Describing data well in r-instat

Abstract

In 21st century, there is an increasing need to have skills to derive meaning from the growing data around us. In Africa, too much of statistical teaching is theoretical. This leaves students with a lack of data handling skills, and often unprepared to find meaning in data. The African Data Initiative (ADI) aims to change this. A first step has been to develop R-Instat, an open-source, free software based on the increasingly used statistics software R. This paper explains some of the decisions behind R-Instat’s approach to encouraging descriptive analysis. It also proposes how this could support the teaching of good descriptive statistics.