STAT 190 Syllabus

STAT 190-08/09 : Basic Statistics

Spring 2020
TTh 9:00-10:20 / TTh 10:30-11:50
VH 1236

Office Hours: MWF 9:30-11:20; TTh 1:00-2:50;  or by appointment
VH2236, x7236 (no voice mail), clthatch@truman.edu

  • Course Description: From the 2019-2020 Course Catalog: “An introduction to descriptive and inferential statistics with practical applications.” 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.
  • 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 concepts of events, spaces, and the rules of probability
    • 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 the creation of graphs and descriptive statistics which allow for the meaningful interpretation of data
  • Essential Skills: This course satisfies the Essential Skills: Statistics component of the LSP. Alternatively you may take STAT 290: Statistics. STAT 290 is required of mathematics majors, computer science majors, physics majors (BS only), and statistics majors (theoretical concentration only). It is also recommended for students with strong mathematical backgrounds and is a general honors course.
  • Credit Hour Justification: This is a three-credit hour course that meets for three 50-minute sessions of classroom instruction each week for the full semester. The “average” student should expect to spend at least six hours each week on out of class work (reading the textbook, doing homework problems, and studying). However, this is an average time per week for an average student and may have weekly variations.
  • Required Text: Fundamentals of Statistics, 5th Ed, Michael Sullivan, 2018.
  • 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 division 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 R, Minitab, SPSS, Excel, or Open/LibreOffice (all available on university computers) for any homework assignment; a few assignments may require you to use specifically Minitab, but you may still check your answers using the other software. We will primarily discuss the use of Minitab in class. R may be freely downloaded from www.r-project.org , and R Studio may be freely downloaded from www.rstudio.com for use on a personal computer. 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 a personal 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. That is, I will not penalize your grade simply for missing class, but you should be aware that frequent absences are associated with less understanding of the material and lower grades. I strongly encourage you to come to every class period. Please stay home if you have had a fever, vomiting or diarrhea in the last 24 hours; you do not need to provide me with medical documentation.
    Note: Students are still responsible for completing all assigned work by the given deadlines unless other arrangements have been made with the instructor prior to the absence. If the absence is unexpected, the student should contact (email preferred) the instructor as soon as possible to arrange to make up the missed work.
    The university attendance policy is available in the General Catalog: Attendance Policy
  • 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 text will be useful in class.
  • Academic Integrity: The General Catalog states:
    “Students are expected to do their own academic work. Any student involved in cheating on a paper, an examination or in any other form of academic dishonesty is subject to disciplinary action, including suspension or expulsion from the class, the student’s academic program, or the University.
    “Serious cases of academic dishonesty are reported by the faculty member to his or her Department Chair and to his or her Dean, who may take additional disciplinary action against the dishonest student, including suspension or expulsion from classes in the School. The Dean reports the dishonesty to the Vice President for Academic Affairs, who may also report it to the Vice President for Student Affairs. The Dean may also report the dishonesty to the School in which the dishonest student is enrolled as a major; the Dean of this School may suspend or expel the student from the academic program in the major. The Dean of Students may also suspend or expel the student from the University as outlined in the Student Conduct Code for incidents of academic dishonesty.”2
    More information can be found in the General Catalog ( http://catalog.truman.edu/content.php?catoid=15&navoid=801#Academic_Dishonesty ) and the Student Conduct Code Section 8.050.1 ( https://www.truman.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/CHAPTER-8-REVISED-August-4-2018.pdf ).
    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.
  • Homework: The purpose of homework is to allow you frequent and prompt feedback on your progress. However, I wish to balance that with an opportunity to have some flexibility in self-pacing and an opportunity for feedback before being evaluated for a grade. Thus, we will have both short (mostly) daily practice problems and longer graded assignments.
    • WeBWorK: WeBWorK is a free (and open-source) online homework management system. On most class days, there will be a problem set in WeBWorK over that day’s material to be completed. WeBWorK will immediately inform you if your answers are correct or not, but will not give you the solution until after the due date (typically a week later). You may attempt the problems as many times as you like (except where noted for some multiple choice problems) until the due date.
      You may work on problems in groups; however, each person must login to WeBWorK and complete his/her own problem set (some questions may vary) to be scored. Your (semester) problem sets score will be calculated as the (total points scored)/(total points possible), with the adjustment that any problem set on which you score at least 70% will be recorded as earning full points.
      Your (semester) problem sets score will count for 10% of the course grade.
    • Case Studies: Longer (written) homework will be given roughly each week combining material from multiple days. Most of these assignments will involve reading a brief case study and answering a few questions. You may work in groups (and turn in one assignment per 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. Point values for individual problems will be identified when the assignment is posted.
      A limited time will be allotted in the class period before the due date for discussion of the assignment, and assignments are due in my office or mailbox by 3pm on the due date. You may resubmit up to two (2) homework assignments to replace missing or unsatisfactory scores. Any assignment submitted after the due date will be treated as a resubmitted assignment and will count for 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 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 30% 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: Tuesday, Feb. 11– Data Analysis (Chapter 1, 2, 3.1-3.2, 3.4-3.5, 4)Test 2: Thursday, Mar. 19 – Probability (5, 6, 7.1-7.3)Test 3: Tuesday, Apr. 14 – Random Variables (8, 9, 10)
  • Final Exam: The final exam for section 08 (9:00) will be Thursday, May 87, at 7:30-9:20 am; the final exam for section 09 (10:30) will be Monday, May 4, at 9:30-11:20 am. 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 0.1*(WeBWorK percentage) + 0.3*(case study 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.
  • Disability Services: To obtain disability-related accomodations, students with documented diabilities must contact the course instructor and the Office of Student Access and Disability Services (OSA) as soon as possible. Truman complies with ADA requirements. For additional information, refer to the Office of Student Access and Disability Servies website at http://disabilityservices.truman.edu/ You may also contact OSA by phone at (660) 785-4478 or email studentaccess@truman.edu
  • Emergency Procedures: In each classroom on campus, there is a poster of emergency procedures explaining best practices in the event of an active shooter/hostile intruder, fire, severe weather, bomb threat, power outage, and medical emergency. This poster is also available as a PDF at this link: http://police.truman.edu/files/2015/12/Emergency-Procedures.pdf .
    Students should be aware of the classroom environment and note the exits for the room and building. For more detailed information about emergency procedures, please consult the Emergency Guide for Academic Buildings: http://police.truman.edu/emergency-procedures/academic-buildings/
    This six-minute video provides some basic information on how to react in the event there is an active shooter in your location: http://police.truman.edu/emergency-procedures/active-shooter/active-shooter-preparedness-video/
    Truman students, faculty, and staff can sign up for the TruAlert emergency text messaging service via TruView. TruAlert sends a text message to all enrolled cell phones in the event of an emergency at the University. To register, sign in to TruView and click on the “Truman” tab. Click on the registration link in the lower right of the page under the “Update and View My Personal Information” channel on the “Emergency Text Messaging” or “Update Emergency Text Messaging Information” link. During a campus emergency, information will also be posted on the TruAlert website http://trualert.truman.edu/.
  • Title IX: Truman State University, in compliance with applicable laws and recognizing its deeper commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion which enhances accessibility and promotes excellence in all aspects of the Truman Experience, does not discriminate on the basis of age, color, disability, national origin, race, religion, retaliation, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or protected veteran status in its programs and activities, including employment, admissions, and educational programs and activities. Faculty and staff are considered “mandated reporters” and therefore are required to report potential violations of the University’s Anti-Discrimination Policies to the Institutional Compliance Officer.
    Title IX prohibits sex harassment, sexual assault, intimate partner violence, stalking and retaliation. Truman State University encourages individuals who believe they may have been impacted by sexual or gender-based discrimination to consult with the Title IX Coordinator who is available to speak in depth about resources and options. Faculty and staff are considered “mandated reporters” and therefore are required to report potential incidents of sexual misconduct that they become aware of to the Title IX Coordinator.
    For more information on discrimination or Title IX, or to file a complaint contact:
    Dr. Lauri Millot, Institutional Compliance Officer, Title IX and Section 504 Coordinator
    Office of Institutional Compliance
    Violette Hall, Room 1308
    100 E. Normal Ave
    Kirksville, MO 63501
    Phone: (660) 785-4354
    titleix@truman.edu
    The institution’s complaint procedure can be viewed at http://titleix.truman.edu/files/2015/08/University-Complaint-Reporting-Resolution-Procedure.pdf and the complaint form is accessible at http://titleix.truman.edu/make-a-report/ .
  • FERPA: Education records are protected by the Family Education Right to Privacy Act (FERPA). As a result, course grades, assignments, advising records, etc. cannot be released to third parties without your permission. There are, however, several exceptions about which you should be aware. For example, education records can be disclosed to employees or offices at Truman who have an “educational need to know”. These employees and offices may include your academic advisor, the Institutional Compliance Officer, the Registrar’s Office, or Student Affairs depending on the type of information. For more information about FERPA, see http://www.truman.edu/registrar/ferpa/ .
  • Disruptive Behavior: “Behavior that persistently or flagrantly interferes with classroom activities is considered disruptive behavior and may be subject to disciplinary action. Such behavior inhibits other student’s ability to learn and an instructor’s ability to teach. A student responsible for disruptive behavior may be asked to leave class pending discussion and resolution of the problem” and may be reported to the Office of Citizenship and Community Standards. (Quotation from Washington State University).

1Truman State University General/Graduate Catalog, Liberal Studies Program: Essential Skills. Truman State University: Kirksville, MO, 2019. http://catalog.truman.edu/content.php?catoid=15&navoid=794#Essential_Skills
2See for example: Truman State University General/Graduate Catalog, Truman Policies: Academic Dishonesty. Truman State University: Kirksville, MO, 2019. http://catalog.truman.edu/content.php?catoid=15&navoid=801#Academic_Dishonesty
3Portions adapted from Hutchinson, Paul. 1997. http://www.angelfire.com/biz/rumsby/ASTUDY.html