Online package spices up statistics classes

The Education Department and Cyberwisdom.net have launched the first locally developed Web-based resource package to teach statistics in an interactive way in SAR primary and secondary schools.

STAT.NET aims to improve the teaching of statistics by offering teachers up-to-date and relevant resources for classroom activities. It also aims to develop the skills of data collection, selection and analysis among students.

The package will be targeted at mathematics teachers and distributed to more than 1,500 local schools.

The total of 14 lessons is designed for Primary One to Form Seven students. The lessons contain real-life examples for students to apply what they have learned. There is also an exten sive question bank with interactive exercises and assessments and communication tools to encourage the development of an online teachers' community.

One of the project's educational consultants was assistant professor at Baptist University's Department of Education Studies, Dr Tang Kwok-chun. Dr Tang who specialises in maths education said STAT.NET was designed to support the empowerment of both students and teachers.

He said students would be able to develop higher-order thinking skills through the package's four-stage investigations: posing questions, collecting data, analysing data and interpreting results.