Mathematics 5, Introduction to Statistics Spring 2005
Dr. Patti Hunter Office hours: T, TH 3-5:00 p.m., or by appointment
Office: Mathematics Building Phone: 6076
Email: phunter at westmont.edu URL: http://www.westmont.edu/~phunter/ma5/index.html
Text: The Basic Practice of Statistics, 3d ed., by David S. Moore.
Materials and Tools:
· Microsoft Excel (with Analysis ToolPak installed)
· Data Sets for The Basic Practice of Statistics
· Word processing software
All software and data are available on the PCs in the computer lab. The data files are on the publicdocs drive in a folder called “Excel.” The files can also be downloaded by following the appropriate links from the textbook web site: http://bcs.whfreeman.com/bps3e/default.asp
Course Objectives:
Many people think of statistics as lists of numbers, collections of facts, and recipes. As a result of taking this course, I hope you will learn to see it as a powerful way of thinking and persuading, a way of gaining knowledge in the face of uncertainty, and a tool for communicating that knowledge to others.
This course will give you an opportunity to gain a working knowledge of some important principles of statistical thinking and of some tools of practical statistics.
Principles of Statistical Thinking
· Data beat anecdotes; / · Association is not causation; / · The source of the data is important.Tools of Statistics
§ Describing data with graphs and numbers;
§ Producing data with randomization;
§ Estimating parameters with confidence intervals (means, proportions, regression);
§ Assessing evidence for a claim with significance tests (means, proportions, regression).
These quantitative methods are tools for understanding the world. As you study these methods, learn to use them, and reflect on when their use is appropriate, you will “develop the ability to interpret, evaluate, and communicate quantitative ideas.” And you will be fulfilling the “Quantitative and Analytical Reasoning” component of Westmont’s General Education requirements.
Statistics is a mathematical science that combines the examination of facts about the world (how many people are unemployed? what effect does this drug have on cholesterol levels?) with reasoning about “abstract concepts,… theories, objects, and structures” such as probability distributions and confidence intervals. While statistical arguments are often about empirical information, making and understanding those arguments (which are themselves abstract) often require you to “analyze abstract concepts and solve abstract problems.” Consequently, this course fulfills the “Reasoning Abstractly” component of Westmont’s General Education requirements.
You may go on from this course to become a healthcare provider, psychologist, sociologist, or economist—someone who uses statistical methods in your work. This course will prepare you for further study in the discipline of statistics. You may go on instead (or in addition) to become a CEO, a senator, a news correspondent, or simply a consumer of the mass of information bombarding us in the 21st century. This course will help prepare you to consume that information intelligently.
The course will also familiarize you with the statistical tools of Excel and will give you opportunities to improve your ability to learn to use software. Employers value these skills.
Evaluation: Your grade will be based on the following categories:
Homework 25%
Statistics in Context 10%
Regular Exams (3) 45% (15% each)
Cumulative Final 20%
I grade on the standard 90/80/70/60 scale.
Homework Philosophy
Homework assignments will be posted on the course web page almost daily. These assignments will contain 2 types of exercises:
(1) Exercises for practice. (2) Exercises to turn in.
Homework assignments serve two purposes: (1) they give you opportunities to learn and (2)they enable me to measure how much you’ve learned.
In order to learn the material well, you should do all assigned problems. Most exercises to be turned in will be similar to at least one practice exercise. The answers to most practice exercises (odd-numbered problems) can be found in the back of your book. Use these exercises and their answers to help you understand how to do the other exercises.
Homework Style
Homework you turn in must be
· typed (exclusive of any calculations shown, which may be written neatly, within the text of your answer)
· on one side of the page,
· single-spaced, in 12-point font with 1.5 inch margins on all sides and a blank line between problems.
· Any relevant graphs or figures should be included with the particular solution they accompany.
Homework Content
Your answers will almost always need to include prose explanations along with relevant calculations. Rarely will just a series of numbers be satisfactory as an answer. Your explanations and descriptions must be in the form of complete, grammatically correct sentences, using appropriate notation (including symbolic and numerical notation).
Your grade will be based on both content (right answers) and style (presentation).
I encourage you to work together on homework assignments, but you must be sure that you understand the ideas in the homework, and you must submit papers written in your own words. Any answers that appear to be substantially the same as another student’s will receive no credit.
Late homework may be penalized 10% per calendar day.
Your grade in the homework category will be based on a cumulative total.
Reading Assignments
Your textbook provides a clear, thorough, and engaging explanation of the material we will be studying. In short, it’s a good book. Read it.
An important part of your preparation for class will involve reading in advance the section of the textbook we will be discussing. Reading assignments along with several short questions about the reading will be posted on the course web page.
We will address these questions during class discussion and lecture. You will be expected to have thoughtful (though not completely correct) answers to them during that discussion. Some of the questions will appear on exams (where your answers will need to be correct).
Statistics in Context
Several times during the semester you will write about articles from scholarly journals and the popular press that use the statistical concepts we will discuss in class. More about this later.
Regular Exams
You will take exams on the following dates:
Exam I Thursday, February 3
Exam II Thursday, March 10
Exam III Thursday, April 7
If you cannot take an exam on the day scheduled, you may take it early at a time I will determine. See me at least one week in advance to sign up for the alternate time.
Final Exam
Section A (8:00): Thursday, May 5, 8-10 a.m.
Section B (10:00): Thursday, May 5, 12-2 p.m.
The college requires that students take the final exam at the time designated for their section in the final exam schedule. To reschedule a final exam because you have three scheduled in one day or because of a special situation, you must submit a petition to the registrar by April 21.
Participation and Attendance
Good participation and consistent attendance may result in a bonus of up to 5% in your final homework grade. Frequent absence and unimpressive participation may reduce your final homework grade by up to 5%.
Signs of good participation include the following: asking questions in class when confused, contributing appropriately to class discussions, and being a good sport about group and individual exercises. More than 3 unexcused absences will be considered excessive.
Honesty
Dishonesty of any kind may result in loss of credit for the work involved. Major or repeated infractions may result in dismissal from the course with a grade of F.
Fine print: Syllabus is subject to change at the instructor’s discretion.
So that, taking the bad with the good, the pattern composed
By the ten thousand odd things that can possibly happen
Is permanent in a general average way.
W. H. Auden, For the Time Being