Using R for teaching statistics to nonmajors:

Comparing experiences of 2.5 different approaches

Thomas Baier
Richard Heiberger
Kerstin Schinag
!rich "e#$irth
Uni%ersit& of Technoog&' (ienna
Uni%ersit& of (ienna
Tempe Uni%ersit&' )hiadephia
*pproaches
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Based on g#ided code generation
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Based on exporing existing code
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Based on spreadsheet interaction
*pproaches
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Based on g#ided code generation
RCommander and extensions
Tempe Uni%ersit& has a co#rse based on this approach
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Based on exporing existing code
R)ad
Uni%ersit& of (ienna has a co#rse based on this approach
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Based on spreadsheet interaction
R!xce
Uni%ersit& of (ienna has ab casses based on this
approach
R)ad
R)ad R)ad
R)ad R)ad
R)ad R)ad
R)ad R)ad
R)ad R)ad
R)ad R!xce
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*pproach ao$s st#dents to #se a too the&
aread& +no$ and embed ad%anced statistica
methods in the spreadsheet paradigm
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*t the same time' prior spreadsheet
experience can hep $ith data manip#ation
and graphics creation
R!xce and RCommander
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Tempe Uni%ersit& c#rrent& teaches an
introd#ctor& statistics co#rse based on
RCommander and R!xce.
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Statistics $ith !xce a$a&s needs an addin.
,e #se R' the best possibe addin.
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,e #se the R!xce interface to get data from
!xce into R and to get tab#ar res#ts bac+
from R.
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RCommander pro%ides a cic+abe men#
interface to R.
R!xce and RCommander
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!xce spreadsheet
containing the
)restige dataset
from the car
pac+age
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Cic+ on the
R!xce men# item
to start R
R!xce and RCommander
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-n the R .U-'
enter
ibrar&/Rcmdr.HH0
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This starts the
Rcmdr $indo$
$ith the HH men#
R!xce and RCommander
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Highight and
right cic+ a
region in
!xce
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Send the
region to
RCmdr
R!xce and RCommander
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Cic+ the 1Statistics23it 4odes2Best S#bsets Regression5 men#
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3i in the mode specification box
R!xce and RCommander
a. .enerates R
script
b. !xec#tes R
script
c. 6ispa&s graph
d. -dentifies mode
$ith the argest
adj#sted R
2
I The mode
specification
box
R!xce and RCommander
e. dispa&s
the
s#mmar&
of the
seected
mode
R!xce and RCommander
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,e ret#rn the regression coefficients from the seected
mode bac+ to the !xce spreadsheet.
R!xce and RCommander
I
,e ret#rn the
regression
coefficients
from the
seected
mode bac+ to
the !xce
spreadsheet.
R!xce and RCommander
I
7#r addin to RCommander is c#rrent&
a%aiabe as an R pac+age at http:22
astro.ocis.tempe.ed#28rmh2Rcmdr.HH
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Some of o#r additions $i be inc#ded in the
next reease of RCommander.
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,e than+ 9ohn 3ox' the de%eoper of
RCommander' for hep in designing o#r addins
to his pac+age.