Case Studies in the Mathematical Statistics Course

Abstract

We have developed a model for teaching mathematical statistics through detailed case studies. We use these case studies to bridge the gap between statistical theory and practice, and to help students develop an understanding of the basic ideas in mathematical statistics. We also use them to motivate students to explore the concepts of statistics. Although we strongly advocate teaching mathematical statistics through case studies, there are many challenges that arise from this approach. In this paper, we describe how we incorporate case studies in the course, outline the challenges that we face in adopting this approach, and discuss our efforts to overcome these challenges.