Teaching statistics with Excel and R

TL;DR

This paper discusses integrating Excel and R in statistics education, highlighting benefits and proposing a safe, simple data transfer protocol suitable for introductory courses.

Contribution

It introduces a novel technique combining spreadsheets and R, along with a protocol for data transfer, enhancing teaching methods in introductory statistics courses.

Findings

Combines spreadsheet and R advantages for teaching

Proposes a safe data transfer protocol

Enhances introductory statistics education

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.