study sessions was 5.3 points (0.4, 10.3) per examination for cooperative learning and 8.1 points (3.0, 13.2) for internet learning. Consistent participation in active learning may improve understanding beyond the traditional classroom.

Concept maps (cmaps) are graphical tools that illustrate complex networks of interconnections bet... more Concept maps (cmaps) are graphical tools that illustrate complex networks of interconnections between concepts. These can be used to illustrate the concept connections implicit in teaching syllabus content thus facilitating sense-making and meaningful learning. This paper sheds some light upon pre-service teachers' understanding of the interconnectedness of basic concepts for the topic of 'Data' as evidenced in their construction of comprehensive cmaps. The illustrative networks designed by pre-service teachers were analyzed in relation to what connections were made and the quality of statements between connecting links/nodes. The results showed the variety and complexity of the interconnectedness of pre-service teachers' understanding of the concepts. Implications for both teaching and research are provided. Meaningful learning takes place by the assimilation of new concepts and propositions into existing concepts in an individual's cognitive structure (Ausubel,...

Statistics Education Research Journal, 2006

Recent research into students’ reasoning about variation refers specifically to notions of distri... more Recent research into students’ reasoning about variation refers specifically to notions of distribution that emerge. This paper reports on research where written responses, from tertiary introductory statistics students, were coded according to the level of consideration of variation. A hierarchy of reasoning about distribution is proposed, based on the notions of distribution that were evident in these responses. The hierarchy reflects students’ progression from describing key elements of distribution to linking them for comparison and inference. The proposed hierarchy provides researchers with an emerging framework of students’ reasoning about distribution. The research also highlights that educators need to be aware that, without a well developed consideration of variation, students’ ability to reason about distribution will be hampered.

The Australian and International Journal of Rural Education, 2013

The need for Australian school students to develop a strong understanding of Asian culture has be... more The need for Australian school students to develop a strong understanding of Asian culture has been recognised in the cross-curriculum priority, Asia and Australia‟s Engagement with Asia, of the Australian Curriculum. School students in rural and remote Australia have limited opportunities to engage with Asians and learn about their culture. The Australia-Korea ConneXion (AKC) Program digitally connects Australian and Korean schools to develop cultural exchange. In particular, lessons incorporating videoconferencing enable interactions that enhance the cultural values and attitudes of the students involved. While recognising the potential of videoconferencing to enrich their students' experiences of other cultures, teachers in rural and remote schools may not feel confident in the practicalities of incorporating videoconferencing into lessons to connect their students with students in other countries. This paper aims to inform teachers on the analysis of AKC Program lessons util...

We analyze probability content within middle grades (6, 7, and 8) mathematics textbooks from a hi... more We analyze probability content within middle grades (6, 7, and 8) mathematics textbooks from a historical perspective. Two series, one popular and the other alternative, from four recent eras of mathematics education (New Math, Back to Basics, Problem Solving, and Standards) were analyzed using the Mathematical Tasks Framework (Stein, Smith, Henningsen, & Silver, 2000). Standards-era textbook series devoted significantly more attention to probability than other series; more than half of all tasks analyzed were located in Standards-era textbooks. More than 85% of tasks for six series required low levels of cognitive demand, whereas the majority of tasks in the alternative series from the Standards era required high levels of cognitive demand. Recommendations for future research are offered.

There has been a growing recognition throughout Australia of the place of statistics in the schoo... more There has been a growing recognition throughout Australia of the place of statistics in the school curriculum. Part of the impetus for this has been the strand status offered statistics (within Chance and Data) in A National Statement in Mathematics for Australian Schools. As expected, this change of emphasis in the curriculum has been mirrored by similar changes in the research agenda. An important aspect of research has been the consideration of what is meant by 'statistical thinking'. This paper takes up this theme by considering students' responses to two open-ended tasks which require the application of data reduction. To assist in this process the SOLO Taxonomy is employed as the theoretical framework.

SUMMARY Variation is a key concept in the study of statistics and its understanding is a crucial ... more SUMMARY Variation is a key concept in the study of statistics and its understanding is a crucial aspect of most statistically related tasks. This study aimed to extend and apply a hierarchy for describing students’ understanding of variation that was developed in a sampling context to the context of a natural event in which variation occurs. Students aged 13 to 17 engaged in an inference task that necessitated the description of both rainfall and temperature data. The SOLO Taxonomy was used as a framework for analyzing student responses. Two cycles of Unistructural-MultistructuralRelational levels, one for qualitative descriptions and the other for quantitative descriptions, were identified in responses. Implications of the extended hierarchy for describing understanding of variation for research, teaching and assessment are outlined.

The Rural Educator

At a time when social, economic and political decisions, along with environmental events, challen... more At a time when social, economic and political decisions, along with environmental events, challenge the viability of remote communities, educators need to better prepare young people in these communities to work towards sustainability. Remote locations can be defined by their inaccessibility rather than just distance from the nearest services, while the sustainability construct encapsulates a range of community needs: environmental, social, cultural and economic. This paper describes experiences that involve innovative approaches towards educating for sustainability in remote locations in six diverse countries: South Africa, Scotland, Canada, United States of America, Pacific Island Nations, and Australia. For each, the nature of what constitutes a “remote” location, as well as the detail and challenges of the innovation are presented. Readers should consider how they might more suitably educate the next generation to protect, showcase and learn from/with the local knowledges and ca...

Informal inferential reasoning is a relatively recent concept in the research literature. Several... more Informal inferential reasoning is a relatively recent concept in the research literature. Several research studies have defined this type of cognitive process in slightly different ways. In this paper, a working definition of informal inferential reasoning based on an analysis of the key aspects of statistical inference, and on research from educational psychology, science education, and mathematics education is presented. Based on the literature reviewed and the working definition, suggestions are made for the types of tasks that can be used to study the nature and development of informal inferential reasoning. Suggestions for future research are offered along with implications for teaching.

Four distinct constructs were identified from a survey of a sample of pre-service science teacher... more Four distinct constructs were identified from a survey of a sample of pre-service science teachers at a regional Australian University. The constructs emerged after employing Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) on respondents' perceptions of pedagogical practices incorporating the use of Information Communication and Technology (ICT). The key components of the survey were derived from a Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPACK) survey developed for a national project. For future investigations of TPACK application in university contexts, a four-construct configuration of pre-service teacher TPACK perceptions is proposed requiring empirical confirmation. This inquiry depicts a portrait of emerging domains of TPACK. The relevance of the findings and their implications for universities that rely heavily on ICT in the delivery of are discussed, especially in relation to improving teaching practices.

STATISTICS EDUCATION RESEARCH JOURNAL

This report includes a brief introduction to the Statistical Reasoning, Thinking and Literacy (SR... more This report includes a brief introduction to the Statistical Reasoning, Thinking and Literacy (SRTL) Research Forum Program, an overview of SRTL-2 and STRL-3, and summaries of each of the SRTL-2 presentations. First published May 2002 at Statistics Education Research Journal: Archives

The Statistics Education Research Journal (SERJ) is a peer-reviewed electronic journal of the Int... more The Statistics Education Research Journal (SERJ) is a peer-reviewed electronic journal of the International Association for Statistical Education (IASE) and the International Statistical Institute (ISI). SERJ is published twice a year and is free. SERJ aims to advance research-based knowledge that can help to improve the teaching, learning, and understanding of statistics or probability at all educational levels and in both formal (classroombased) and informal (out-of-classroom) contexts. Such research may examine, for example, cognitive, motivational, attitudinal, curricular, teaching-related, technology-related, organizational, or societal factors and processes that are related to the development and understanding of stochastic knowledge. In addition, research may focus on how people use or apply statistical and probabilistic information and ideas, broadly viewed. The Journal encourages the submission of quality papers related to the above goals, such as reports of original resear...

International Journal of Information and Communication Technology Education, 2016

Four distinct constructs were identified from a survey of a sample of pre-service science teacher... more Four distinct constructs were identified from a survey of a sample of pre-service science teachers at a regional Australian University. The constructs emerged after employing Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) on respondents' perceptions of pedagogical practices incorporating the use of Information Communication and Technology (ICT). The key components of the survey were derived from a Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPACK) survey developed for a national project. For future investigations of TPACK application in university contexts, a four-construct configuration of pre-service teacher TPACK perceptions is proposed requiring empirical confirmation. This inquiry depicts a portrait of emerging domains of TPACK. The relevance of the findings and their implications for universities that rely heavily on ICT in the delivery of are discussed, especially in relation to improving teaching practices.

The Internet and Higher Education, 2015

ABSTRACT The current generation of learners have been referred to as ‘digital natives’ in reflect... more ABSTRACT The current generation of learners have been referred to as ‘digital natives’ in reflection of their apparent ease and familiarity with digital technology. However, questions remain about how prepared students are for university e-learning environments. This research explores student and staff perceptions of the level of preparedness for students for a university e-learning environment mediated by a Learning Management System. Findings suggest that while students may be reasonably prepared to deal with the technology of e-learning, for activities such as, reading and writing, being clear and concise in responses, synthesizing ideas, planning strategies, making arguments, and working with others, students are not well prepared.

Data and context in statistics education: …, 2010

There has been an increasing focus in recent years on theoretical frameworks to describe cognitiv... more There has been an increasing focus in recent years on theoretical frameworks to describe cognitive development of statistical concepts. There is now a need to encourage the use of these frameworks to inform practice in the teaching and learning of statistics. This paper focuses on ...

We are glad to report the result of the election for the IASE Executive for 2001-2003. There was ... more We are glad to report the result of the election for the IASE Executive for 2001-2003. There was a large participation (over 150 ballots received) and all the candidates received a great support. They will be working for the IASE in the next two years and will be very happy to receive your feedback and answer any questions you might have. The new Executive is listed below.

This paper reports on a study of high school students ’ understanding of statistics. Grade 7 to 1... more This paper reports on a study of high school students ’ understanding of statistics. Grade 7 to 12 students (n=180) completed an open-ended written response task about data description and prediction. Follow-up interviews were undertaken with 15 students. The SOLO Taxonomy and the Rasch Model were used to analyse the polychotomously categorised data. This analysis indicated student responses fell into two cycles within the concrete-symbolic mode, with two parallel paths of cognitive growth within these cycles. These findings suggest a need to modify approaches to teaching so as to better take into account the level of students ’ understanding of statistics.

This report is located at www.dest.gov.au and www.simerr.une.edu.au Apart from any use as permitt... more This report is located at www.dest.gov.au and www.simerr.une.edu.au Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part of this publication may be reproduced by any means without written permission of the publisher. You may download, display, print and reproduce this material in unaltered form only (retaining this notice) for your personal, non-commercial use and use within your organisation.

A randomized trial of 265 consenting students was conducted within an introductory biostatistics ... more A randomized trial of 265 consenting students was conducted within an introductory biostatistics course: 69 received eight small group cooperative learning sessions; 97 accessed internet learning sessions; 96 received no intervention. Effect on examination score (95% CI) was assessed by intent-to-treat analysis and by incorporating reported participation. No difference was found by intent-to-treat analysis. After incorporating reported participation, adjusted average improvement was 1.7 points (-1.8, 5.2) per cooperative session and 2.1 points (-1.4, 5.5) per internet session after one examination. After four examinations, adjusted average improvement for four study sessions was 5.3 points (0.4, 10.3) per examination for cooperative learning and 8.1 points (3.0, 13.2) for internet learning. Consistent participation in active learning may improve understanding beyond the traditional classroom.

Concept maps (cmaps) are graphical tools that illustrate complex networks of interconnections bet... more Concept maps (cmaps) are graphical tools that illustrate complex networks of interconnections between concepts. These can be used to illustrate the concept connections implicit in teaching syllabus content thus facilitating sense-making and meaningful learning. This paper sheds some light upon pre-service teachers' understanding of the interconnectedness of basic concepts for the topic of 'Data' as evidenced in their construction of comprehensive cmaps. The illustrative networks designed by pre-service teachers were analyzed in relation to what connections were made and the quality of statements between connecting links/nodes. The results showed the variety and complexity of the interconnectedness of pre-service teachers' understanding of the concepts. Implications for both teaching and research are provided. Meaningful learning takes place by the assimilation of new concepts and propositions into existing concepts in an individual's cognitive structure (Ausubel,...

Statistics Education Research Journal, 2006

Recent research into students’ reasoning about variation refers specifically to notions of distri... more Recent research into students’ reasoning about variation refers specifically to notions of distribution that emerge. This paper reports on research where written responses, from tertiary introductory statistics students, were coded according to the level of consideration of variation. A hierarchy of reasoning about distribution is proposed, based on the notions of distribution that were evident in these responses. The hierarchy reflects students’ progression from describing key elements of distribution to linking them for comparison and inference. The proposed hierarchy provides researchers with an emerging framework of students’ reasoning about distribution. The research also highlights that educators need to be aware that, without a well developed consideration of variation, students’ ability to reason about distribution will be hampered.

The Australian and International Journal of Rural Education, 2013

The need for Australian school students to develop a strong understanding of Asian culture has be... more The need for Australian school students to develop a strong understanding of Asian culture has been recognised in the cross-curriculum priority, Asia and Australia‟s Engagement with Asia, of the Australian Curriculum. School students in rural and remote Australia have limited opportunities to engage with Asians and learn about their culture. The Australia-Korea ConneXion (AKC) Program digitally connects Australian and Korean schools to develop cultural exchange. In particular, lessons incorporating videoconferencing enable interactions that enhance the cultural values and attitudes of the students involved. While recognising the potential of videoconferencing to enrich their students' experiences of other cultures, teachers in rural and remote schools may not feel confident in the practicalities of incorporating videoconferencing into lessons to connect their students with students in other countries. This paper aims to inform teachers on the analysis of AKC Program lessons util...

We analyze probability content within middle grades (6, 7, and 8) mathematics textbooks from a hi... more We analyze probability content within middle grades (6, 7, and 8) mathematics textbooks from a historical perspective. Two series, one popular and the other alternative, from four recent eras of mathematics education (New Math, Back to Basics, Problem Solving, and Standards) were analyzed using the Mathematical Tasks Framework (Stein, Smith, Henningsen, & Silver, 2000). Standards-era textbook series devoted significantly more attention to probability than other series; more than half of all tasks analyzed were located in Standards-era textbooks. More than 85% of tasks for six series required low levels of cognitive demand, whereas the majority of tasks in the alternative series from the Standards era required high levels of cognitive demand. Recommendations for future research are offered.

There has been a growing recognition throughout Australia of the place of statistics in the schoo... more There has been a growing recognition throughout Australia of the place of statistics in the school curriculum. Part of the impetus for this has been the strand status offered statistics (within Chance and Data) in A National Statement in Mathematics for Australian Schools. As expected, this change of emphasis in the curriculum has been mirrored by similar changes in the research agenda. An important aspect of research has been the consideration of what is meant by 'statistical thinking'. This paper takes up this theme by considering students' responses to two open-ended tasks which require the application of data reduction. To assist in this process the SOLO Taxonomy is employed as the theoretical framework.

SUMMARY Variation is a key concept in the study of statistics and its understanding is a crucial ... more SUMMARY Variation is a key concept in the study of statistics and its understanding is a crucial aspect of most statistically related tasks. This study aimed to extend and apply a hierarchy for describing students’ understanding of variation that was developed in a sampling context to the context of a natural event in which variation occurs. Students aged 13 to 17 engaged in an inference task that necessitated the description of both rainfall and temperature data. The SOLO Taxonomy was used as a framework for analyzing student responses. Two cycles of Unistructural-MultistructuralRelational levels, one for qualitative descriptions and the other for quantitative descriptions, were identified in responses. Implications of the extended hierarchy for describing understanding of variation for research, teaching and assessment are outlined.

The Rural Educator

At a time when social, economic and political decisions, along with environmental events, challen... more At a time when social, economic and political decisions, along with environmental events, challenge the viability of remote communities, educators need to better prepare young people in these communities to work towards sustainability. Remote locations can be defined by their inaccessibility rather than just distance from the nearest services, while the sustainability construct encapsulates a range of community needs: environmental, social, cultural and economic. This paper describes experiences that involve innovative approaches towards educating for sustainability in remote locations in six diverse countries: South Africa, Scotland, Canada, United States of America, Pacific Island Nations, and Australia. For each, the nature of what constitutes a “remote” location, as well as the detail and challenges of the innovation are presented. Readers should consider how they might more suitably educate the next generation to protect, showcase and learn from/with the local knowledges and ca...

Informal inferential reasoning is a relatively recent concept in the research literature. Several... more Informal inferential reasoning is a relatively recent concept in the research literature. Several research studies have defined this type of cognitive process in slightly different ways. In this paper, a working definition of informal inferential reasoning based on an analysis of the key aspects of statistical inference, and on research from educational psychology, science education, and mathematics education is presented. Based on the literature reviewed and the working definition, suggestions are made for the types of tasks that can be used to study the nature and development of informal inferential reasoning. Suggestions for future research are offered along with implications for teaching.

Four distinct constructs were identified from a survey of a sample of pre-service science teacher... more Four distinct constructs were identified from a survey of a sample of pre-service science teachers at a regional Australian University. The constructs emerged after employing Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) on respondents' perceptions of pedagogical practices incorporating the use of Information Communication and Technology (ICT). The key components of the survey were derived from a Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPACK) survey developed for a national project. For future investigations of TPACK application in university contexts, a four-construct configuration of pre-service teacher TPACK perceptions is proposed requiring empirical confirmation. This inquiry depicts a portrait of emerging domains of TPACK. The relevance of the findings and their implications for universities that rely heavily on ICT in the delivery of are discussed, especially in relation to improving teaching practices.