Editor’s Preface

Welcome to the ICOTS9 Proceedings, Sustainability in Statistics Education!

The theme of this conference reflects our common bond to support the use of statistics across a broad spectrum of fields and contexts – and the collective and long-term commitment we have to improving statistics education across the globe. One of the greatest assets in this international community is our diversity. Indeed, the 401 contributions in these proceedings—including keynotes, invited and contributed papers, panellists and posters—with authors from at least 46 countries reflect the great diversity of our field. I hope that in this aspect of our work together, there is never an aim to “reduce variability”.

Referee Process The optional referee process has been in place since ICOTS6. This year we used an online survey system to recruit referees for a double-blind referee process; 295 requests were sent out to recruit referees and 63% responded positively, generously offering to referee 1–5 papers. Each of the 150 author teams that elected into the optional referee system had their paper read by 2–3 referees, with a 67% success rate of being accepted as a refereed paper (in line with previous ICOTS). The quality of feedback was excellent overall, regardless of whether papers were accepted or not. Authors were given a small window to improve their final papers based on this feedback and most took advantage of the opportunity to do so. The list of 161 referees is at the end of this document and if you see one of these silent angels, please give them a hardy thank you for their contribution to enhance the quality of papers at the conference.

The position of Chief Editor of the ICOTS9 proceedings has been a great privilege. In this role I have been humbled by the dedication to sustainability-in-action in the willingness of the community to support these proceedings on so many levels.

Above all, the authors are what make these proceedings come to life. Enjoy their collective insights, expertise and wonderful diversity that illustrate their commitment to improving the teaching of statistics.

Sincerely,

Chief Editor, ICOTS9 Proceedings
The University of Queensland, Australia

Acknowledgements

A great army stands behind the work of the Proceedings, who deserve recognition:

• The ISI and IASE Executive, in particular, Iddo Gal as IASE President, who inquired about the inner workings of the Proceedings at many stages to better understand it. Iddo lent a hand when asked and always responded with a friendly and empathetic ear. I remember first meeting Iddo on an excursion in South Africa at my very first ICOTS in 2002 and have benefitted from this friendly ear through his mentorship ever since.
• The Local Organising Committee and International Program Committee (IPC), who responded to queries and provided advice in all stages of the process. Notably Tim Dunne as IPC Chair has been a great help for the proceedings in assisting with detailed correspondence to the ICOTS community.
• Session Organisers. Many thanks to the Session Organisers who invited the authors of the invited papers you are reading and especially those who provided rich feedback to their papers.
• Bruno de Sousa and the Contributed Papers team—Gail Burrill, Nicholas Horton and Adriana Amelio—looked after the Contributed Papers with great care. This team is one of the hardest working, and least recognised, in putting the Proceedings together. Nearly 200 author teams start out in the Contributed Papers and the Organisers corresponded with author teams, uploaded details, tracked papers through the referee process, provided English language support, followed up with authors and responded to changes. Their professionalism and dedication through this process has been a privilege to observe. T
• Rob Gould, my co-editor, was a godsend, especially during the formatting stage. He designed the method we used to create a common look to all of the papers, looked after half of the invited papers and lent an extra hand in the final push at the end.
• The Poster Convenors—Anna Bargagliotti, Tim Jacobbe and Enriqueta Reston—looked after the 54 posters. Their hard work has enabled a wonderful and diverse group of poster presenters at the conference.
• Additional thanks go to several of my colleagues at the University of Queensland Reshma Parveen, Janine Roberts, Richard Wilson and my daughter Keya Makar, who all pitched in to help when asked.
• Very, very special thanks. I have worked closely with two individuals especially on the IPC and I am eternally indebted to them. Helen MacGillivray has been a tremendous mentor through this process. It felt like a million decisions had to be made and Helen was forever a calm, logical and experienced hand in ensuring that the decisions looked after the interests of the ICOTS Community first and foremost, particularly those from developing countries. John Shanks is a magician with the website. The inner workings of the Proceedings lie entirely in John’s skill, insight and generosity. Any query resulted in a new facility on the website. The innovations he has developed made the task a fraction of what it would have been without his creation. If there was ever a Nobel Prize given to ICOTS it should go to John and his wizardry. And all with the patience of an oyster.

Referees

Janet Ainley Jim Albert Sue Allmond Pip Arnold Pedro Arteaga Esperanza Ayuga-Téllez James Baglin Patricia Balderas Giovanni A. Barbieri Gabriella Belli Dani Ben-Zvi Ayse Bilgin Murray Black Marjorie Bond Manfred Borovcnik Nancy Boynton Stephanie Budgett Gail Burrill Rosemary Callingham Carmen Capilla Matt Carlton Colin Carmichael Pablo Carranza Catherine Case Theodore Chadjipadelis Bhavna Chauhan Egan Chernoff Helen Chick Francesca Chiesi Nicolas Christou Julie Clark Doreen Connor Lisbeth Cordani Richard De Veaux Bob delMas Adri Dierdorp Tim Dunne Mark Earley Andreas Eichler Joachim Engel Lyn English

Mahtash Esfandiari Antonio Estepa Jill Fielding-Wells Sue Finch William Finzer Noleine Fitzallen Sharleen Forbes Steve Fotis Karen François Christine Franklin Daniel Frischemeier Iddo Gal Jacky Galpin Einat Gil Concepcion Gonzalez-Garcia Sue Gordon Mary Gray Jennifer Green Randall Groth Marcia Gumpertz Sharon Gunn Jennifer Hall James Hammerman Jo Hardin Oscar Hernandez Sterling Hilton Nicholas Horton Peter Howley Bridgette Jacob Tim Jacobbe Brian Jersky Gary Kader Jennifer Kaplan Sibel Kazak John Kern II Ramzan Khan Erna Lampen Gillian Lancaster Cynthia Langrall Aisling Leavy

Carl Lee Lawrence Lesser Vivian Lew Robin Lock Kari Lock Morgan Maria Virginia Lopez Knut Ole Lyso Helen MacGillivray Sandy Madden Katie Makar Michael Martin Peter Martin José Martins Carmen Maxara Darren McGregor John McKenzie Debra McPhee Maria Meletiou-Mavrotheris Oded Meyer Jackie Miller Jamie Mills Adam Molnar Carlos Monteiro Edward Mooney Thomas Moore Jerry Moreno Carolyn Morgan Annie Morin Maria Manuel da Silva Nascimento James Nicholson Katrin Niglas Per Nilsson Irena Ograjenšek Mario Miguel Ojeda Chris Olsen Maria Gabriella Ottaviani Efi Paparistodemou Susan Peters Peter Petocz Maxine Pfannkuch

Brian Phillips Robyn Pierce Susanne Podworny Dave Pratt Will Probert Theodosia Prodromou Tyler Pullis Chris Reading Gina Reed Anna Reid Jackie Reid Alice Richardson Andee Rubin Blanca Ruiz Ana Serradó-Bayés Mike Shaughnessy Tom Short Heather Smith M. Alejandra Sorto Dalene Stangl Hollylynne Lee Engin Sungar Elisabeth Svensson Liliana Tauber Natasha Tchitaev Dirk Templaar Nathan Tintle Maureen Townley-Jones Jessica Utts Markus Vogel Thomas Wassong Jane Watson Larry Weldon Helena Wessels Douglas Whitaker Chris Wild Therese Wilson Roger Woodard Veronica Yumi