Teaching statistics with Excel and R

Abstract

Despite several deficiencies, the use of spreadsheets in statistics courses is increasingly common. In this paper we discuss many shortcomings resulting from this approach. We suggest a technique integrating a spreadsheet and a dedicated software package (R), that takes advantage of the characteristics of both programs. We also present a simple protocol of transferring data from the spreadsheet to R that can be safely used even in introductory courses.

9 pages