Product Review

By Kenneth M. Rosenberg, State University of New York, Oswego. The EXCEL STATISTICS COMPANION CD-ROM AND MANUAL, VERSION 2.0 is a collection of demonstrations, sampling experiments, and interactive exercises that dovetails with traditional textbook coverage of descriptive and inferential statistics. The materials give students the hands-on experience they need to master abstract statistical concepts and computational procedures. Microsoft Excel's spreadsheet capabilities for data generation and instant dynamic response to user input provide a platform for teaching statistics that goes beyond the usual verbal and visual textbook explanations. All the workbooks on this CD-ROM contain detailed on-screen instructions. For Microsoft Windows and Excel novices, additional documentation (with extensive use of screen captures) appears in the companion ESC USER'S MANUAL. Carefully coordinated with the workbooks, the USER'S MANUAL begins with a basic skills workbook that reviews the limited subset of Excel and Windows skills needed to navigate and run the main body of programs. VERSION 2.0 includes four new workbooks and several new worksheets within existing workbooks, as well as a line-by-line edit to increase clarity and streamline pedagogy.