Instructor: Jacquelin
Dietz
Office: SMB 274
Office hours: 1:30 – 2:30 on
Monday
1:00 – 2:00
on Tuesday and Thursday
9:00 – 10:00
on Wednesday and Friday (Other times by appointment)
Phone & e-mail: 760-8234, dietzjac@meredith.edu
Class time & place: MWF 12:00 - 12:50, SMB 263
Catalog description: A general introduction
to descriptive and inferential statistics.
Topics include elementary probability, distributions,
estimation of population parameters, confidence intervals, hypothesis testing,
correlation, and regression. Students
will use statistical analysis technology.
Prerequisite: MAT 141 or MAT 144 or equivalent level of mathematical
maturity. Credit is not available for
both this course and SOC 375.
Textbook: Introduction to the Practice of Statistics, 5th edition, by David S. Moore and George P. McCabe. This book is very well-written and full of
interesting examples; I think you will enjoy reading it. I plan to cover Chapters 1 through 6, and
perhaps Section 7.1 of Chapter 7, omitting some optional sections.
Course Objectives: My objectives for this course correspond to
the goals stated in the GAISE College Report (http://it.stlawu.edu/~rlock/gaise/)
in the section titled “Goals for Students in an Introductory Course: What it
Means to be Statistically Educated.”
(GAISE stands for “Guidelines for Assessment and Instruction in
Statistics Education.”) These objectives
are included at the end of this syllabus.
Writing Expectations: This
course is a writing intensive course
that will carry a “WI” designation on your transcript. We will use writing in this course in two
different (but intertwined) ways: “writing to learn” and “learning to
write.” First, writing about statistical
ideas on homework assignments and other writing exercises will help you clarify
your thinking about important concepts in statistics and will help both you and
me to diagnose misconceptions or confusion you may have about the
material.
Second, you will learn to
communicate to others in writing the results of statistical explorations and
analyses. The goal of the mini-project
will be to produce a clear and interesting written report that describes
questions of interest, statistical strategies used, and conclusions
reached. To help you accomplish that
goal, I will provide instruction, feedback on early drafts, and opportunities
for revision.
This course will not
include direct instruction in basic writing skills, although I will expect you
to use correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, and sentence structure. Assistance with basic writing skills is
available through the
Fundamental Technology Competencies: This course will address many of the Fundamental Technology
Competencies that are part of the Meredith General Education Program (see http://www.meredith.edu/academics/gened/computercompetency05-06.htm). In particular, the following competencies
will be achieved by successful completion of this course: Familiarity with a new piece of software and
exploring its features (Fathom); familiarity with software and/or technology
tools that facilitate the management, analysis, computation, and/or
interpretation of quantitative information; and mastery of Blackboard features.
Class
Attendance: You are expected to attend class every
day. If you do miss a class, you are
still responsible for any assignments given or announcements made in your
absence. You should arrange to copy
another student's notes for any class missed.
Since work will be returned and announcements made at the beginning of
class, it is important to arrive on time. Make sure that your cell phone does not ring
audibly during class. Please participate
in classroom discussions. Class will be
livelier and more interesting if everyone participates than if you make me do
all the talking!
Blackboard: This syllabus, homework
assignments and solutions, and other helpful information will be available
through Blackboard at http://www.courses.meredith.edu.
The site will be updated regularly so
check it often. You must have a Meredith
e-mail account to use Blackboard. If you
have never used Blackboard, there is login help at the site. Please enroll in Blackboard during the first
week of the semester.
Other Technology: The CD that comes with your textbook contains
practice exercises, interactive multiple-choice quizzes, and data sets. It also contains case studies from the
Electronic Encyclopedia of Statistical Examples and Exercises (EESEE) and
applets that illustrate concepts from the book in a fun, interactive way. We will also use some additional applets that
are available on the web. We will make
heavy use of the software package Fathom.
Make sure that you have the most recent version of Fathom, Fathom 2,
installed on your laptop. Please see
Tech Services during the first week of class if you do not have Fathom or if
you need to upgrade to Fathom 2.
Homework: Homework
will be assigned approximately once a week. The homework assignments will be available through
Blackboard. Don't forget to check that
site regularly for assignments and due dates! Some homework problems will be collected and
graded; others will not. The assignments
will indicate clearly which problems are to be turned in. Graded homework is due at the beginning
of class on the day specified. Late
homework will be accepted only when there is a compelling excuse that has been
discussed with me. The graded homework
will be worth 60 points (15% of your course grade). You are expected to complete all of the
homework problems, including those that will not be collected.
Working lots of
problems is the best way to learn the material in this course. Collaboration on homework is permissible (and,
in fact, desirable), but you will learn more if you try to do the problems
yourself first, before discussing them with others. The paper you turn in should represent a
substantial individual effort; it should not
be identical to someone else’s!
Tests: There will be three
midterm tests, each worth 60 points. The
tests are tentatively scheduled for the following dates:
Wednesday,
September 20
Wednesday,
October 11
Monday,
November 13
The material from
the last three weeks of class will be covered only on the final exam. It is possible to arrange to take a test early if you have a very good reason for doing so.
Tests will rarely be given late and only
in cases where a genuine emergency prevents you from taking the test on the
scheduled date. If such an emergency
arises, contact me as soon as possible, preferably before the time of
the test.
Mini-Project:
There will be one small project due in mid- November. In this mini-project, you will explore and
summarize a dataset with several variables using graphs and numerical
measures. The mini-project will be worth
40 points (10% of your course grade).
Writing Assignments: There will be three small writing assignments
that will involve writing about statistical concepts. The writing assignments will be worth a total
of 40 points (10% of your course grade).
Final Exam: There will be a cumulative final exam worth 80
points (20% of your course grade). The
final exam will take place from 1:00 - 4:00 on Wednesday, December 13.
Grading: Your grade will be based on your total points
out of a maximum of 400 points. 360 or
more points (90%) will guarantee you an A, 320 or more points (80%), at least a
B, 280 or more points (70%), at least a C, and 240 or more points (60%), at
least a D.
Homework
60 points 15%
Tests 180
points 45%
Mini-project
40 points 10%
Writing assignments 40 points 10%
Final exam
80 points 20%
Total 400
points 100%
Honor
Code:
“We, the Meredith community, are
committed to developing and affirming in each student a sense of personal honor
and responsibility. Uncompromising honesty and forthrightness are essential
elements of this commitment. The Honor System is a method by which individual
honors are protected and maintained. Any dishonorable action will be regarded
as a violation of this commitment, and corrective action will be taken.
If I am in violation of the Honor
Code, to prevent jeopardizing the Honor System or weakening our system of
self-government, I have an obligation to report myself to the proper
authorities. If I am aware of a violation of the Honor System by another
student, I shall call this matter to the attention of that student as a
violation of responsibility to the community.
In choosing
You will be expected to
sign your name indicating your adherence to this pledge on every test.
Disability
Services:
Reasonable
accommodations will be made for students with documented disabilities. In
order to receive accommodations, students must go through the Counseling
Center/Disability Services office. Disability Services is located in 106
Carroll Hall and can be reached at 760-8427 or disabilityservices@meredith.edu.
For additional information see the website at http://www.meredith.edu/students/counsel/disability.
Inclement Weather: If classes are cancelled because of inclement
weather, the college will run public announcements on the radio station MIX
101.5 FM and the television station WRAL Channel 5. There is also a Meredith weather number
(919-832-8878) you can call for information.
If the college does not close,
I will probably be able to hold class, and you should attend if you can do so
safely.
Course Objectives (from the GAISE College
Report by Martha Aliaga, George Cobb, Carolyn Cuff, Joan Garfield (Chair), Rob
Gould, Robin Lock, Tom Moore, Allan Rossman, Bob Stephenson, Jessica Utts, Paul
Velleman, and Jeff Witmer; see http://it.stlawu.edu/~rlock/gaise/):
Students should believe
and understand why:
Students should recognize:
Students should understand
the parts of the process through which statistics works to answer questions,
namely:
Students should understand
the basic ideas of statistical inference:
Finally, students should
know: