A Statistical Odyssey
Learn about common mistakes in data analysis with an interactive space adventure.
Education Website
This course has been adapted as a tutorial at IE University in Spain.
★★★★★I am a university teacher and I am trained in statistics...and my score was not perfect :) I loved the course, learned from it, and am recommending it to...— Kiron
★★★★★What a fun way to learn statistics!— Denali
★★★★★It was a cool little text adventure game. Perhaps it would benefit from some kind of branching in the story that would lead to dead ends or some humorous...— Krzyftosz
★★★★★I'm a college student and am interested in using these resources in k-12 classrooms, but decided to give it a try myself first, and it was great! Even my...— Theo Dawson
★★★★★liked it ........creative content— Clinton Laird
About the course
As you explore a spaceship to solve a mystery, you will learn how biases can distort our understanding of data. Recognizing and overcoming these errors helps us critically evaluate the information we encounter so we can better understand the world around us.
Topics covered are selection bias, regression to the mean, correlation vs. causation, the clustering illusion, adaptive bias, the gambler's fallacy, the base rate fallacy, the survivorship bias, and Simpson's paradox.
Estimated duration: 2 hours.
This can be extended with the Statistical Odyssey Worksheets and Lesson Plans, which turn this course into a complete 14-class unit with a cumulative assessment.
Topics Covered
- Selection bias
- Regression to the mean
- Correlation and causation
- The clustering illusion
- Adaptive bias
- The gambler's fallacy
- The base rate fallacy
- Survivorship bias
- Simpson's paradox
If you'd like to learn more about these topics, check out Critikid's Data Analysis Handbook.
For Teachers
Critikid offers classroom subscriptions that allow educators to give course access to an unlimited number of students. These subscriptions also include the supplementary teaching materials. To learn more, visit the For Schools page.
If you only need one course pass but are interested in the teaching materials, you can purchase the A Statistical Odyssey Bundle. This includes one pass to this course plus the accompanying worksheets and lesson plans.
Does this course align with Common Core standards?
Yes. A Statistical Odyssey aligns with several Common Core ELA and Math standards.
View the ELA alignments by grade:
View the Math alignments by grade:
This course does not have any strong alignments with Grade 8 math standards.
Does this course align with CASEL competencies?
Yes. A Statistical Odyssey supports CASEL competencies in Self-Awareness, Relationship Skills, and Responsible Decision-Making. Students practice examining bias, communicating clearly, staying open-minded, and making reasoned judgments after analyzing information, data, and facts.
Can I use ESA funds to buy this course?
Critikid is an approved Education Service Provider with the New Hampshire Children’s Scholarship Fund. Learn more.
What are the usage rights for this course? Is it reusable?
When you purchase this course, it’s tied to the email address used at checkout (unless you click "Buy as a Gift"). This means you get access for one person, but they can run through the course as many times as they want. If you’d like a school license with multiple passes for multiple teachers/students, visit the For Schools page.
Buy A Statistical Odyssey in Critical Thinking for the Digital Age
Ages 13–18Includes 5 items: Homeschool Curriculum, Social Media Simulator, A Statistical Odyssey, Logic for Teens, Symbolic Logic Worksheets.
