RUME 25
2023
Omaha, Nebraska
Analyzing the Reasoning Types potentially Required by Tasks in an Open-Source Introductory Statistics Textbook
Page: 711
This study examined the tasks in the exercise sections of a popular open-source statistics textbook in order to characterize the types of reasoning the tasks are likely to elicit from readers. To achieve this, I examined the narrative sections of the book alongside the solved examples to determine the extent to which the kind of guidance provided was relevant in solving the tasks in the exercise sections of the book. Findings show that although most tasks could be solved by closely following the procedures and methods in the book (imitative tasks) there were other tasks that could elicit more nuanced forms of reasoning (creative mathematical reasoning tasks). These tasks were more prominent on the tail ends of the exercises section than on the beginning parts. Implications of these findings are discussed.