Statistics: Informed Decisions Using Data (4th Edition)

Book Preface

Capturing a Powerful and Exciting Discipline in a Textbook

Statistics is a powerful subject, and it is one of my passions. Bringing my passion for the subject together with my desire to create a text that would work for me, my students, and my school led me to write the first edition of this textbook. It continues to motivate me as I revise the book to reflect on changes in students, in the statistics community, and in the world around us.

When I started writing, I used the manuscript of this text in class. My students provided valuable, insightful feedback, and I made adjustments based on their comments. In many respects, this text was written by students and for students. I also received constructive feedback from a wide range of statistics faculty, which has refined ideas in the book and in my teaching. I continue to receive valuable feedback from both faculty and students, and this text continues to evolve with the goal of providing clear, concise, and readable explanations, while challenging students to think statistically.

In writing this edition, I continue to make a special effort to abide by the Guidelines for Assessment and Instruction in Statistics Education (GAISE) for the college introductory course endorsed by the American Statistical Association (ASA). The GAISE Report gives six recommendations for the course:

1. Emphasize statistical literacy and develop statistical thinking
2. Use real data in teaching statistics
3. Stress conceptual understanding
4. Foster active learning
5. Use technology for developing conceptual understanding
6. Use assessments to improve and evaluate student learning

Changes to this edition and the hallmark features of the text reflect a strong adherence to these important GAISE guidelines.

Putting It Together

When students are learning statistics, often they struggle with seeing the big picture of how it all fits together. One of my goals is to help students learn not just the important concepts and methods of statistics but also how to put them together. On the inside front cover, you’ll see a pathway that provides a guide for students as they navigate through the process of learning statistics. The features and chapter organization in the fourth edition reinforce this important process.