Mean and Median with Spreadsheets (ARC)
Michael Fulkerson, University of Central Oklahoma
Kristi Karber, University of Central Oklahoma
Kristi Karber, University of Central Oklahoma
This activity involves using spreadsheets to investigate the mean and median of a data set and how those averages change when additional data is provided. Through various scenarios (exam grades, household income, and batting averages) students develop their mathematical reasoning skills and intuition about these averages. In particular, students learn when the median is more appropriate to use than the mean (and vice versa) and how outliers have a greater effect on the mean than the median.
This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
