Teaching and Learning Statistics in an AI World

Presented at: 27 August 2024; 19:00 UTC

Webinar duration: 90 minutes

Presenter(s): Gail Burrill, Program in Mathematics Education, Michigan State University & Amanda Ellis, Biostatistics, University of Kentucky

Video of webinar➶

Slides➶

Technology today can retrieve, manage, and analyze vast amounts of data; create complex interactive visualizations; and manipulate mathematical symbols. And more - software such as PhotomathTM or SymbolabTM, that can do almost any problem in algebra, geometry, calculus, or linear algebra along with showing the solution steps, calls into question what is important to teach. The introduction of generative AI tools such as ChatGPT(TM) into the education landscape presents opportunities for students to investigate problems but also can aid in developing lessons and course materials and can serve as a mathematical assistant for querying facts, acting as a mathematical search engine. The webinar will focus on how to leverage these tools for both the teaching and learning of statistics and data science.

Bios

An Academic Specialist in the Program for Mathematics Education at Michigan State University, Gail Burrill, was a secondary mathematics teacher in Wisconsin and was awarded the Presidential Award for Teaching Mathematics. She served as President of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, President of the International Association for Statistical Education, and President of the Council of Presidential Awardees in Mathematics. She is an elected member of the International Statistics Institute and has received the NCTM Life-Time Achievement Award, the Ross Taylor /Glenn Gilbert NCSM service award, and the Teachers Teaching with Technology Leadership Award. Her research interests are statistics education, the use of technology in teaching mathematics and statistics, and professional development for teachers.

Dr. Amanda R Ellis is the vice chair of the Department of Biostatistics and director of graduate studies of the Master of Science in Biostatistics (MSBST) program. Dr. Ellis joined the college as an Assistant Professor in 2020. Her focus is on graduate education, along with course and curriculum development. She earned her undergraduate degree in Mathematics from the University of Kentucky. She also earned her M.S. and Ph.D. in statistics from the University of Kentucky. She previously taught at Eastern Kentucky University, where she focused on undergraduate and graduate education.