SOCR Interactive Probability Distribution Calculator [Version: V.0.9] The SOCR RShiny probability distribution calculators provide interactive vizualizations of probability densities, mass functions, and cumulative distributions, e.g., bivariate normal distribution. Acknowledgments This work is supported in part by NIH grants P20 NR015331, UL1TR002240, P30 DK089503, UL1TR002240, and NSF grants 1916425, 1734853, 1636840, 1416953, 0716055 and 1023115. Students, trainees, scholars, and researchers from SOCR, BDDS, MIDAS, MICHR, and the broad R-statistical computing community have contributed ideas, code, and support. Developers Jared (Tianyi) Chai (chtianyi@umich.edu) Shihang Li (shihangl@umich.edu) Yongxiang Zhao (zyxleo@umich.edu) Bole Li (boleli@umich.edu) Joonseop Kim (joonkim@umich.edu) Ivo Dinov (dinov@med.umich.edu).
Type of Material:
Reference Material rendered as a shiny app
Recommended Uses:
This can be used as a support (calculator) for in-class or homework assignments designed by the instructor.
This site would be useful for self-guided study/review and individual student practice, and also for professional interest in the probability distributions.
Technical Requirements:
The application needs a browser to render. The user would need to be connected to the internet to access the website.
Identify Major Learning Goals:
Major learning goals:
1. Explore distributions by visualizing the pdf/cdf/ survival/ hazard functions of the distributions. Goes beyond the basic distributions taught in introductory courses
2. Explore basic linear regression data fitting.
This site gives the basic ideas, calculations and modeling of some continuous and discrete probability distributions, such as PDF, CDF, survival and hazard function.
Target Student Population:
Students in Middle School, High School, College General Ed, College Lower Division, College Upper Division, Graduate School, an elementary probability class. Also faculty members.
Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:
Elementary probability.
Content Quality
Rating:
Strengths:
This site presents the general notion of probability distributions and performs the associated calculations. The calculator includes some of the most important probability distribution that is covered in any probability course.
It is pretty comprehensive in distributions to explore and can be used as in reference for in-class exercises or homework for the students.
Concerns:
1. There is no documentation provided so makes it limited in using independently by the students for exploration.
2. The application is limited to linear regression for now.
There is a need of examples from everyday situations to understand how to apply and associate the probability distributions considered.
Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool
Rating:
Strengths:
The material can be used in class for demonstrating the concept by the instructor.
Students could learn a lot in a short time. This is valuable as a review for students who just want to remember the quick highlights of probability distributions. The site is very useful for accompanying homework assignments, not just to perform the calculations, but to see how the probability distributions are modeled with the current parameters.
Concerns:
1. No documentation making it limited in application for students to explore independently.
2. The instructor needs to write assignments for using this application as a calculator.
It would be helpful to provide the student learning outcomes to see the probability as a tool making decision.
Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty
Rating:
Strengths:
It is very intuitive to use by the instructor.
Users will have no difficulty navigating through the calculator/modeler.
Concerns:
It would help to include examples to make it more engaging.
Creative Commons:
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