The Department of Computer Science and Mathematics of Beaver College will substantially improve its curriculum in elementary statistics by implementing a laboratory of fifteen 80486 MS-DOS computers. These computers will be used to support two major changes to the statistics course. First, the format and approach of the course will change from lectures with occasional computer assignments to a lab-based course consisting of supervised computer labs coordinated with the lectures. These labs will emphasize learning statistics through experimentation. Second, guest lecturers, who are experts in various applications of statistics, will each help develop a lab which uses a real data set and makes substantive use of computers. These major changes will enhance elementary statistics by 1) introducing students to a variety of applications of statistics at a depth unusual in a first course, 2) stressing learning through experimentation, 3) presenting strong role models for our many female and non- traditional students, 4) giving individual attention to students, 5) supporting the new multi-disciplinary direction of the College's core curriculum, and 6) creating a unified first course. The lab will also be an integral part of upper-level computer science courses, assuring maximum utilization of the equipment.
