The Emergence of Distribution From Causal Roots

Abstract

Our premise, in line with a constructivist approach, is that thinking about distribution and stochastic phenomena in general, must develop from resources already established. Our prior research has suggested that, given appropriate tools to think with, meanings for distribution might emerge out of knowledge about causality. In this study, based on the second author's ongoing doctoral research, we consider the relationship between the design of a microworld, in which students can control attempts to throw a ball into a basket, and the emergence of meanings for distribution. We suggest that the notion of statistical error or noise is a rich idea for helping students to bridge their deterministic and stochastic worlds.