Short Discussion
Discuss the following questions in groups before starting to design your activity.
What kind of scientific questions do you want your students to answer using statistics?
What exciting datasets do you use or would like to use with your students?
Activity
The Beta-Binomial model is so simple, yet so powerful in teaching foundational Bayesian concept. It is also the most popular in teaching foundational concepts.
The possibilities in utilizing this model are endless and can range from teaching with math and computation or with little math and no computation.
We will learn more complex models soon but for now our goal is to design an activity that conveys the foundations of Bayes theorem using the Beta-Binomial model.
In designing your activity please consider the following questions:
What is the scientific question that students will try to answer in the activity? In other words, what is the context of the activity?
What data will they use to answer the scientific question? If they are collecting data please plan on how they will do so. If they are relying on secondary data please locate the data and check terms of use.
How much math and computing will the activity require?
How will the activity convey concepts like prior, likelihood, and posterior?
The answers to these questions will of course vary, depending on what you teach and whom you teach. As a group, you can plan on a single teaching scenario but then consider what you would do differently in different teaching scenarios.