A programme called The Joy of Stats was previewed at the launch of the RSS 10-year statistical literacy campaign on 20 October 2010. Subsequently it was shown on BBC4 on Tuesday 7 December.
It lasted for approximately one hour and can now be viewed on the 'Whats On' page of the Open University OpenLearn web site.
It was presented by the well known Swedish Professor of Global Health, Hans Rosling.
A few days before the programme was aired the RSSCSE sent an invitation to a number of schoolteachers and other colleagues across the UK asking them to:
(i) complete an online one-question questionnaire about their perceptions of statistics;
(ii) watch the programme The Joy of Stats;
(iii) after watching provide feedback to an online five-question questionnaire about (possibly changed) perceptions of statistics, opinions about the programme and other related matters.
Some quotes from schoolteachers:
- 'An entertaining programme that made me think and will - I have no doubt - engage students and be a basis of discussion. Well done';
- 'We watched it in a GCSE Statistics lesson and loved it. It showed my students what jobs they may be able to do in the future and was really accessible';
- 'All my class said that they enjoyed watching the video and that it changed their perception of what statistics involved and included'.
A total of 70 people responded to one or both questionnaires. As respondents, mostly school teachers, are a self-selecting sample caution should be exercised in making inferences. However, a wide range of perceptions of statistics were expressed before watching the programme and, afterwards, the comments are very positive indeed.
There was at least one positive comment about statistics and the programme from each of the 21 respondents who completed both questionnaires. Indeed, school teachers felt that the programme would be very useful in their teaching of statistics: some reported that they had already used parts of the programme in the classroom.
The other four questions in the second questionnaire were designed to find out if those who watched the Joy of Stats could use some of its key messages, methods and facts in their teaching. A full report on the anonymised feedback provided can be viewed below.
