Tutorial Tennis - Distance Learning in Preparation for the Examinations of The Royal Statistical Society

In the early 1980’s a taught course was offered at a local Southampton college with the aim of preparing students for entry to the examinations of the Institute of Statisticians. There was a dearth of students willing to commit themselves to part-time study and so the courses were withdrawn. However, we sensed that there was a demand particularly from mature students to improve their statistical knowledge. So we began to convert the classroom notes into a number of self-contained study guides with exercises based on the learning material. Now that the students could learn “at a distance”, their numbers began to grow locally, nationally and internationally. The then Institute of Statisticians was aware of our courses, and introduced prospective students to us. Marketing was easy! Our venture into distance learning started in the early 1990’s when the courses were transferred to the Department of Social Statistics. So where are we in 2002? What do we do and who are our students? And what’s it got to do with tennis?...Tracking how the classroom version of a course preparing students for Instituate of Statisticians has been converted into a number of self contained study guides. Stages in Student Enrolment include: The Welcome Booklet; Receiving the first Study Guide…