We applied a classroom research model to investigate student understanding of sampling distributions of sample means and the Central Limit Theorem in post-calculus introductory probability and statistics courses. Using a quantitative assessment tool developed by previous researchers and a qualitative assessment tool developed by the authors, we embarked on data exploration of our students' responses on these assessments. We observed various trends regarding their understanding of the concepts including results that were consistent with research completed previously (by other authors) for algebra-based introductory level statistics students. We also used the information obtained from our data exploration and our experiences in the classroom to examine and conjecture about possible reasons for our results.

Based on previous research of Johnson and Kuennen (2006), we conducted a study to determine factors that would possibly predict student success in an introductory statistics course. Our results were similar to Johnson and Kuennen in that we found students' basic mathematical skills, as measured on a test created by Johnson and Kuennen, were a significant predictor of student success in the course. We also found a significant professor effect. These results have prompted us to evaluate and modify the teaching of our introductory statistics course.

No abstract

In this study we used an assessment tool evaluated in a previous study to identify students who were atrisk of not being successful in our introductory statistics course. We then required these students to attend peer tutoring, early in the semester, as an intervention. While we saw a significant increase in student success for all students in this study compared with the previous study, the at-risk students who completed the required tutoring had a significantly higher increase in success than their peers.

We study the existence of solutions to generalized variational and generalized quasi-variational inequalities with discontinuous operators. We obtain results which generalize and extend previously known theorems. We also compare our new continuity condition on the operator in the variational inequality to previously used continuity conditions. We then apply our results to generalized variational inequalities which involve pseudo-monotone operators. ᮊ 1997 Academic Press