Enhancing Student Learning in Statistics and Econometrics Through Experiential Teaching Methods

Undergraduate students often struggle with the abstract and technical nature of statistical inference, especially in classrooms where prior mathematical exposure varies widely. This article evaluates the impact of experiential teaching techniques introduced in a second-year econometrics course at a liberal arts university in India. I designed two low-cost, intuitive interventions: (1) a classroom game using chocolates to demonstrate the Central Limit Theorem and (2) a video case study from professional cricket to explain hypothesis testing through the Decision Review System (DRS). These methods aimed to build conceptual clarity and bridge the gap between statistical theory and application. Using quiz performance data from three consecutive cohorts—two taught using traditional lectures and one using experiential methods—I estimate the effect of the intervention on student performance. Students in the experiential cohort scored 1.78 points higher on a 10-point quiz, representing a 35 percent improvement over the traditional cohort and a 0.64 standard deviation increase. The gains were particularly large for students with weaker quantitative backgrounds. Qualitative feedback further highlights strong student engagement and positive perceptions of the activities. Overall, the results suggest that simple, contextually grounded interventions can enhance students’ understanding of statistical inference, especially when tailored to diverse learning needs.