Recently, I attended a talk where the circle graph below was used to help emphasize the many online tools our students utilize. To be fair, the presentation was otherwise fantastic, but sometimes my stats-abuse-radar is on full alert. Use it as an opener for class discussion, and see if your students notice the inherent problem with this graph:
Some questions for a class discussion:
- Does this graph portray the data accurately?
- Is a circle graph appropriate here? Why or why not?
- How can we re-display the same information effectively using a new circle grpah, or a different type of graph?
In moments like this, sometimes it is best to draw energy from inspirational quotes. I leave you with this, from the Simpsons:
Hypnotist: You are all very good players
Team: We are all very good players.
Hypnotist: You will beat Shelbyville.
Team: We will beat Shelbyville.
Hypnotist: You will give 110 percent.
Team: That’s impossible no one can give more than 100 percent. By definition that’s the most any one can give.
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I’m cringing slightly looking at this graph. I’d like to know what OTHER is! I was watching American Idol a couple months ago and all three judges, one after another, kept saying this line to cast their votes for the contestant, “I say a thousand percent YES!” “I say a million percent YES!”
I a gillion-percent agree that 72% seemed a bit high for “other”, but I think there could be confusion over what is considered a “social media application”.