Statistics: Learning from Data, 3rd Student Edition

TEXT ORGANIZATION REFLECTS THE DATA ANALYSIS PROCESS. Early in the text, students learn how data analysis is a process that begins with careful planning. Students then, learn about data collection, data description using graphical and numerical summaries, data analysis and, finally, interpretation of results. The order of topics in this edition mirrors this process: data collection, data description, and then statistical inference.

STUDENTS WORK WITH REAL, ENGAGING DATA. Examples and exercises with overly simple settings do not allow students to practice interpreting results in real situations. The exercises and examples are a particular strength of this text. Most involve data extracted from journal or online articles, newspapers and other published sources. They cover a wide range of disciplines and subjects relevant to today's students. The authors draw from areas of health and fitness, consumer research, psychology, environmental research, law and criminal justice and entertainment.

EXERCISES ORGANIZED INTO DEVELOPMENTAL SETS STRUCTURE THE OUT-OF-CLASS EXPERIENCE. End-of-section exercises are organized into two types of developmental sets. Each set includes exercises that assess all of the learning objectives for the section. Solutions are available for one set, so you can choose to assign exercises as formative practice or as a graded assessment. Additional section exercises are also available for learners who need more practice.

PROVIDES AN ACCESSIBLE APPROACH TO PROBABILITY. Research has shown that using natural frequencies to reason about probability -- especially conditional probability -- is much easier for students to understand. The treatment of probability is this text is complete, including conditional probability and Bayes' Rule probability calculations. However, the authors take an approach that eliminates the need for the symbolism and formulas, which are roadblocks for many students. An optional section introduces probability rules for those who also want more traditional coverage.

OPTIONAL SECTIONS PRESENT RANDOMIZATION-BASED INFERENCE METHODS. Research indicates that randomization-based instruction in statistical inference may help learners better understand the concepts of confidence and significance. Optional sections on randomization-based inference methods provide an alternative method of analysis that can be used when the conditions required for normal distribution-based inference are not met.

HANDS-ON CHAPTER ACTIVITIES ENGAGE STUDENTS. A growing body of evidence indicates that students learn best when they are actively engaged. Chapter activities offer mini-projects that allow students to explore important ideas and concepts in more depth through authentic applications of the statistical process.

NEW SECTION (CH. 2) DISCUSSES BIVARIATE AND MULTIVARIATE GRAPHICAL DISPLAYS. As the media uses more graphics and data visualizations to summarize data and communicate findings, students need to know how to translate graphs that are more complex than traditional histograms, boxplots or bar charts, including those with information on more than one or two variables. New content looks at additional types of graphical displays and discusses what to look at in complex as well as interactive graphical displays. Students also learn to think critically when interpreting multivariable graphical displays.

UPDATED EXAMPLES AND EXERCISES EMPHASIZE RELEVANT TOPICS. In a continuing effort to keep content interesting and relevant for your students, this edition contains numerous updated examples and exercises that include data drawn from recent journal articles, newspaper headlines and online sources.

NEW "STOP AND THINK" QUESTIONS CHALLENGE STUDENTS TO STRATEGICALLY CONSIDER SOLUTIONS. These "Stop and Think" questions throughout the text encourage students to pause and make their own predictions before reading full explanations in the text. These questions provide opportunities for active learning and statistical thinking as students read. They also provide a starting point for in-class discussions, and encourage students to activate their prior knowledge before delving into more formal explanations.

NEW "CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING" QUESTIONS ENSURE STUDENTS COMPREHEND CONCEPTS. These questions at the end of each section let students demonstrate their understanding of important concepts discussed in the section before advancing to the next topics in the text. These new "Check Your Understanding" questions are often open-ended, prompting students to explain key statistical concepts in new ways or to generate additional examples.

THE STATISTICAL ANALYSIS AND LEARNING TOOL (SALT) PROVIDES AN EASY-TO-USE DATA ANALYSIS RESOURCE FOR INTRODUCTORY STUDENTS. SALT minimizes the time students must spend calculating by hand. Instead, students are able to spend more time on conceptual understanding, interpretation and communication of results. Students manipulate data sets in order to visualize statistics and gain a deeper conceptual understanding of the meaning behind data. This edition integrates SALT output in text explanations and many examples. SALT is available as part of WebAssign digital resources or as a standalone tool.