We outline the role of the open-source statistical programming environment R (R Development Core Team, 2005) in teaching a first course in probability. We show how R, which is freely available and downloadable from the web, may be used not only as a tool for calculation and data analysis, but also to illustrate probability concepts, to simulate distributions, and to explore by experimentation different scenarios in decision making. Recognising that the student best understands definitions, generalisations, and abstractions after seeing their applications, almost all new ideas are introduced and illustrated with real examples, covering a wide range of applications in computer science. While we have addressed in the first instance undergraduate students of computing, the approach outlined could also be adapted for students from other disciplines.
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