Review 1 Citation
Warner, D. & Meehan, A. (2001). Microsoft
Excel™ as a tool for teaching basic statistics. Teaching
of Psychology, 28(4), 295-98.
Persistent link to the full text of this article:
http://0-search.epnet.com.wncln.wncln.org:80/direct.asp?an=5401696&db=afh
Quotation
“Another advantage of Excel is that it simplifies the electronic exchange
of assignments.
When a student
turns in an assignment on disk or via e-mail, the instructor can open the
file, examine the contents, and attach comments directly to the file using
the annotation tools.
For instance,
when a student turns in an assignment in which he or she has performed
the wrong test, the instructor can insert a text balloon that points directly
to the error and offers corrective advice.
When
we grade assignments, we save a copy of each text balloon into an open
workbook, so that we can later paste the balloon into the workbook of another
student who has made a similar mistake.” (p.295)
Explanation and Comments
This article was of extreme interest to
me, giving me several ideas of additional ways I could make using Excel
in my 7th grade teaching easier and more effective. The quote above is just one way
that would make my feedback to the students more specific, efficient, and
personal. The article also
introduced me to some simple add-ins as a working part of the Excel application. These
could be very beneficial to my students when performing specific statistical
functions. I was very surprised
to realize that 86% of the employers expected new hires to go beyond spreadsheet
basics and be able to perform detailed analyses (Davis,
1997). What was even more shocking
was that this information was researched in 1997. How
much more is expected now in 2004? Living
in a rural area may have allowed me to develop a limited awareness of this
kind of information. I am feeling
the extreme importance and need of community connections such as the “question
ambassador” activity. This
article has opened my eyes and allowed me to develop new awareness that
I need to prepare my students for the future.
Deb Jones, 7th grade teacher, WCU graduate
student, May 1, 2004
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