A Statistics Curriculum for the Undergraduate Chemistry Major

作者：Schlotter Nicholas E^*

来源：Journal of Chemical Education, 2013, 90(1): 51-55.

DOI：10.1021/ed300334e

• First-Year Undergraduate
• Second-Year Undergraduate
• Upper-Division Undergraduate
• Curriculum
• Interdisciplinary/Multidisciplinary
• Computer-Based Learning
• Mathematics/Symbolic Mathematics
• Statistical Mechanics

Our ability to statistically analyze data has grown significantly with the maturing of computer hardware and software. However, the evolution of our statistics capabilities has taken place without a corresponding evolution in the curriculum for the undergraduate chemistry major. Most faculty understands the need for a statistical educational component, but there is little consensus as to the exact nature of what is to be taught and who should teach it. Because of the large number of courses required for the undergraduate chemistry major, it seems unlikely that requiring a course on statistics will be practical at most institutions. Additionally, it is unlikely that the typical high school education will address the needed statistics or the software training to prepare students for the chemistry courses. Therefore, the chemistry faculty must teach the statistics needed by the majors. The faculty needs to focus on statistics useful to the chemist and this is distinctly different than what is often encountered in biology, medicine, psychology, and business. A starting point is suggested for a discussion on a statistics curriculum that addresses the needs of the chemistry majors.

• 出版日期2013-1