Teaching Statistics Basics to Biology and Health Professionals through Bayesian Ideas

Bayesian statistics is usually viewed as an 'advanced' course; Bayesian methods are either seen as an optional extension or its founding ideas are seen as difficult to grasp. There are, however, two good reasons for changing this. First, the recent strong increase in interest in Bayesian methods, in several areas. Second, the fact that Bayesian methods are particularly relevant for the kinds of decisions health related professionals have to make. Here we will argue that the Bayesian approach makes a quite convenient platform for introducing key ideas of probability and statistics to biology and health professionals; we will also outline how such a course can be organized around everyday, easy to grasp, examples, exploring how those simple situations involve a complexity that requires a deeper discussion of the concepts and ideas underlying the modeling process that can lead to acceptable and adequate answers to them.