Teaching Stats Text

[gambs]

Hi, I teaching a statistics course in the spring for the first time with the following description and wondered if anyone had a suggestion for a good textbook to use. I'm a bit flexible with the stats computing software (R, SAS, SPSS, Minitab, Fathom) but am unsure what level text to use. It is an intro course in the sense that students need no previous knowledge of statistics. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

"An applied statistics course for graduate students and upper level undergraduates with no previous background in statistics who will need statistics in their future studies and work. The focus is on understanding and using statistical methods in research and applications. Topics include: descriptive statistics, probability theory, random variables, random sampling, estimation and hypothesis testing, basic concepts in the design of experiments and analysis of variance, linear regression, contingency tables. The course has a large data-analytic component using a statistical computing package."

The department has used Mendehall, Beaver and Beaver's Introduction to Probability & Statistics for approx 10 years. I am not against using it, but wonder if maybe there is something available to give the course a fresh feel.

Thanks in advance

[trinker]

I'm in the same position myself and I think I've found a winner.

Andy Field has some great books that weave stats and the program (SPSS and R that I'm aware of that he's done). His language is at times humorous (some may claim inappropriate) but he's won at least 2 teaching awards and reading his stuff really makes sense. You could really use this book(s) to teach the stats and the students could work through the problems with what ever software. My 2¢.

[trinker]

@probably I was going to ask the same question but the poster said "applied" that indicates to me it's not in the stats department.

[Dason]

@probably I was going to ask the same question but the poster said "applied" that indicates to me it's not in the stats department.

... There are definitely applied courses taught by stats departments. I don't think the course is for statistics students though since hopefully a graduate level statistics student has some prior knowledge of statistics.

[gambs]

... There are definitely applied courses taught by stats departments. I don't think the course is for statistics students though since hopefully a graduate level statistics student has some prior knowledge of statistics.

It is being taught through a Math & Stats department but is mainly directed at prospective teachers and not graduate statistics students. The Statistics department mainly uses R and SAS in the graduate statistics courses, but the graduate Education department uses SPSS for the Higher Ed courses and Fathom for the secondary ed coursese. For the past 10 years, this course has used Minitab, so it's all over the board. Thanks for the suggestions!