Measures of Central Tendency: Understanding Mean, Median, and Mode

Measures of Central Tendency: Understanding Mean, Median, and Mode

Learning Objective

At the end of the lesson, you will be able to illustrate the measures of central tendency (mean, median, and mode) of statistical data.

Introduce the learning objective and explain its importance.

What do you already know about the measures of central tendency?

Definition

Measures of central tendency are statistical values used to summarize or describe a dataset. They represent the central or typical value of a dataset.

Define measures of central tendency and provide examples of datasets.

Mean

The mean is the sum of all values in a dataset divided by the number of values. It is also known as the average.

Explain how to calculate the mean and provide an example.

Median

The median is the middle value in a dataset when it is arranged in order. If there is an even number of values, the median is the average of the two middle values.

Explain how to calculate the median and provide an example.

Mode

The mode is the value that appears most frequently in a dataset. A dataset can have one or multiple modes.

Explain how to calculate the mode and provide an example.

When to Use Each Measure

The mean is generally used for datasets with a normal distribution. The median is used for datasets with outliers or extreme values. The mode is used for datasets with categorical or discrete variables.

Explain when each measure is most appropriate to use and provide examples.

Advantages and Disadvantages

The mean is sensitive to extreme values, while the median and mode are not. The mode may not exist or may not be unique. The median can be difficult to calculate for large datasets.

Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each measure.

Interactive Element: Mean, Median, and Mode

Use an interactive tool to calculate the mean, median, and mode of a dataset.

Provide instructions for the interactive element.

Real-World Applications

Measures of central tendency are used in many fields, including finance, medicine, and education. For example, the mean is used to calculate average salaries, the median is used to determine the middle value of test scores, and the mode is used to identify the most common diagnosis in a medical study.

Provide examples of real-world applications of measures of central tendency.

Summary

Measures of central tendency (mean, median, and mode) are statistical values used to summarize or describe a dataset. Each measure has its own advantages and disadvantages, and is used in different situations. They are used in many fields and have many real-world applications.

Summarize the key points of the lesson and review the learning objective.

Write down 3 things you learned in this lesson.

Have students enter three things they learned in this lesson. With this they can indicate their own learning efficiency of this lesson.

Write down 2 things you want to know more about.

Here, students enter two things they would like to know more about. This not only increases involvement, but also gives them more ownership.

Ask 1 question about something you haven't quite understood yet.

The students indicate here (in question form) with which part of the material they still have difficulty. For the teacher, this not only provides insight into the extent to which the students understand/master the material, but also a good starting point for the next lesson.