Allison Martell » statistics

Stats con

Allison — Sun, 01 May 2011 22:36:21 +0000

A new chapter in the census scandal

There can be little doubt at this point that by cancelling the long-form census, the Conservative government destroyed our best source for the evidence it claims should guide policy decisions: opposition from across the political spectrum cried foul, but perhaps the clearest sign is that the government acted against the advice of Canada’s chief statistician, Munir Sheikh, who then resigned in protest.

Now, heading into a much-diminished 2011 census, Sheikh’s replacement, former communications and operations assistant chief Wayne Smith, has announced that the federal government wants Statistics Canada to explore alternatives to the short form. Should we be worried?

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Margin of Error: Why charter schools may not be as good as you think

Allison — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 16:27:03 +0000

The charter school movement is enjoying something of a renaissance in the United States. Charter schools—which receive public funding but are privately run, thus removing some features of normal public schools, notably established teachers’ unions—are one of President Obama’s priorities. They are also the cause du jour for New York City’s hedge fund managers. Education policy wonks are understandably interested in whether charter schools really help students failed by the public system.

I am sceptical about the benefits of private sector involvement in public schools, but I’ve still been watching the debates with some interest. There has not been much research on Canada’s only charters, in Alberta, so most of what I read is from the States. That’s why I came across this post on Eduwonk.

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Videos that Play with Numbers, Dangerously

Allison — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 18:08:06 +0000

Topping the week’s Viral Video Chart is the trailer for a new book on social media marketing, arguing that social media is not a fad. It closely mirrors XPLANE’s viral hit, also about the importance of new technology. Say what you will about social media, but this sort of video, combining surprising statistics with flashy graphics and electronic music, is emerging as a fad in its own right on YouTube.

The video is rife with the arm-waving hyperbole and confusion of trends favoured by so-called social media experts — at one point, it seems to define books on the Kindle as a kind of social media — but it does grab your attention. That is the strength of stats videos — while most of us would never read a list of unconnected facts about social media, a video can keep our attention with some bright colours and catchy tunes. There is something authoritative about statistics rendered in slick animation. But YouTube is actually a terrible vehicle for stats, because it does away with the web’s greatest strength: easy, plentiful links to sources, survey methodology, and study sponsors.

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