Important statistical skills
Statistical methods are always used in the context of a problem in some applied discipline such as medicine, business, economics, ecology, etc. Important skills are:
These skills are best learned through project work, but there are limited ways in which CAST can support large and open-ended projects.
Exercises
However there is a toolbox of statistical concepts and methods that should be mastered before embarking on project work. Exercises are short focused questions that provide a convenient way to gain mastery of the skills that are required for projects.
The exercises in this e-book are designed to help students learn the toolbox of statistical methods that are needed to solve practical problems.
It must however be remembered that these short exercises only cover some of the skills needed to become a competent user of statistics. Students also need some experience with practical problems, real data and open-ended questions through project work.
Such project work is beyond the scope of the current exercises in CAST.