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Clarification of AS90288 - Select a sample and use this to make an inference about the population
Level 2, 3 credits
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Clarification of the requirements for the standard
Concerns have been expressed that Merit and Excellence grades for this standard have been very difficult to attain and that there is the potential for students to develop statistical misunderstanding. Because of this an approach to meeting the requirements of the standard has been developed. The focus of this approach is on knowledge and understanding of different sampling methods, and using one of these to take a sample and make a statistical inference from the sample.
Students are expected to:
- take a sample and calculate statistic(s) necessary to make an inference about the population from which the sample was drawn
- describe their sampling method in sufficient detail so that it could be replicated by someone else directly from the description
- give reasons for their sampling method in the context of the investigation
- discuss two other sampling methods in some depth in either the context used for the sampling or other context(s) of the student's choice, explaining why it would be appropriate or not appropriate in the context(s)
- use mathematical and statistical language and terminology accurately
- have an understanding of sampling variability (which need not go beyond an understanding that different samples from the same population are likely to be different and lead to different inferences).
Students are not expected to:
- calculate statistics not directly related to making the inference(s)
- comment on the representativeness of a sample, or reference data items other than those generated by the sample
- refer to the data distribution
- use intervals.
Schools may elect to use this approach. Any school doing so will be expected to develop appropriate assessment materials or to make the necessary amendments to existing materials such as Ministry of Education resources.
During 2009, the Ministry of Education tasks on TKI will be updated to reflect this approach. It is anticipated that the updated tasks will be available before the end of the 2009 school year.
Last updated: 20 October 2009