Educational Media Reviews Online

"When you're overwhelmed by data, it's statistics to the rescue," as Harvard computational geneticist Dr. Pardis Sabati says at the start of this excellent series on basic statistics. She continues, "Understanding how statistics works lets you use this kind of information effectively." This title is an update of a 1989 seven-disc set with the same name. There are four DVDs, each with eight lessons of six to 17 minutes each. The set provides an overview of descriptive and inferential statistics and probability. Each chapter uses one or two real world examples from natural science, social science, business and public policy. Each lesson uses illustrative film, images, interviews, and explanation and summary by the engaging Dr. Sabeti. Only basic arithmetic and algebra are required. Concepts covered in earlier chapters are often used in later ones, so it's not easy to select a single chapter out of order to learn a concept.

For more than thirty years, Annenberg Learner, funded by the Annenberg Foundation, has had the mission to "Advance excellent teaching in American schools." They do this by "funding and distributing multimedia resources for teachers … to teach their subjects and stay up-to-date in their fields." Chedd-Angier is an independent television production company, based in Massachusetts.

One small technical weakness is that there is no option to play all chapters on a disk. After each chapter, the disk returns to the chapter list to select another. All chapters are available as video on demand from the learner.com web site. Free transcripts are on the learner.org web site. A license for educational institution use with distance learners is available. The print companion Introduction to the Practice of Statistics can be ordered through the Annenberg Learner web site.