Anne loves teaching.
The bigger the class the more she is inspired. She has taught
introductory statistics to students from a wide variety of
disciplines: computing, business systems, engineering, science,
psychology and law. In her statistics classes there is music
and dance and interaction. There is also a lot of hard work
as students examine the role of statistics in the world around
them and learn to identify and solve statistical problems.
Even in classes of 300 students there are activities for students
so that they can learn by experience and build on their natural
thinking processes.
Anne has a holistic approach
to teaching statistics, with students engaged, not just in
learning statistics, but in the arts of learning how to learn,
learning to express themselves and understanding and writing
in mathematical language. Students are also engaged in communicating
both verbally and in writing, and in working in teams and
individually. When teaching she seeks to continually surprise
students with the aptness of their ideas. She also has developed
laboratory programs which use statistical packages used in
the business world to aid in the analysis, simulation and
modelling of data.
Students teach Anne too,
as she seeks to understand how they interpret and make sense
of statistics. Students also contribute to the development
of her subjects by providing examples which they find interesting
to analyse.
In response to students'
learning needs she has applied for and won several research
grants to develop teaching materials. The first of these,
Understanding variation in the world around us, was
from the Apple University Development Fund. It involved finding
visual images to exemplify the role of variation in the world
around us all, in science, in agriculture, computing, language
and all manner of disciplines. The second grant, Student
centred teaching to a class of 300, was to develop online
statistics resources, so that students could supplement classes
through accessing lectures, tests, solutions to problems,
and other resource materials over the World Wide Web.
Since completing her doctorate "Improving
Statistical education through the experience of reflective
practice", Anne has begun to work more extensively in the
areas of census and sample surveys and financial modelling.
Anne is an experienced user of both quantitative
and qualitative methodologies.
As a member of the Sample Survey Research
Team and as a consultant she is often involved in the development
and analysis of questionnaires and associated methodologies.
She has a particular interest in the problems associated with
the development and use of internet surveys.
Anne's research, improving statistical,
mathematics and computer education, has involved examining
teaching and learning within the following framework:
Anne is currently supervising three PhD
students. Information on their research is available from
the links below.
Morris, M, Porter, A & Griffiths,
D (2004) Assessment is Bloomin' Luverly: developing assessment
that enhances learning, Journal
of University Teaching and Learning Practice, 1(2), 90-106.
Milne, C., Wallace, M., & Porter,
A. (1999). Coming to terms with statistical literacy: developing
a university-wide introductory program. Of Significance, 1(1),
35-40
Porter, A. (1998). Integrating generic
skills into Teaching. Overview, 5(1),pp 8-13.
Porter, A. (June 1998). Statistical Literacy
for Law students: six hours to teach, Proceedings of the Fifth
International Conference on Teaching Statistics (pp. 533-540).
Voorburg, Netherlands: ISI Permanent Office.
Porter, A., Griffiths, D., & Hedberg.
J. (July 1994). A statistical and mathematical tertiary preparation
course, Bridging Mathematics Conference. (Vol 1, pp. 131-138)
University of Sydney, Australia
Porter, A., Griffiths, D., & J. Hedberg.
(December, 1994). ‘(Re)constructing knowledge in statistics
through reflection, articulation and language. Presented ,
Research in Mathematics, Science and Environmental Education
Symposium, Deakin University.
Porter, A., Griffiths, D., & Hedberg.
J. (July 1994). The role of language and experience in the
teaching of statistics, Bridging Mathematics Conference. (Vol
1, pp. 139-152) University of Sydney, Australia.
Micheal, K., Griffiths, D., Porter, A.,
& D. Stirling. (September 1993). ‘The powers of two:
How and why should we teach probability in introductory statistics
courses? Paper presented at the Statistics ’93 Conference,
Wollongong.
Porter, A., Griffiths, D., & J. Hedberg.
(September 1993). ‘Repacking the expert’s knowledge
in teaching statistics. Paper presented at the Statistics
’93 Conference, Wollongong.
Porter, A. (1996). Focussing
on the self as a learner of Mathematics and Statistics. Technology
in Mathematics Education: Merga, pp461-468.
Porter, A. (1996). Focussing
on the self as a learner of Statistics. Paper presented at
the Statistical Education Workshop, Sydney International Statistical
Congress, SISC-96, July 5-7, 1996.
Porter, A. (1995). Attaining
the balance between learning the Statistics discipline's content
and processes, and learning how to learn. Proceedings and
Papers, Bridging Mathematics Network Conference, Batchelor
College, pp 36-48.
Porter, A and Mcphail,
C (2003) Improving statistical education: developing a CD-ROM
orientation and training program for casual tutors. Proceedings
of the Decidable and Undecidable in Mathematics Conference,
Brno, 2003.
Mcphail, C and Porter
A. (2003) Tutor Training and Orientation CD-ROM. School of
Mathematics and Applied Statistics, University of Wollongong.
Porter A. (7-12 July, 2002). Improving
online teaching and learning materials through the inclusion
of simulations and video materials. Poster at the 16th Australian
Statistical Conference, National Convention Centre Canberra.
ESDF 2001 $5,600 Improving statistical
education: Animating and providing real world context for
theoretical statistics concepts with Bob Corderoy A database
as a repository of links to useful resources for teaching
statistics is currently being added to. (STATRes). (Add link
to http://cedir.uow.edu.au/Projects/statres/).
Porter, D. Griffiths & J. Hedberg
(2002). Paper accepted for publication in the Journal of Applied
Mathematics and Decision Processes. From classroom to online
teaching: experiences in improving statistics education.
Porter, A. Flexible Deliver of Statistics.(2001).
Bulletin of the International Statistical Institute , 2, 457-458.
Porter, A. (2001) From classroom to online
teaching: experiences in improving statistics education. Paper
presented at the Education Workshop associated with the International
Conference on Statistics, Combinatorics and Related Areas
and the Eighth International Conference of the Forum for Interdisciplinary
Mathematics, December 19-21.
Corderoy, R, Lefoe, G, & Porter,
A (2000). Supporting large classes using WebCT: A case study.
Indian Journal of Open Learning, 9(3), 403-413.
Porter, A., & Corderoy, R. (1999).
Evolving from face-to-face to online teaching for large student
groups. Phase 3: restructuring in a computer based student/subject
management system. Proceedings of the WebNet World Conference99,
Honolulu, Hawaii, Vol 2, pp. 1397-1398.
Corderoy, R. & Porter, A. (1999).
Teaching a large undergraduate statistics class. Phase II:
Developing a web support site. Proceedings of the WebNet World
Conference99, Honolulu, Hawaii, Vol 2, pp 1224-122.
Porter, A & Corderoy R.(1998): A
case study: 'There is only two weeks to go, can I get my subject
onto the web?' Proceedings of the 15th Annual Ascillite98
Conference, University of Wollongong, December, pp 571-583.
Corderoy, R.M and Porter, A. (1998).
Synchronous Face to Face and Web delivery of a First Year
Undergraduate Statistics Subject: Managing the Process. Paper
presented at the Apple Conference, University of Melbourne.
(CD-ROM)
PhD thesis awarded 2001
from the University of Wollongong
Improving Statistical Education through the experience of
Reflective Practice
Contents
Chapter 1 A journey begins
Chapter 2 Representing knowledge
structures
Chapter 3 Unpacking Statistical
expertise
Chapter 4 Preparing to Teach
Chapter 5 Reflections in and on
practice
Chapter 6 A grounded theory
Porter, A. (August 1996).
Reflective teacher, reflective students: a case study in improving
teaching and learning in Statistics. Paper presented at the
Research in the Learning of Statistics Conference, Victoria
University, Wellington, NZ.
Porter A.( 7-12 July
2002) Improving the teaching and learning of statistics through
a current issue of social and political importanc.e Paper
presented at the 16th Australian Statistical Conference, National
Convention Centre Canberra.
Porter, A. (June 1998).
Pedagogy, curriculum and reflective practice: toward a model
for improving statistical education, Proceedings of the Fifth
International Conference on Teaching Statistics (pp. 1395-1402).
Voorburg, Netherlands: ISI Permanent Office.
Porter A. (2002) Improving teaching, improving learning: a
framework for contextualising statistical education research.
Invited Paper at Newcastle AMS.
Porter, A, Griffiths,
D and Hedberg, J (2003) From classroom to online teaching:
experiences in improving statistics education, Journal of
Applied Mathematics and Decision Processes.
Jones, J. & A. Porter.
(1996). Perceptions of the relevance of Mathematics and Science:
Further analysis of an Australian study. Research in Science
Education, 26(4), 481-494.
Porter, A. L & Pirie,
I. G.(1983) In the words of the students: A study of attrition
in a first year tertiary computing course. NSW Computers in
Education Conference.
Porter, A. L & Pirie,
I. G.(1983) Factors affecting the performance of computing
science students. NSW Computers in education Conference.
J. Fulcher, G. Melleuish,
A. Porter, S. Robinson and E. Thomson (2002) Report: Recruitment
of Quality Undergraduate students into Honours at the University
of Wollongong. UOW.
Anshel, M., Porter, A., & J. Quek.
(1998). Coping with acute stress in sport as a function of
gender: An exploratory study. Journal of Sport Behavior, 21(4),363-376.
Kaissidis-Rodafinos, A., Anshel, M.,
& A. Porter. (1997). Personal and situational factors
that predict coping strategies for acute stress among basketball
referees. Journal of Sports Sciences, 15, 427-436.
Anshel, M. H., &
A. Porter. (1996). Self-regulatory characteristics of competitive
swimmers as a function of skill level and gender. Journal
of Sport Behavior, 19 (2), 91-111.
Anshel, M. & A. Porter. (1996). Efficacy
of a model for examining self-regulation with elite and non-elite
male and female competitive swimmers. International Journal
of Sport Psychology, 27: 321-336.
