9354529 Derry Literacy and informed decision making in an uncertain world require the ability to reason statistically. However, research indicates that although conceptions of statistics and probability have steadily advanced within scientific and mathematical communities, adults in mainstream American society cannot think probabilistically or statistically about important societal issues. This project therefore presents a novel undergraduate course targeting students who are considering a career in teaching. The course is designed to help students employ statistical concepts as tools for social reasoning within simulations of real-world problem situations. Reusable instructional materials are being designed and will be disseminated to assist faculty at other universities who wish to offer the course. The course will also interact with the community, focus on cultural diversity, and is expected to achieve a high degree of authenticity through simulations of realistic social problem solving.
