Striking Demonstrations in Teaching Statistics

Long-term learning should, surely, be an outcome of higher education. What is less obvious is how to teach so that this goal is achieved. In this paper, one constructive contribution to such a goal is described in the context of statistical education: the introduction of striking demonstrations. A striking demonstration is any proposition, exposition, proof, analogy, illustration, or application that (a) is sufficiently clear and self-contained to be immediately grasped, (b) is immediately enlightening, though it may be surprising, (c) arouses curiosity and/or provokes reflection, and (d) is so presented as to enhance the impact of the foregoing three characteristics. Some 30 striking demonstrations are described and classified by statistical subfield. The intent is to display the variety of devices that can serve effectively for the purpose, as a stimulus to the reader's own enlargement of the list for his or her own pedagogical use.