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.
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”.