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Title: How do experiments support student learning about probability?
Post by: EAugust on Feb 18, 2021

Question 1

Describe two activities that can help develop probability concepts for students.

Question 2

How do experiments support student learning about probability?

Title: How do experiments support student learning about probability?
Post by: aburgess on Feb 18, 2021

Answer 1

On the National Library of Virtual Manipulatives, there is an applet that flips a virtual coin. It generates a random list of results for 100 flips quickly and tallies the results. Students could use this simulation to see that, the more flips there are, the closer the experimental probability comes to the theoretical probability.
To help students develop their understanding of certain, probable, and impossible, read nursery rhymes and have a class discussion about which of the categories the events in the rhymes fall into.

Answer 2

Why do experiments?
Helps address student misconceptions and build a deeper understanding why certain things are more likely.
Provides a connection to counting strategies to increase confidence that probability is accurate.
Helps students see how a ratio begins to converge to a fixed number.
Student engaged in the experiments learn more than students not engaged.