Statistics Help
The foundations and principles that statistics is built upon are simply and easily grasped by most students “at first”. This is because these principles are familiar to students having had to master the elementary aspects in prior math courses. What then happens to make learning statistics a stumbling block to so many? The answer to this question can be quickly traced to the speed with which more advanced and intense subject matter is subsequently introduced.
Stats is one of those “sorter” courses. It’s a sorter course in that it sorts large segments of people into two distinct groups. This sorting is occurs for the vast majority almost at that outset of an introduction to elementary statistics. Why is this? I don’t know, perhaps it’s akin to art. Some people are artists and some just aren’t and never really will be. This doesn’t mean that they are incapable of being creative it simply means that the bulk of their creativity resides in other places. Can the non artist learn to draw a landscape? Of course they can. Will the student that seems to have tremendous difficulty with statistics ever be able to learn it? Of course they can and will if they first learn to draw a landscape.
With this in mind, it makes sense that the fundamental principles be mastered backward and forward. Each fundamental principle and theorem should be viewed as a tool. These tools are required to learn statistics. Without even one of these tools, it is nearly impossible to solve most stats problems later on.
Stats problems can be tackled from multiple vantage points in order to arrive at the correct answer. For many students the journey to the solution takes a path not outlined in text books. This is expected and should be readily recognized and welcomed by competent statistics instructors. A key component needed to learn statistics is not arriving at the right answer but understanding each twist and turn that led them to the solution. Success for students that feel “sorted” when confronted with statistics for the first time often depends on finding expert stats help.
Where does a statistics tutor fit into the equation? Quick answer, when you need stats help. First, a good tutor will help identify if the student has a firm grasp of the terminology for each stats problem. Secondly, most competent tutors understand where students get hung up and should be able to present material in a unique and interesting way. What this does is cultivate an interest in the student as well as demonstrating that there are multiple ways to solve a problem. Stats help is readily available and easily found both on and offline. Simply asking for help is key to conquering statistics.
