Probability and Statistics Software Evaluation

by Alice Gabbard

1. Students will select and use appropriate statistical methods to analyze data.

1.      Students will find, use, and interpret measures of center and spread, including mean.

While viewing the program students will collect information regarding the value of the stolen comic books and the thickness of the safes from which they were stolen.  Using the sum of each students will also find the mean and calculate the 20% Rule of Thumb (spread about the mean) to determine which factors fit the M.O. 

Stakeout is an example of the Interactive Group Software genre, a teacher—directed exploration designed to engage students in group work and the internalization of concepts through metacognition, the assessment process requiring verbal communication of mathematical thinking.  This is a mystery, in which students view each of the three acts and use mathematics to apprehend the comic book thief by choosing the next stake out location.  Students cooperate within groups of 4 to calculate the mean values and range of values about the mean (rule of thumb) for comic books stolen and safe thickness.  Each student actively participates by collecting and processing only a specific part of the data available. 

This real-world drama directs students to calculate mean values, work with percentages, use statistics to establish patterns, and understand data in tables, bar graphs, and frequency charts.  After using mathematics to predict the best location for the stakeout, students watch Act 3 to see the results of their work.

A related homework assignment is provided after Acts 1 & 2 for extended learning.    

The teacher is provided with an easy-to-follow spiral-bound guide, which contains the company’s educational philosophy, an overview of the series, learning objectives tied to NCTM Standards, real-world connections, step-by-step instructions, and student worksheets with teacher answer keys.  Specific assessment measures are listed as well as mathematical learning extensions concerning police work.  The company’s constructivist, social-learning philosophy fits today’s dynamic classroom with hands-on activities.  The worksheet text and graphics are very clear and easy to follow for middle school students.  In order to save copies, the worksheets could easily be adapted to plain notebook paper by converting the instructions to an overhead projector.

For additional support I would like to see suggested activities or problems, which would help to build prior knowledge before actually using the software.  

The preparation stage of the software facilitates classroom management by giving step-by-step instructions and separate listening assignments for each student.

The assessment portion of Stakeout makes calling on students a game.  Two on-screen spinners indicate the group and group member who should answer each question following the first 2 acts.  Students are given points for having a correct answer and the teacher inputs a subjective score based on their verbal explanation of reasoning.  Beyond the group work, each student is required to show his/her work and then write an explanation of how they solved the problem.  This program allows students to construct knowledge through active participation and then provides the framework for authentic assessment. 

Unlike many software programs geared for individual use, implementation of this program can involve a group or the entire class.  Further, it only requires the use of one computer, which makes it much more practical than most software programs.

Considering that Stakeout can be used only once during the year, the cost of $79.95 is somewhat expensive.  Further, students must be  arranged into groups of 4, which makes management difficult if you have a class size which is not an even multiple of 4. 

Two to four class periods are typically required for this program, during which students will work in groups of 4 to solve the problem (the mystery).  Begin by clarifying the expectations for the group work by sharing the assessment measures to be used. 

Before showing the first act, the teacher should review mathematical concepts of percentage and mean.  Before showing Act 2 the teacher should review mathematical concepts of frequency charts and tables and square footage.

For enrichment the on-screen spinners used for the assessment rounds could lead to explorations of probability.  Students could be asked to calculate the probability that they might be chosen.

Implementation

Day 1

1.      Review concept and vocabulary of mean/average.

2.      Discuss situations where someone might want to find the mean.

3.      Demonstrate the steps to calculate the mean of some realistic situations (grades, baseball batting average, housing prices, crime statistics, age of concert goers, company sales).

4.      Introduce concept of percentage.

5.      Demonstrate the method for finding percentage.

6.      Discuss reasons and situations for finding percentage.

7.      Assign 24 practice problems for finding mean and percentage.

8.      Review assignment upon completion.

Day 2

1.      Show a comic book and discuss the value of collector’s editions.

2.      Explain that the class is to help capture the burglar who has been stealing comic books.

3.      Define M.O. (modus operandi).

4.      Teach the 20% Rule of Thumb used to test whether a factor fits within a reasonable range of the mean.

5.      Give students guided practice for 20% Rule of Thumb on 5 problems.

6.      List a brief assessment rubric on the board:  Group cooperation, mathematical accuracy, verbal explanation, individual written explanation.

7.      Give individual data collection assignments from the screen and distribute worksheets.

8.      Show Act 1.

9.      Show Act 1 again.

10.  Allow students to complete the work assigned.

11.  Assess & discuss group answers as students are called upon using the on-screen spinner.

12.  Collect written work.

13.  Watch & distribute the homework assignment provided in the handbook.

Day 3

1.      Review concepts and calculation methods of square footage.

2.      Teach the meaning of the word frequency.  Demonstrate the procedure for reading a frequency chart.

3.      Remind students about the assessment rubric.

4.      Give individual data collection assignments from the screen and distribute worksheets.

5.      Show Act 2.

6.      Show Act 2 again.

7.      Allow students to complete the work assigned.

8.      Assess & discuss group answers as students are called upon using the on-screen spinner.

9.      Collect written work.

10.  Watch & distribute homework assignment provided in the handbook.

Day 4

1.   Finish any presentations not completed the previous day.

2.       Review the mathematical thinking, which led to the selection of the next stakeout.

3.         View the video.

4.         Congratulate students on a fine job of apprehending criminals.

5.         Present real crime statistics from your city and ask students to write a letter of concern to the mayor with suggestions for how the city might improve the safety for its citizens.

Tom Snyder Productions combines the best of computer and video technology to provide an entertaining, exciting, and engaging program for middle school students with age-appropriate learning challenges.  The opening of the video portion, with jazzy music and kinetic street scenes, seems like a prime-time television drama and successfully captures the attention of students.  The characters are ethnically diverse and the female detective serves as an intelligent role model for girls. 

The screen saver must be disabled or it will interrupt the software program during viewing. 

This program could lead to a mathematics—based mystery writing portfolio piece.