Bridging Statistical Explanation and Computing in Online Statistics Education with SMART Podium

ABSTRACT

The rapid expansion of online education has increased flexibility and access while also creating instructional challenges for statistics courses that require students to engage with formulas, software output, graphical representations, and applied data analysis simultaneously. This paper examines an instructional approach for teaching introductory statistics online through the integration of real‐time annotation, statistical software demonstrations, simulations, recorded lectures, and multimedia feedback using SMART Podium technology. The approach was designed to reduce fragmentation between explanation, computation, visualization, and interpretation during online instruction. Examples involving regression, sampling distributions, and confidence intervals illustrate how annotation and integrated software demonstrations were incorporated into instruction. A mixed‐methods course‐based evaluation combining student survey responses and course‐level performance indicators suggested generally positive student perceptions of instructor annotations, recorded instructional materials, software‐based demonstrations, and personalized feedback within the online course context.