Students' Perception of Effectiveness Using Different Methodologies of Teaching Advanced Business Statistics‪.‬

INTRODUCTION Most universities and colleges require students to take one or more statistics courses in many different majors, e.g., education, psychology, business, etc., for the non-specialist. This paper focuses on methods utilized in teaching statistics to those non-specialists who are majoring in a field within business. The traditional method currently used in teaching statistics is widely viewed as being ineffective (Cobb, 1993; Mosteller, 1988). One of the reasons generally given for this lack of success is that current statistical teaching methodology neglects to establish a definitive linkage between statistics in the classroom and its use in "real world" applications (Yilmaz, 1996). The non-specialist does not aspire to be a mathematical theorist, but needs only to use statistics as a tool in analyzing or solving a problem. This paper does not intend to imply that mathematical theory is unimportant, but takes the position that the use of statistics as a tool is equally important to those people involved in the ongoing everyday activities of business and life. The teaching of applied statistics should be approached as a skill. The teaching of any skill involves repetition and the actual performance of an activity, i.e., "hands-on" training. In short, you cannot acquire statistical competencies via the passive role of listening to lectures or observing the professor solve a statistical problem--you can only acquire these skills by being an active participant, i.e. by performing the activities yourself. Smith (1998) states that students should design the study, collect the data, analyze the results, prepare written reports, and give oral presentations.