Thinking About Schools

We collect and analyze data in order to make inferences. Sure, there are other reasons to collect data.  For example, every year I write down the date that the forsythias come into bloom in our backyard. No inferences there … just keeping a record and remarking on changes. But justifications for time spent in school learning about statistics and graphing typically note that life is full of uncertainty and we can use data and statistical inferences to make better decisions and begin to understand how things work. Here’s the catch: making statistical inferences requires mathematics beyond what many people learn in school. Still, there is hope. New work on “informal inference” hints at the possibility of providing disciplined, yet broadly accessible ways to use data to make decisions. If we can really do this, the implications for how we help people develop data literacy are far-reaching. Continue reading →