Available Technologies

Simulation Tools

Computer Programs that provide good data simulations

  • Sampling SIM The software Sampling SIM allows students to explore statistical concepts such as measures of center (means and proportions), sampling, sampling distributions, confidence intervals, and p-values. The software provides separate windows for viewing the population distribution, random samples drawn from the population, and the associated sampling distribution. The software allows students to understand how sampling distributions behave under various conditions (e.g., different sample sizes).

    Designed by Robert DelMas, Joan Garfield, & Beth Chance
  • Fathom Fathom allows students to gather, explore, graphically visualize, and analyze data. Consequently, Fathom provides a valuable tool for helping students understand and visualize concepts in statistics. Fathom is most suited for introductory statistics courses.

Web Applets that can be used to Simulate Data

  • RossmanChance Rossman/Chance provides free access to a number of valuable java applets that can be used to simulate data. Content areas include data analysis, sampling distribution, probability, and inference. Examples include the Reese's Pieces applet, the Sampling Words applet, and the Guess the Correlation applet. Authors: Allan Rossman & Beth Chance; Programmers: Franciso Garcia, Carlos Lima, & Beth Chance.
  • WISE (Web Interface for Statistics Education)
    WISE contains web applets for sampling distributions of means, hypothesis testing, power analyzes, correlation, & regression
  • Rice Virtual Lab in Statistics Rice Virtual Lab in Statistics contains applets that can be used in simulations involving everything from means and proportions to sampling distributions, confidence intervals, and correlations. Author: David Lane.
  • For more web applets see causeweb.org