This page used to be coordinated by : Brian Cann. It is now a Wiki source page, where you may enter a resource if you have any. We recommend that you contact the ISLP Director before posting anything to make sure the resource belongs in this page. Thank you.

THIS PAGE IS DIVIDED INTO TWO PARTS. THE FIRST PART DESCRIBES RESOURCES AVAILABLE ON THE INTERNET FOR FREE. THE SECOND PART DESCRIBE OTHER RESOURCES (BOTH FREE AND THOSE WITH A COST).

Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies PIAAC (OECD) is a plan by the OECD. It addresses critical statistical skills needed by adults as part of general everyday or workplace functioning. It is somewhat similar in general terms to the PISA assessment program of high school students which is now implemented in dozens of countries. One of the several domains of PIAAC will be numeracy, and one of the strands in it will be knowledge of statistica (data and chance). A talk by Iddo Gal at the IASE Satellite Conference in Guimaraes, August 19-21 2007 contains valuable information on this project and the potential contribution to it of statistics educators.

Several web resources developed for general statistics instruction, especially at the college and high-school levels, already appear in other parts of the ISLP web site and can be of interest to adult educators and adult learners who seek to develop statistical literacy. However, adult educators and adult learners may be especially interested in resources pertaining to statistical topics that can be used as part of general literacy classes, basic education and basic skills programs, adult mathematics education, numeracy instruction, workplace training, or high-school equivalency instruction. Below is a selected list of materials which illustrate available resources.

Statistics: Power from Data is developed by Statistics Canada (The official agency for statistics in Canada). It is a modified version of the Australian book, Statistics: A Powerful Edge!, described below. It is aimed primarily at secondary students but is written in an accessible language making it of interest to students in other context and to teachers and the general population. It has been created using comments from teachers about topics they would like to see covered, and includes exercises and lesson plans as well.

The ANN is an electronic discussion list of the Adult Numeracy Network (ANN).. This group includes practitioners, researchers, academic faculty, program administrators, trainers, and others interested in the teaching and learning of numeracy and basic mathematics and statistics by adult learners. Such learning may take place in, for example, adult literacy and basic education programs, postsecondary colleges with adult learners (such as community colleges in the USA), secondary schools, workplace training programs, and other adult learning contexts. Subscribe or write and in the message area, type: subscribe numeracy.

The National Institute for Literacy , although not updated, contains a large number of summary statistics on many topics. Some instructors and learners may want to use statistical data about adult learners in their country as a resource for tables, graphs, and statistical summaries on which they can practice and further develop their skills. An example in the context of adult basic education in the USA can be found on the website of NIFL (National Institute for Literacy). This section of the NIFL site presents brief reports and summary tables and charts on adult learners, literacy classes, instruction in correctional facilities (prisons), and more, as well as provides links to other resources for statistical data about adult learners.

The ecourse in Statistics (in English) or The ecourse in Statistics (in Finnish) are a project of Statistics Finland. Its main purpose is usage skills of statistics via Statistics Finland’s Internet site. It is offered free of charge and has a total of five study modules on different statistical topics via the Internet. The material is, however, much more general and useful to anyone using the Internet to look at statistics including secondary students studying Mathematics and the Social Sciences and adult learners. eCourse in Statistics contains versatile information on statistics; it makes the basic concepts of statistics familiar and explains the backgrounds of statistical research as well as how statistical data can be used. On eCourse in Statistics one can learn about the basics of statistical thinking and how to read and use statistics. Other subjects that can be studied include demographics, national accounts and indices. eCourse in Statistics also offers instructions and hints for searching for statistical information. The study materials requires no prior statistical knowledge. The material intended for self-study includes exercises and examples of actual statistical data. For more information contact: Ms Reija Helenius at reija.helenius@stat.fi or at +358 9 1734 3677.

http://www.stat.auckland.ac.nz/~iase/cblumberg/galshort.pdf This is a 3 page summary of the article listed above from the International Statistical Review PLUS a class activity (1 page) focused on probability literacy and an activity sheet (1 page) that presents graph-interpretation tasks.

In International Statistical Review, Volume 70, Number 1, April 2002, Pages 1 to 25. This article proposes a conceptualization of statistical literacy and describes its key components including the ability to interpret, critically evaluate, and communicate about statistical information and messages. Despite its title, this article is very relevant to statistical literacy at all levels. “It is argued that statistically literate behavior is predicated on the joint activation of five interrelated knowledge bases (literacy, statistical, mathematical, context, and critical), together with a cluster of supporting dispositions and enabling beliefs. Educational and research implications are discussed, and responsibilities facing educators, statisticians, and other stakeholders are outlined.” (p. 1 of article). Note: Because of the importance of this article to the International Statistical Literacy Project the ISI Permanent Office and the author have given permission to have a copy of the article available for free at http://www.stat.auckland.ac.nz/~iase/cblumberg/gal.pdf. Discussions of the article by Jane M. Watson, Maria-Gabriella Ottaviani, Deborah J. Rumsey, Carmen Batanero, Andrew Ahlgren, K. L. Weldon and J. Laurie Snell and a Response by Iddo Gal appear on pages 26 to 51 of the same issue of International Statistical Review.

http://www.census.gov/dmd/www/ESL.html This resource was prepared for adult and ESL (English as Second Language) learners and includes simple information about the census and its relevance to citizens. The material is part of the Census in Schools program which provides teaching tools, resource materials, and professional development opportunities for educators. See the ISLP census page for additional information about the CensusAtSchools program in the UK and for links to other countries.

http://www.literacy.org/explorer/statistics.html The resource on “Literacy statistics” introduces users to issues involved in the interpretation of official statistics on literacy levels, and also enables users to obtain statistical data about literacy levels for different countries and world regions, using an official UNESCO database. It is a component of the “International Literacy Explorer”, a learning program from the International Literacy Institute (co-founded by UNESCO and the Univ. of Pennsylvania, USA), designed for those interested in basic education practices. Given that most nations collect and report data about literacy skills of their citizens to inform discussions by educators, officials, and interest groups, this resource can help teachers and adult learners who want to know more about statistics used by official agencies or who want to find interesting statistical data for classroom discussions or projects. A Glossary of selected terms used in international official statistics related to literacy and education levels is available

Press releases Adult learners and adult educators may be interested in press releases from official statistics agencies, which are the raw material on which journalists base many media reports and articles. Thus, getting familiar with press releases increases sensitivity to the kinds of facts and findings that get reported to the media, and can increase understanding of how statistical information flows in society, as well as show what kinds of statistics are collected and reported by agencies operating in the public sphere.

Virtually all official statistics agencies have on their websites a section called “What’s new”, “press room”, “media center”, and the like, from which it is possible to access a store of recent and archived press releases, sometimes categorized by topics. Press releases with statistical content appear, of course, not only on websites of official statistics agencies and government ministries in each country, but also on websites of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) who report results of surveys and studies on topics of interest to citizens at large.

A gateway into resources from key statistical agencies in the USA can be found at http://www.fedstats.gov/agencies/agencies.html. This federal portal lists 15 key agencies (such as the Centers for Disease Control, Environmental Protection Agency, National Center for Education Statistics, and many more), and briefly explains what kinds of data and reports each carries. All 15 agencies can be accessed from the portal, and together enable adult learners and adult educators to find press releases on a huge range of topics of interest.

This resource has been developed by the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ National Education Services Unit.for students and teachers interested in learning statistics and information technology. Information Technology topics include data collection, information usage, information privacy and security. Statistical topics involve, e.g., sampling methods, the organization of data, the display of data, cumulative frequency and percentages, measure of central tendency and measures of dispersion. This book can be read online (by topic), or downloaded in full as a PDF file (size 3.2MB). if the above link does not work, go to http://www.abs.gove.au, click on “Education” and then “Teaching tools”, and scroll down until you find the book’s name.

(Listed in Alphabetical Order within Category)

ISBN 0520219783 Published by University of California Press (Berkeley, California, USA), 2001, 190 pages. Price: US$ 19.95 This book has been highly recommended by a number of sources as being extremely readable. It “considers the regular use, misuse, & abuse of statistical information by politicians & the media.” (quoted from listing in electronic version of Books in Print). Its particular relevance for adult learners lies in their ability to progress at their own pace thru any one of several chapters, (that is, the book does not necessarily have to be read from beginning to end in that order). The discussions show statistics in context and enable development of sensitivity to nuances of presentation of arguments.

Chapter in I. Gal (Ed.), Adult Numeracy Development: Theory, Research, Practice. Hampton Press, Incorporated (Cresskill, New Jersey, USA). ISBN 1572732326 Clemen and Gregory assert that being an active and contributing member of society requires individuals to make informed, valid decisions. In this chapter they review the kinds of skills and knowledge that adults need to make difficult decisions, including structuring a decision situation, understanding certain aspects of uncertainty and probability, and identifying crucial tradeoffs. They then suggest guidelines for integrating a discussion of decision making issues into the literacy and numeracy curriculum, in such a way that adults develop a better understanding of some probabilistic ideas and an appreciation for the role that statistical thinking plays in real-life situations.

ISBN 0471145742 Published by John Wiley and Sons (Hoboken, New Jersey, USA), 1996, 192 pages Price: US$ 15.95 This book discusses issues that cut through numeracy and statistical literacy. It has chapters on issues such as Statistics and Damned Lies, Innumeracy and Math Abuse, The Government Figures, Living With Risk and Street Math, among others. It is lively and makes you think about how numbers can disguise as well as shed light on the truth. With regard to statistical topics, it touches among other things on topics such as gambling, misleading charts in advertisements, and misleading claims from experiments or bad science. The book ends with two chapters designed to make readers smarter consumers of quantitative information and statistical claims, regarding, for example, ratios, large and small numbers, and probabilities

In Journal of Negro Education, Volume 59, Number 3, Pages 336 to 347.

Frankenstein, M. (1989). Relearning mathematics: A different third ‘R’ – Radical math(s). Published by Free Association Books (London, England), 1989, 276 pages. In several of her publications (such as the 1989 book), Marilyn Frankenstein advocates for developing learners’ ability to think critically about mathematical and statistical information. Specifically, she illustrates how learners can engage texts and materials which pertain to their lives and allow for activation of critical reading and a reflective analysis of quantitative information in context.

In her 1990 journal paper she provides several illustrations for real-world materials she presented to her community college students (who were taking a remedial math class); materials were taken from statistical yearbooks or other official publications and allowed the students to see statistical reporting in context. Students were led to discuss these materials, the images they convey of minority or low-income populations, and question taken-for-granted assumptions embedded in these excerpts.

In International Statistical Review, Volume 70, Number 1, April 2002, Pages 1 to 25. This article proposes a conceptualization of statistical literacy and describes its key components including the ability to interpret, critically evaluate, and communicate about statistical information and messages. Despite its title, this article is very relevant to statistical literacy at all levels. “It is argued that statistically literate behavior is predicated on the joint activation of five interrelated knowledge bases (literacy, statistical, mathematical, context, and critical), together with a cluster of supporting dispositions and enabling beliefs. Educational and research implications are discussed, and responsibilities facing educators, statisticians, and other stakeholders are outlined.” (p. 1 of article). Note: Because of the importance of this article to the International Statistical Literacy Project the ISI Permanent Office and the author have given permission to have a copy of the article available for free at http://www.stat.auckland.ac.nz/~iase/cblumberg/gal.pdf. Discussions of the article by Jane M. Watson, Maria-Gabriella Ottaviani, Deborah J. Rumsey, Carmen Batanero, Andrew Ahlgren, K. L. Weldon and J. Laurie Snell and a Response by Iddo Gal appear on pages 26 to 51 of the same issue of International Statistical Review.

In D. Coben, J. O’Donoghue, & G. Fitzsimons, (Eds.), Perspectives on Adults Learning Mathematics (Pages 135-150). Published by Kluwer Academic Publishers (Dordrecht, The Netherlands). ISBN 0792364155 This chapter appeared as part of a book discussing mathematics or numeracy education for adults. The chapter focuses on issues involved in developing adult’s ability to interpret and critically evaluate statistical information they may encounter in various life contexts. The chapter provides examples for statistical literacy tasks, examines types of knowledge and attitudes that are needed, and advocates an approach that can empower adults to become better and more critical consumers of statistical messages.

ISBN 0809058405 Published by Hill & Wang (New York, New York, USA), 208 pages. Price: US$ 12.00 “... Paulos, in his celebrated bestseller first published in 1988, argues that our inability to deal rationally with very large numbers and the probabilities associated with them results in misinformed governmental policies, confused personal decisions, and an increased susceptibility to pseudoscience of all kinds. Innumeracy lets us know what we’re missing, and how we can do something about it. Sprinkling his discussion of numbers and probabilities with quirky stories and anecdotes, Paulos ranges freely over many aspects of modern life, from contested elections to sports stats, from stock scams and newspaper psychics to diet and medical claims, sex discrimination, insurance, lotteries, and drug testing. Readers of Innumeracy will be rewarded with scores of astonishing facts, a fistful of powerful ideas, and, most important, a clearer, more quantitative way of looking at their world.” (Copied from Books in Print)

Published by Doubleday Publishing (New York, New York, USA), 224 pages. Price: US$ 12.95 “How do numbers figure in the news? In a multitude of ways! Writing in a clear and pleasant journalistic style, the author of this book has produced a collection of short feature articles divided into sections just like your newspaper. Using varied and interesting examples, he shows how mathematics is used and abused in the daily paper. And in doing this, he makes it clear that mathematics is much more than performing rote computations, but rather it’s a way of thinking and questioning.” (copied from Eisenhower National Clearinghouse for Mathematics and Science Education (ENC) website at http://www.enc.org/features/calendar/unit/0,1819,227,00.shtm)

Creating More Effective Graphs by Naomi Robbins, Wiley 2004, is an eye opener that trains the reader to see what is missing and what really is in a graph, like many of the graphs that we find in the newspapers or even in Sociological books. This is a very popular book that can be read by anybody, without any training in Statistics. The authors has also a presentation at the Joint Statistical Meetings, showing how sociological Statistical Research does not adhere to some of the principles of good graphing presented in thsi book.

This page is coordinated by Brian Cann, University of Maryland–in Europe. If you have any suggestions for additional items that should be included on this page, please contact him at bcann@faculty.ed.umuc.edu.