Customer Reviews

The Standard Deviants - Statistics, Parts 1, 2 & 3 [VHS]

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

Statistics is a part of everyday life -- whether we like it or not. Baseball, for example, is all about statistics: batting average, earned run average, on base percentage, etc.

The problem is that we have learned statistics through drudgery. Fortunately, we now have an alternative means to effectively learn about statistics -- these tapes.

Mind you, SD parts 1, 2, and 3 will not make you a full-blooded statistician -- meaning you will not have to learn ponderous mathematical equations to calculate some statistic. Instead, this tape does one better. It teaches you how to understand statistics. Believe me, after viewing this tape, you will not look at a statistical table, chart, or graph quite the same way again. You will become a "pseudo-statistican's" worst nightmare -- someone who can actually "parle statistique," and know when statistics are being used to skew / distort the data / facts.

The actual calculations are not that important anymore. Any electronic spreadsheet application worth its salt can now calculate a complicated equation in a micro-minute. The important element in statistical reserach is how to apply the statistical tool correctly, and understanding what that statistic means. These tapes allow you to do just that.

Highly recommended for the student of statistics, and for managers (so they can have a general knowledge of statistics). I also recommend these tapes for those involved in Total Quality Management, developing method and process improvements, and for those involved in operations research.

I was struggling through a statistics class with a teacher who can barely speak English. These videos totally saved me. They are easy to understand and cover all the important topics.

I use this for my undergraduate Statistics class. It is an excellent resource. Not only is it easy to understand and well organized but it is sooo corny that the students howl with laughter. I have no recollection of ever laughing in a statistics class.

I awaited these videos with great anticipation so I could begin studying for a DSST statistics exam. When they finally arrived and I watched them, I found them to be about one half statistics and one half digital eye candy completely unrelated to stats. I found this to be very distracting and not at all conducive to my studies. My wife thinks they are "cute". This is a good review for someone who has some statistics background, but don't think these tapes will teach you statistics. They will not.

I asked my college library to order this series, for possible use in my intro stats class, or for review use by my students. I've seen other Standard Deviants videos, which are generally pretty good, but this one is a bit disappointing. Disclaimer: I've only watched the first tape so far -- I hope 2 and 3 are better.

There is just too much nonsense in it for me to be able to use it in class. The first tape, for example starts with several minutes of building a typically (for SD) comical plot line around some guy wanting to strike it rich by playing a slot machine (while running the credits as an aside) -- and then, unbelievably, it does not return to the slot machine scenario during the entire first tape!!!

Yes, it's comical, and it does effectively work through the all-too-common statistics intimidation factor that effects so many students. It presents basics like the mean and histograms very, very well. However, when you get to things that are only slightly more complicated like the median and mode, they get glossed over. The tape shows how to calculate the variance and standard deviation, but doesn't do quite enough (in my opinion) to explain the meaning of them.

Oddly, the box indicated the first tape had a running time of one hour, 46 minutes, but the label on the tape showed the correct running time of one hour, 16 minutes. At the end of the tape, while running credits on the side, they show "bloopers" from the video. Many of the bloopers are from scenes that, oddly, *did not appear on the tape* -- perhaps they are scenes from tapes 2 and 3? But... these tapes are sold independently, as well as in the 3 tape set, so shouldn't they be independently complete?

I won't use the tape in class, but I will suggest it to my students as a source of extra review.

a great tool for understanding probability which is why we got this tape. very good