Mathematics

Teaching hypothesis testing with a biased dice

Jane Sly

Jayne Kranat, author of our Cambridge International AS & A Level Mathematics Probability & Statistics 2 Coursebook and Subject Director for the Maths PGCE at Kings College London puts a spotlight on hypothesis testing this month.

Jayne has taught prospective mathematics teachers for many years, and enjoys teaching with the biased dice while training her teachers in this topic. Experimenting with a biased dice allows students to explore the meaning of hypothesis tests and helps them understand that it can be applied to any hypothesis test.

In our video she undertakes a mini lesson that you can try with your maths class. Here, she takes her students through the experiment and provides a real life scenario regarding the legal system to add context to the topic. She also discusses why placing hypothesis testing at the start of our book was key to helping develop fluency and reasoning skills.