Assessing Student Retention of Essential Statistical Ideas: Perspectives, Priorities, and Possibilities

Assessment has become the “buzzword” in academia; a demonstration of criteria used for the assessment of retention of what was learned is now mandated by various accrediting agencies. Whether we want our students to be good users of statistics who make better decisions, or good consumers of statistics who are better informed citizens, we must reflect on how key statistical concepts can be ingrained in the students' knowledge base. This article seeks to address the overall issue of assessing the retention of essential statistical ideas that transcend various disciplines.