Subject: RE: [MATHEDCC] Percent questions in Statistics
From: Stefan Baratto (sbaratto@earthlink.net)
Date: Sat Jan 29 2000 - 15:52:57 EST
Not only is this not unique to your school, it is not unique to Statistics
students.
Word problems in general and percent problems in particular give students
trouble.
I have taught many levels of math in Oregon (Univ of Oreg), Missouri
(Southeast Missouri State U), New York (JHS) and Maine (York County Tech
College--2 yr).
On Saturday, January 29, 2000 2:08 PM, Colleen Ryan
[SMTP:cryan77@yahoo.com] wrote:
>
>
> I have noticed that my statistics students have a very hard time with
> percent questions. Even the students who have done well in the
> prerequisite course, Intermediate Algebra, have trouble with them.
>
> I would love to find out if this is unique to my school (Oxnard College
in
> southern California) or whether it is widespread.
>
> Below is a question they have a lot of trouble with.
>
> Question:
> Here is some data in the form of a two way table which classifies each
> student as to gender and also whether they brought a calculator to the
> first day of class.
>
> Men Women
> Yes Calculator 4 24
> No Calculator 13 20
>
> (To Teacher: After a brief explanation of how two-way tables work and how
> the marginal totals and grand total are obtained, please ask the
following
> question.)
>
> What percent of the people who brought a calculator are men?
>
> If anyone teaching Elementary Statistics with an Intermediate Algebra
> prerequisite does this, please let me know what percentage of your class
> answered correctly.
>
> If you teach Intermediate Algebra, I would also be interested in the
> percent who get it correct.
>
> Also could you let me know what part of the country you are from and
what
> type of school. I thank you in advance. If I get a widespread response,
I
> will let you know the results.
>
>
> Colleen Ryan
>
>
> =====
>
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