Christine Franklin, the ASA’s K–12 statistical ambassador, presented the 2018 Teaching Statistics Trust Lecture, titled “Statistical Problem Solving: The Art and Science of Learning and Teaching from Data,” in three locations in the United Kingdom in September of 2018.

The Teaching Statistics Trust Lecture is an annual series, organized by the Teaching Statistics Trust (TST), aimed at teachers of introductory statistics students—typically in secondary schools, colleges, or early years of university—across all disciplines.

Franklin discussed her development in the teaching and learning of statistics, highlighted by what she referred to as “light bulb” moments. Topics she touched on included the following:

• The influence of key people and publications
• The use of the statistical problem-solving paradigm in teaching and learning
• Pivotal events through experience with solving personal problems using statistics
• The writing of a textbook focusing on statistics as an art and science
• The teaching of students to ask the right questions up-front (to help solve problems)
• The co-authoring of a manual about evidence-based ways for teaching and assessing statistics at all school levels
• The chairing of a committee writing a report about the statistical education of teachers
• The recognition of the importance of producing more people educated in statistics
• The link with the emerging field of data science and problem solving using big data

The lecture, which was filmed at Cardiff and Plymouth, can be viewed on YouTube.

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STEM Education

The STEM Education Coalition would like your help providing feedback to the Department of Education regarding the Education Innovation and Research (EIR) grant program and its effects on STEM education. The coalition has compiled a survey for you to provide feedback on how well aligned the department’s latest round of roughly $100 million in discretionary STEM grants is with the needs of the STEM community. The survey contains explanatory instructions and links to additional background materials on the awards. All responses will be anonymous.