Technology Tips: Sample Too Small? Probably Not

Statistical studies are referenced in the news every day, so frequently that people are sometimes skeptical of reported results. Often, no matter how large a sample size researchers use in their studies, people believe that the sample size is too small to make broad generalizations. The tasks presented in this article use simulations of repeated sampling and empirical sampling distributions as tools to help students wrestle with and correct this common misconception. The technology of choice for these tasks is the TI-Nspire[TM] handheld and teacher computer software. The document structure of the Nspire makes it possible to lead students through explorations on the handheld from page to page and to link data and variables between the pages and applications. This article describes both the creation of and the instructional use of an Nspire document (How large a sample.tns). Teachers can use this Nspire document for a demonstration, or, if students have access to Nspires, the document can be transferred to them and they can step through it individually or in small groups. This article provides specific directions for how to create this document and describes how to use it during instruction. The necessary keystrokes are given for both the keypad in the software and the handheld itself so that the instructions will be useful in both environments.