Video: Sampling distribution of the mean

Prerequisite Knowledge

Students using this visualization should

• be able to identify and distinguish between a population and a sample, and between parameters and statistics;
• be familiar with methods of summarizing data sets, such as mean, standard deviation and histograms;
• be able to recognize probability models as distributions with shape, centre, and spread particularly the Normal distribution.

Learning Objectives

• Explain the concepts of sampling variability and sampling distribution.
• Describe properties of the sampling distribution of the sample mean when the sample size is large.
• Calculate the standard error of a sample mean.
• Explain how the sample size influences the sampling distribution of the mean.
• Distinguish between the sampling distribution of the mean and the distribution of a sample of n observations.

Suggested use(s) and tips

• Students can watch the video before class, giving them the flexibility to engage with the video in the way that suits them (pausing, rewinding). Students are primed for class and lecture time can be spent applying that knowledge in engaging and collaborative ways.
• Students can watch the video after they have learned the material in lecture. The video could be used as a refresher of the material before an exam or to review concepts they didn’t understand in class.

About this Resource

Written by: Mike Marin, Zachary Rothman, Stephen Gillis
Performed by: Mike Marin
Puppets Built and Performed: Dusty Hagerud
Production Design: Enigma Arcana
Origami Design and Conceptual Drawings: Jelena Sihvonen
Camera: Paul Milaire, Zachary Rothman & Stephen Gillis
Editing: Stephen Gillis
Visual Effects: Paul Milaire
Audio Edit and Mix: Stephen Gillis & Cornelius Wolinsky
UBC Intro Stats Project Team: Mike Marin, Nancy Heckman, Bruce Dunham, Eugenia Yu, Melissa Lee, Michael Whitlock, Gaitri Yapa, Fred Cutler, Andrew Owen,Diana Whistler, Andy Leung, Gillian Gerhard & Noureddine Elouazizi
Special Thanks: Gary Rosborough, Saeed Dyanatkar, Andrew Wang, David Li, Kian Marin, Ladan Hamadani & UBC Statistics Department
Produced and Directed By: Zachary Rothman
Associate Producer: Stephen Gillis

This video is part of the UBC Intro Stats Project funded by the University of British Columbia’s Teaching and Learning Enhancement Fund, The Faculty of Medicine,The Faculty of Science, and The Faculty of Arts

Copyright UBC 2017
Licensed Creative Commons
Share-alike, Non-Derivs & Non-commercial