The chapters in this part outline key curricular goals and desired outcomes in statistics
education, describe recent changes and reforms in thinking about the desired processes of instruction in the mathematical sciences, and frame the assessment issues which all educators
involved in statistics education have to address.
In Chapter 2, Begg reviews key issues in mathematics education and in education in general
that underpin work on assessment in statistics education. Begg discusses the broadening of
instruction in mathematics and statistics to include the key processes of problem-solving,
reasoning, communicating, making connections, and using tools, introduces the emerging
constructivist views on learning, and reiterates purposes and general principles for assessment of
relevance to statistics education.
Colvin and Vos provide in Chapter 3 an introduction to the authentic assessment movement,
which aims to measure student performance within tasks relevant to situations or problems
outside of the school setting. An authentic assessment model for statistics education in primary
and secondary schools is described which is also relevant for college level statistics instruction.
The questions and stages involved in establishing an authentic assessment system are outlined
and some dilemmas inherent in this process are noted. Examples for authentic assessment tasks
and for student performance on such tasks are included to illustrate the ideas presented.
Chapter 4, Gal, Ginsburg, and Schau focus on assessment challenges that pertain to the
curricular goal of developing productive dispositions and attitudes as part of statistics education.
These authors argue that non-cognitive or meta-cognitive factors, such as (negative) attitudes or
beliefs towards statistics can impede learning of statistics, or hinder the extent to which students
will develop useful statistical intuitions that can be applied outside the classroom. The chapter
examines current approaches for assessing students’ attitudes and beliefs, and suggests ways to
extend and integrate such assessment into ongoing instruction.