Typical introductory statistics courses do not engage the attention of modern students who come to class fresh from a world of rapid-fire TV commercials, action movies, and dynamic video games. This project, in conjunction with two companion projects, uses the interactive capability of computers to teach basic statistical concepts (distribution, variability, center, spread, randomness, and association, to name a few) through hands-on activities. Through creative use of technology, the content, conduct, and quality of these courses are being revised to improve the quantitative reasoning skills of all undergraduates, especially those from traditionally nonquantitative disciplines. Students are encouraged to learn for themselves by doing, observing, thinking and consolidating while, the instructor becomes a catalyst and coach instead of an authoritative lecturer. The project is also building a laboratory model that works for large sections of introductory courses.
