Abstract

Common statistics teaching approaches and interventions focus on the explanation of theory and application of introductory statistical concepts, but few rarely focus on changing the perspective of concepts covered in advanced undergraduate courses. Time series analysis is an 18 credit third year module that is taken by approximately 300 students annually at the University of Pretoria, consisting of a student body originating from diverse backgrounds within different faculties. We develop and curate a collection of student-penned fictional narratives (short stories) that are based on content from this time series analysis syllabus, after reviewing literature pertaining to creative thinking within analytical sciences at the tertiary level. Students voluntarily participated in a storytelling exercise, where key time series analysis concepts were characters, to explore the stimulation of previously unconsidered cognitive centres that might supplement another such centre; and in this way, accelerate learning and decrease perceived anxiety surrounding the study of time series analysis. A qualitative-type analysis examines students’ experience of the consideration of this potential additional learning resource; where initial feedback indicates that formal learning may be facilitated in this informal peer learning way that supports creative, project-based, and cross-disciplinary learning of fundamental statistics.