Flipping the Dice:An active-learning, tech-enhanced, up-to-date 18.05

(Introduction to Probability and Statistics)

Jeremy Orloff and Jonathan Bloom

Mathematics Department, MIT

jorloff@math.mit.edu jbloom@math.mit.edu

Support from the Davis Foundation

and PI/visionary Haynes Miller

April 7, 2014

Jeremy Orloff, Jonathan Bloom (MIT Math) Flipping the Dice April 7, 2014 1 / 13

Overview

1 What we inherited

2 What we’ve created

3 What we’ve learned

Jeremy Orloff, Jonathan Bloom (MIT Math) Flipping the Dice April 7, 2014 2 / 13

What we inherited

What we inherited

18.05: Introduction to probability and statistics.

Traditional lecture class for non-math majors

Dwindling enrollment

An interest in new approaches.

Active learning (Haynes Miller)

Online learning (everyone)

Jeremy Orloff, Jonathan Bloom (MIT Math) Flipping the Dice April 7, 2014 3 / 13

What we inherited

Transition

New curriculum (not the focus of this talk)

New pedagogy

New classroom

New technology

Jeremy Orloff, Jonathan Bloom (MIT Math) Flipping the Dice April 7, 2014 4 / 13

What we’ve created

Active learning, flipped classroom

Meet 3 x 80min in TEAL room

60 students, 2 teachers, 3 assistants

Reading / reading questions on MITx

Minimal lecturing

Group problem solving at boards

Whole class and table discussions

Clicker questions

Computer-based studio using R

Traditional psets and pset checker

Jeremy Orloff, Jonathan Bloom (MIT Math) Flipping the Dice April 7, 2014 5 / 13

What we’ve created

Bayesian dice

Jeremy Orloff, Jonathan Bloom (MIT Math) Flipping the Dice April 7, 2014 6 / 13

What we’ve learned

Active learning versus traditional lecture

Standing up is beneficial

Physical space is critical

Peer and teacher instruction

Student self-assessment

Teacher formative assessment

Jeremy Orloff, Jonathan Bloom (MIT Math) Flipping the Dice April 7, 2014 7 / 13

What we’ve learned

Technology and flipped classroom

Reading questions

Clickers and attendance

Pset checker

Jeremy Orloff, Jonathan Bloom (MIT Math) Flipping the Dice April 7, 2014 8 / 13

What we’ve learned

Common questions

How much work was all this?

A tremendous amount because we changed so manythings at once.

How much are you able to cover?

More material with greater understanding.

Jeremy Orloff, Jonathan Bloom (MIT Math) Flipping the Dice April 7, 2014 9 / 13

What we’ve learned

Other observations

Active learning is more fun

Co-teaching is more fun

Students like getting to know their teachers

Students like targeted reading more than lecture video

Students love the pset checker

Jeremy Orloff, Jonathan Bloom (MIT Math) Flipping the Dice April 7, 2014 10 / 13

What we’ve learned

Looking forward

Ongoing study by Glenda Stump of the MIT Teachingand Learning Laboratory

OpenCourseWare and OCW Educator this summer

Transition to standard staffing and the next teacher

Jeremy Orloff, Jonathan Bloom (MIT Math) Flipping the Dice April 7, 2014 11 / 13

What we’ve learned

Thank you

Come visit!TRF 1pm, Stata 32-082

Jeremy Orloff, Jonathan Bloom (MIT Math) Flipping the Dice April 7, 2014 12 / 13

What we’ve learned

Course Arc

Probability:(uncertain world, perfect knowledge of the uncertainty)

Basics of probability: counting, independence, conditional probability

Statistics I: pure applied probability:(data in an uncertain world, perfect knowledge of theuncertainty)

Bayesian inference with known priors

Statistics II: applied probability:(data in an uncertain world, imperfect knowledge of theuncertainty)

Bayesian inference with unknown priorsFrequentist confidence intervals and significance testsResampling methods: bootstrappingDiscussion of scientific papers

Computation, simulation and visualization using R and applets.

Jeremy Orloff, Jonathan Bloom (MIT Math) Flipping the Dice April 7, 2014 13 / 13