Anthony Donoghue

I have taught statistics and statistical computing at Columbia University for almost 14 years. I have also taught at Yale, Berkeley and NYU. I have focused on teaching the foundations of statistical thinking to a broad range of students at Columbia University. I observed early on that most introductory statistics courses were simply teaching students how to make statistical calculations. The focus needs to be on why we make statistical calculations and a proper understanding of methods of statistical inference like confidence intervals and hypothesis testing. For example, most students go out into the working world with the knowledge that if a p-value is less than 0.05, the test is statistically significant, but they could not tell you what that means. They have learned how to think mathematically about statistical calculations. They have not learned how to think statistically.My course titled “Statistical Thinking for Data Analysis” is a clear and concise version of the course I teach at Columbia titled “Statistical Thinking for Data Science”. Both courses are based on the 3rd edition of my book titled “Statistical Thinking through Media Examples”.Statistics, the discipline, is about the pursuit of truth using data and statistics. I am simply a teacher, writer, statistical thinker, fortunate enough to be standing on the shoulders of giants – the great statisticians who developed the reasoning and tools for data analysis. From my point of view, your future is bright if you learn how to think statistically.  You will gain the strength of mind to see through all the noise to get to the truth. You will gain the ability to make decisions using data and statistics with confidence. You will be ahead of the curve, in a position to lead and make a real difference in your chosen field.If you want your understanding of the tools of data analysis to be built on solid foundations, then my course is for you!