Subject: Re: How Should We *Motivate* Students in Intro Stat?

     To: edstat-l@jse.stat.ncsu.edu
         sci.stat.edu Usenet newsgroup

   From: Donald Macnaughton <donmac@matstat.com>
                   (formerly donmac@hookup.net)

   Date: Wednesday December 18, 1996 21:19 EDT

     Cc: Joe H Ward <joeward@tenet.edu>

On Tuesday December 17, 1996 Joe Ward wrote

> Don --
>
> As you recall, we have discussed the PREDICTION approach sev-
> eral times at various ASA meetings.  I, too, am a strong be-
> liever that PREDICTION is the "bottom line" for the practical
> activities in which most humans engage.  
>    ( snip )

Joe and I have been discussing statistical issues since the ASA 
Louisville winter conference in 1992, and I have always admired 
his passion for improving the introductory course.  

Joe's main concepts of prediction, optimization, modeling, and 
uncertainty are consistent with my main concepts of entities, 
properties, variables, relationships, prediction, and control.  
And, as I see it, the main difference at the top level between 
Joe's approach and my approach is merely a difference in which 
concepts of a common set of accepted concepts are emphasized.

I salute Joe's far-sighted emphasis on prediction, which is also 
a very important concept in my approach.

Don Macnaughton