STAT 290 Syllabus

STAT 290-01/02 : Statistics

Office Hours: MWF 9:30-10:20, 1:00-2:20; TTh 10:00-11:20 or by appointment
VH2236, x7236 (no voice mail), clthatch@truman.edu

• Course Description: From the 2015-2016 Course Catalog: “An introduction to descriptive and inferential statistics with practical applications and an introduction to probability including both discrete and continuous models.” More specifically, this course will present the fundamental concepts, terminology, and techniques of descriptive statistics, probability, and inferential statistics. Special attention will be given to development of statistical literacy and statistical thinking.
• Pre-requisite: The prerequisite for this course is a grade of C or better in MATH 263 Analytic Geometry and Calculus II. This course differs from STAT 190 in its expanded probability coverage and its coverage of continuous random variables, which will require the use of Calculus.
• Outcome Statements¹
  • Recognize the overall importance and broad application of statistics from its use in research to its use in every day life
  • Understand the techniques of random sampling and the production of “good” data
  • Be able to use basic descriptive statistics and exploratory data analysis (EDA) to select appropriate statistics for both univariate (one variable) and bivariate (two variables) data on qualitative and quantitative scales
  • Understand distributional characteristics of variables measured on quantitative scales including shape, central tendency, variability, and percentiles
  • Understand basic rules of probability and the importance of language in calculations of probabilities (percentages)
  • Understand the basic theory behind the three main areas of inferential statistics: point estimation, confidence intervals, and tests of hypotheses
  • Be able to use inferential statistics on a variable measured on one or two samples, including: selection of procedures, verification of assumptions, application of procedures, and interpretation of results
  • Be able to use a statistical package for computation and meaningfully interpret the results
• Essential Skills: This course satisfies the Essential Skills: Statistics component of the LSP. Alternatively you may take STAT 190: Basic Statistics. STAT 290 is required of mathematics majors, computer science majors, physics majors (BS only), and statistics minors (but not statistical methods minors). It is also recommended for students with strong mathematical backgrounds and is a general honors course.
• Required Text: Probability and Statistics, 9^th Ed (2015), Jay DeVore. Note: the 8^th edition (2011) is also available and mainly differs in the structure of Ch. 8.
• Web Materials: I will post the syllabus, homework assignments, handouts, and other important information on Blackboard. The syllabus is also available on the Web at  https://clthatch.sites.truman.edu/
• Calculators and Software: You will need a calculator capable of square roots and exponents. A “statistical” calculator is not required for this course, but you may find it useful. The mathematics department maintains a collection of graphing calculators that may be checked out for the semester on a first-come, first-served basis. While you may use a calculator application on your phone for classwork, cell phones will not be allowed during exams and you will need an actual calculator for exams.
  You may use MINITAB, Excel, or Open/LibreOffice (all available on university computers) for any homework assignment. A student version of MINITAB can be rented ($30) for the semester for use on a home computer from www.onthehub.com/minitab/. Additionally, Open/LibreOffice can be freely downloaded from www.libreoffice.org for use on any computer. If you wish to use another software package, check with me first.
• Attendance: Regular attendance in this course is expected; however, attendance is not strictly required. While class notes and other materials may be available outside of class (see Web materials above), there will be demonstrations and activities that are only done during class. I strongly encourage you to come to every class period.
• Preparation for Class: Of course, simply attending class is not sufficient to master the material. Completing the reading and problem assignments on time is very crucial. If you do not understand a topic being studied, get help as soon as possible. Before each class you should review the previous class’s material and be prepared with any questions. You should bring a calculator to class for active participation. You do not need to bring your textbook to every class; however, there will be occasions where tables from the textbook will be useful in class.
• Academic Integrity: You will be expected to follow all university policies on academic integrity.² In particular, you should only use authorized (and acknowledged) sources on graded work. Serious violations will be reported to the Chair of the Department of Statistics and the Dean of the School of Science and Mathematics. You will, however, find that my list of authorized sources is fairly generous; refer to the sections on homework and tests below.
• Disability Services: The university is committed to making every possible effort to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). If you have a disability for which you are or may be requesting an accommodation, you are encouraged to contact both me and the Disability Services office (x4478) as soon as possible.
• Title IX: As an instructor, one of my responsibilities is to help create a safe learning environment on our campus. Additionally, faculty members are mandatory reporters; we are required to share information regarding sexual misconduct or information about a crime that may have occurred on Truman’s campus with the University. Students may speak to someone confidentially by contacting University Counseling Services at 660-785-4014 (660-665-5621 for after-hours crisis counseling).
• Homework: The purpose of homework is to allow you frequent and prompt feedback on your progress. Homework assignments will be given approximately once per week. Point values for individual problems will be identified when the assignment is posted. You may work in small groups, say 2 or 3 people, on your homework, and you may turn in one assignment for the whole group; however, all contributors to a homework assignment should be identified. If you contributed to more than one homework paper, you should clearly identify which grade should be counted. You should always show your work on homework problems; failure to do so can result in a loss of half of the points for that problem—even if the answer is correct. Papers that are too messy to read, are not stapled or paperclipped together, or do not have the problems in the right order may lose 10% of the assignment’s possible points.
  A limited time will be allotted in the class period on the due date for discussion of the assignment, and assignments are due in my office or mailbox by 4pm on the due date. You may resubmit up to two (2) homework assignment to replace a missing or unsatisfactory score. Any assignment submitted after the due date will be treated as a resubmitted assignment and will count towards the 2 resubmissions limit; no other late homework will be accepted. You may appeal to me directly if you feel you have extenuating circumstances (death in the family, etc.). Resubmissions (including late homework) have implicitly waived the right to prompt feedback and will have the lowest priority in being graded.

Your homework percentage — (points earned)/(points possible) — will count for 40% of the course grade.
• In-class Tests: There will be three (3) in-class tests. In the nature of mathematics, these tests will be partly comprehensive. These tests are closed-book, closed-notes; however, you may bring in one standard (8.5 x 11) hand-written sheet of formulas, definitions, etc. Make-up tests will be given only with prior notice and only when merited. Your test percentage — (points earned)/(points possible) — will count for 40% of the course grade. The dates and tentative topics for these tests are:
  Test 1: Wednesday, Feb. 15 – Data Analysis (Chapter 1, 2, 3.1-3.3)Test 2: Monday, Mar. 29 – Random Variables and Distributions (3.4-3.6, 4.1-4.4, 5.1-5.2)Test 3: Wednesday, Apr. 26 – Statistical Inference (4.6, 5.3-5.5, 6.1, 7.1-7.3, 8)
• Final Exam: The final exam for Sect 01 will be Friday, May 12, at 7:30-9:20 and the final exam for Sect 02 will be Thursday, May 11 at 9:30-11:20. The final exam will be comprehensive, including material taught after Test #3. Your final exam percentage will count for 20% of the course grade.
  The complete final exam schedule for the university may be found at Final Exam Schedule
• Grading: The final course grade will be calculated as 0.4*(homework percentage) + 0.4*(test percentage) + 0.2*(final exam percentage). Letter grades will be assigned on a standard 10-point scale (e.g. 90% and above is an A).
• How to Learn Statistics ³
  • Make it personal: Learning is easiest when you are interested in the material. You have to connect what you are learning to what is important to you. If you are taking statistics only as a required course, think about why your field would want you to know statistics. Although statistics uses a lot of mathematical notation, as a field it primarily arose from social scientists and natural scientists who needed to use it. If you are in those fields, you’ll probably need to use it too.
  • Learn the language: Statistics may seem like a foreign language with its own terminology and notation. Most of it is pretty logical, however, and you have probably used many of the terms yourself already. This can be a good thing or a bad thing. For example, many lay people use the term correlation and you probably have some notion what it means; however, the statistical definition is rather precise and does not apply to many situations where people use the term. So, make sure that you know the statistical definition of terminology that we use.
  • Practice, practice, practice: To learn statistics (or any other material), you generally need to be exposed to the content three or four times. Hence, just hearing the material once in class may not be sufficient. You should read the book, do the homework, review your class notes between classes, and review your notes and rework problems before an exam. Another thought, although it is often said that “practice makes perfect,” keep in mind that practicing something in the wrong way will only make it worse. Check your answers, and review what you have missed on homeworks or exams.
  • Keep up: Like many subjects, statistics will build on concepts throughout the semesters. If you start to fall behind, get help early. If you really understand why you are doing what you are doing, you will find that most of the material follows logically from a few major concepts and techniques. On the other hand, even if you don’t know why you are doing it, keep doing it; sometimes understanding follows. If you don’t know how to do a problem, think about possible partial answers. For example, if I ask you to perform a two-sample t-test to compare the means of two groups, even if you have no idea what a t-test is, you can probably calculate the means of each group and make a guess of whether they are the same or different.
  • Do well: You will enjoy the subject more if you actually succeed in it. This may mean putting in extra effort (see practice, practice, practice). If you find the material difficult, how much prouder will you be when you have mastered it?
    If you have ever watched a baby learn to walk, you know that (s)he will fall down several times and get up and try again and again and again. If you put that much effort into learning statistics, you will learn it. Remember, we have all learned to walk; so you can learn statistics.
  • Don’t stop now: One semester of statistics does not make you a statistician. There is plenty of material that we do not cover. While I encourage you to take upper-level statistics courses, you don’t have to take a class to learn more about statistics. The library has many texts that you may find interesting; try browsing the QA section of the general collection.
• Additional Sources of Assistance: I encourage you to come to Office Hours if you have any questions. Additionally, the Center for Academic Excellence (112 Kirk Bldg) and MAC (Adair Bldg) offer tutoring, but subject to the availability of tutors with STAT 290 experience. Individual tutoring is also occasionally available at various costs; check with the statistics department office for a list of individual tutors.

¹Truman State University General/Graduate Catalog, p. 51. Truman State University: Kirksville, MO, 2005.
²See for example: Truman State University General/Graduate Catalog, p. 41. Truman State University: Kirksville, MO, 2005.
³Portions adapted from Hutchinson, Paul. 1997. (http://www.angelfire.com/biz/rumsby/ASTUDY.html)