GAISE 2016 PROMOTES STATISTICAL LITERACY

Abstract

In the 2005 Guidelines for Assessment and Instruction in Statistics Education (GAISE), statistical literacy featured as a primary goal. The 2016 revision eliminated statistical literacy as a stated goal. Although this looks like a rejection, this paper argues that by including multivariate thinking and – more importantly – confounding as recommended topics in introductory statistics, statistical literacy has in fact been accepted if not promoted. The adoption of the new guidelines will greatly advance students’ statistical literacy: the ability to read and interpret statistics relevant to consumers and decision makers.

First published May 2017 at Statistics Education Research Journal Archives