eCOTS 2026 to Spark Joy, Discovery in a World of AI

Registration for the 2026 Electronic Conference on Teaching Statistics is open. The theme for the conference, taking place June 15–18, is “Sparking Joy and Discovery in a World of AI.”

In a world increasingly shaped by technological tools and artificial intelligence, how can we spark discovery and joy in ourselves and our students? The theme invites us to explore this question, along with the impact of AI on instruction and assessment for statistics and data science courses. The conference keynotes, presentations, posters, workshops, and discussions will highlight approaches in which AI is a partner in the human creative process, as well as those that are complementary to these new tools, where joy and/or discovery is the focus.

Keynote addresses include the following:

• “Exploring Learning with Data Across the Curriculum and Beyond,” by Michelle Wilkerson of the University of California, Berkeley
• “Telling Stories with Data in the AI Age,” by Rohan Alexander of the University of Toronto
• “Building Human Intelligence in a World of AI: Insights from the Learning Sciences,” by Barbara Means of Digital Promise
• “The Future of Statistics and Data Science Education: Findings from Recent National Academies Reports,” by Elizabeth Stuart of Johns Hopkins University and Lance Waller of Emory University

eCOTS is a biannual virtual conference sponsored by the Consortium for the Advancement of Undergraduate Statistics Education that allows statistics and data science educators to share ideas and research on improving how statistics and data science are taught and learned. The conference covers topics such as pedagogy, technology, content, inclusion, and preparing students for the modern data and computing landscape.

Registration is $25 with discounts for CAUSE institutional members, two-year college faculty, and K–12 teachers.

eCOTS 2026 Organizing Committee

Nicholas Horton (chair)
Amherst College 

Tyler George
Cornell College 

Juan Gomez
Carmel High School 

V. N. Vimal Rao
University of Illinois 

Kelly Spoon
San Diego Mesa College 

Sara Stoudt
Bucknell University 

Maria Tackett
Duke University 

Allison Theobold
Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo 

Jennifer Ward
Clark College 

Jonathan Wells
Grinnell College 

Beverly L. Wood
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University