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About This Course

Sylvia the Statistical Squirrel

Why Statistics Matters Now More Than Ever

Statistics is one of the fastest-growing subjects in mathematics education worldwide. In our data-driven world, understanding how to collect, analyze, and interpret information has never been more valuable. Here are some numbers that demonstrate its reach:

In the United States (2026 projections):

  • Over 250,000 students take the AP Statistics exam each year1
  • AP Statistics has grown faster than almost any other AP subject over the past decade
  • Approximately 1.5 million college students enroll in introductory statistics courses annually2
  • Statistics is now required for majors ranging from biology to business to psychology

Worldwide:

  • An estimated 10 million students study introductory statistics globally each year
  • Data literacy is increasingly recognized as essential for citizenship in the 21st century
  • Statistics serves as a gateway to careers in data science, healthcare, social science, business analytics, and research

These numbers represent millions of students working to master the same concepts you'll learn in this course. You're joining a global community of learners building the foundation for making sense of an increasingly data-rich world.

Sylvia Says

Did you know that traditional statistics textbooks at many US colleges and universities cost between $150 and $250?3 That's a lot of acorns! And here's the real kicker—those expensive books don't even have interactive MicroSims to help you see what's happening with your data.

I believe every student deserves access to high-quality statistics education, regardless of their budget. That's why this entire textbook is free and open source, with over 20 interactive simulations that let you explore statistics concepts hands-on. No paywalls, no access codes, no "edition 12 with slightly rearranged homework problems."

Let me help you master statistics without breaking the bank. Together, we've got this!

Learning Through Interactive Visualization

This course takes a fundamentally different approach to teaching statistics. Instead of drowning in formulas and abstract notation, you will build deep intuition through interactive MicroSimulations. These browser-based visualizations let you experiment with data, distributions, sampling, and inference in real-time.

Watch how changing sample size affects the variability of your statistics. See the Central Limit Theorem come to life before your eyes. Explore how different bin widths reveal different stories in your histograms. Manipulate two-way tables and watch conditional distributions update instantly. These are not passive animations—they are hands-on laboratories where you control the parameters and discover the concepts yourself.

You Will Have Fun

Yes, you read that right. This course is designed to be genuinely enjoyable. The MicroSims turn abstract concepts into interactive playgrounds. The connections to real-world applications give every topic immediate relevance. And the satisfaction of truly understanding how to think critically about data is deeply rewarding.

Whether you aspire to conduct medical research, analyze business trends, understand political polling, evaluate scientific claims, or simply want to be a more informed citizen in our data-saturated world—this course will give you the tools, the intuition, and the confidence to succeed.

Statistics isn't just about numbers. It's about telling stories with data, making decisions under uncertainty, and understanding the world around us. That's what makes it so powerful—and so much fun.

Let's explore the beauty of statistics together!

Background

The concepts covered by this book align with the College Board's AP Statistics Course and Exam Description. Our goal is to maximize the probability that you will earn college credit for your hard work.

This intelligent textbook was generated using Claude Code Skills in February 2026. We put a strong focus on creating high-quality MicroSims that bring abstract concepts to life and on developing Sylvia the Statistical Squirrel as a friendly guide who makes statistics approachable and fun.

— Dan McCreary, February 6th, 2026

References

  1. College Board. AP Statistics Exam Data. AP Students. ↩

  2. American Statistical Association. Statistics Education Research. GAISE Reports. ↩

  3. OpenStax. The cost of traditional textbooks. Note that introductory statistics texts from major publishers typically range from \(150-\)250. ↩