Measures of Dispersion

Abstract

For the next class period after learning how to compute the mean of a data set, students will learn how to compute the range and standard deviation of a data set, in order to judge the degree to which a data set is dispersed. The course is an undergraduate mathematics course for social science majors, titled "Mathematical Topics in the Social Sciences." This activity is part of a unit on introductory statistics. The course has no lab meetings. 

Level: Undergraduate
Setting: Classroom
Activity Type: Learning Cycle

Discipline: Mathematics
Course: Mathematics for Social Sciences
Keywords: range, variance, standard deviation, dispersion