Lesson 2: Using Summary Statistics to Interpret Data
Focus

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Data can be organized, summarized, and presented in a variety of ways. Each tool and strategy used may highlight or draw attention to different parts of the data. In Lesson 1 you were presented with an example of Mr. Kong’s quiz marks from two different groups of students.
Working with the individual class data sets allows you to compare the two quiz results for the two classes. This strategy allows you to look at both the similarities and the differences in the data for the two classes. Combining the quiz marks for both classes gives you information about student performance on the quiz regardless of which block the quiz was written in. This demonstrates that how data is displayed or organized affects what types of comparisons can be made and what inferences or conclusions can be drawn from the data.
In this lesson you will look at how summary statistics can be used to interpret data and make decisions or solve problems.
This lesson will help you answer the following critical question:
- How can summary statistics be used to solve problems and make decisions?
Assessment
All assessment items you encounter need to be placed in your course folder. You should have already had a discussion with your teacher about which items you will be handing in for marking. For those items that you will not be handing in for marking, you should have already had a discussion with your teacher about how you can access the solutions to these questions. Make sure to follow your teacher’s instructions.
Save a copy of the Lesson 2 Assignment to your course folder.
Materials and Equipment