抄録
Since the Internet has spread widely, we should have a quantitative literacy by which we can extract meaningful data from mass information, and make informed decisions. In the data analysis field, J. W. Tukey and his group developed the "Exploring Data Analysis" in the 1960's, with the purpose of identifying a structure in the data. They subsequentlly applied it to statistical education. In the late 1980's, ASA and NCTM started the "Quantitative Literacy Project", which introduced a new approach to statistical education by which students use real life data and then identify the data structure. This is a data driven approach. This approach was recognized as an effective way to study basic statistical concepts, as it activated students' interests and made them active learners. On the other hand, Japanese university students have little chance to study how to analyze quantitative data in their academic career. In this study, we planned a class as part of the basic university curriculum for freshmen business students. The focus of the new classes is to cultivate statistical thinking by using a data driven approach. We use a spreadsheet as a tool for exploring data; learning to use this software is one of the university's basic education skills. The purpose of this study is to evaluate how effective a data driven approach is in cultivating statistical thinking and to make students effective users of a spreadsheet.
