INTRODUCTION TO STATISTICS IN CRIMINOLOGY AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE
CCJS 200 - Spring Semester 2012
Tuesdays and Thursdays
12:30 – 1:45 in 1400 Marie Mount Hall
Professor:
Laura Dugan
Office Hours: Tuesdays 2pm-5pm & Thursdays 11am-12pm*
2220G Lefrak Hall Phone: 301-405-4070
Teaching Assistants
Jackie Campbell
Office Hours: Tuesdays 11am-12:30pm* & Fridays 11am-12:30pm
Discussion Sections 0102, 0104, 0106
0101 Taliaferro Hall Phone: 301-405-8043
Zach Rowan
Office Hours: Tuesdays 11am-12:15pm* & Fridays 10am-11am, 1pm - 2pm
Discussion Sections 0101, 0103, 0105
0101 Taliaferro Hall Phone: 301-405-8043
*On exam days, these hours will be canceled see explanation under Policy for Help-Seeking for Examinations.
Course Description
This course is an introduction to descriptive and inferential statistics. As an introductory course the expectation is that we will cover a number of statistical procedures without going into the level of depth needed to conduct serious research, therefore you will need to supplement this class with one or more subsequent statistics courses. Our goal is to provide a basic foundation for descriptive and inferential statistics for you to build upon later. In sum, we want to put some statistical “tools” in your toolbox with the understanding that you will likely need and want more tools later. After this course, however, you will be able to do and read about common statistical procedures as well as create and understand statistical analysis as it applies to problems in the area of criminology and criminal justice. We will use statistical procedures to study problems and answer questions where these problems and questions pertain to crime and the criminal justice system.
Course Prerequisites
It is expected that you have taken and passed MATH 111 or higher or its equivalent (Introduction to Probability) as well as CCJS 100 or CCJS 105 (Introduction to Criminal Justice or Introduction to Criminology). You will also need a calculator and some proficiency in using a calculator (it does not have to be, and probably should not be, a graphing calculator but one with square and square root keys would be very helpful).
Course Textbook
Required Course Text
Ronet Bachman and Ray Paternoster
2008 Statistics for Criminology and Criminal Justice (3nd Edition). McGraw-Hill Publishing.
Course Work
The best way to learn how to do statistical procedures is to practice, practice, and then practice some more. Only for the rare person is statistical analysis something that can be picked-up easily and without effort. I strongly encourage you to read the assigned chapters ahead of class, and you should answer each of the questions at the back of the chapter after you have read it. The answers to the chapter problems are provided for you in your book, but only look at them after you have solved or attempted to solve the problem on your own. In addition, you should attend your assigned discussion group that meets weekly. In this discussion group your TA will be answering questions you may have from the lecture and going over problems and the interpretation of problems that were covered in class during the previous week.
Course Grading
The ultimate goal of this class is for you to do well on the exams. In particular, doing well on the final exam will demonstrate to us that you understand the material in the course. The final is cumulative and is worth 25% of your grade. In order to do well on the exams, it will be extremely important that you keep up with the weekly reading, practices homework, and quiz assignments. In addition to the homework and quizzes, there will be four examinations throughout the semester that will last the length of the class. Each of the exams are problem solving exams where you will have to calculate statistics using formulas and interpret their meaning in order to solve the problem. I will provide you with a formula sheet to refer to for each exam so there is no need to memorize formulas. The final exam is scheduled for Thursday, May 17th from 1:30-3:30pm.
Grading Breakdown:
Quizzes 15%Exam 1 15%
Exam 2 15% / Exam 3 15%
Exam 4 15%
Final Exam 25%
Final course grades will be assigned according to the following scale:
A+ = 96.5% - 100%A = 92.5% - 96.49%
A- = 89.5% - 92.49% / C+ = 76.5% - 79.49%
C = 72.5% - 76.49%
C- = 69.5% - 72.49%
B+ = 86.5% - 89.49%
B = 82.5% - 86.49%
B- = 79.5% - 82.49% / D+ = 66.5% - 69.49%
D = 62.5% - 66.49%
D- = 59.5% - 62.49%
F = Any grade < 59.5%
Students near grade divisions (e.g. 89.4%) may have their grade adjusted upward (but not downward) for effort in the course and participation in the discussion groups.
Policy on Examinations
Exams must be taken on the assigned day that it is scheduled unless you have given me a valid, written doctor’s excuse and you must make arrangements either with me or with your teaching assistant within three days to make up the missed exam. A phone call to me or one of the teaching assistants after the exam saying that you missed it is not a valid excuse. A health center honor statement is not valid either unless the note is from a doctor or is a copy of your medical record that confirms you were or will be physically/mentally unable to take the exam.
Policy on Help-Seeking for Examinations
In order to encourage students to be more active in discussions and to be more prepared for the exams, all questions pertaining to the exam must be asked in-person or via email before 5pm the day before the exam. If we get your question before that time, you will receive an answer from one of us before the exam. This means that if your exam is on a Tuesday, you must have contacted Dr. Dugan, Zach, or Jackie before 5pm on Monday. This also means that Tuesday morning office hours will be canceled on the day of the exam. Similarly, if your exam is on a Thursday, we must receive your question before 5pm on Wednesday; and Thursday morning office hours will be canceled.
Policy on Quizzes
You have a weekly quiz on the readings available through ELMS (Enterprise Learning Management System, described below). The quiz questions are taken verbatim from the text and are designed to encourage you to keep up with the reading. Each chapter has its own quiz. You are allowed 5 minutes to take each quiz, and you can take each quiz twice. The questions are chosen randomly from a question bank, so you will not get the same questions the second time around. Quizzes will be due on Tuesdays, unless otherwise notified on ELMS. Quizzes will be available to take for 48 hours, and will close at 12:30pm on the day they are due. You may use your book for the quizzes but you may not collaborate with anyone else while taking the quiz. Your lowest quiz grade will be dropped when calculating your final grade. Please print a copy of your submitted quiz for your own records, and as proof of completion in the event that an error occurs with the ELMS scoring.
Staying in Touch With the Class With ELMS
The course uses a web-based tool called ELMS to provide you with easy and anytime access to all information and notices about the class. In order to access this class information you must first be registered for the class. Once registered you use your LDAP ID and password to log onto the website. This website will contain a wealth of information about the class such as a copy of this syllabus, practice exams, and extra-problems. This web site also will contain important class announcements. You can also access your grades (but not those of others) through ELMS once they are posted. WE WOULD STRONGLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO ACCESS THE CLASS WEB SITE ON A REGULAR BASIS. The site address is: http://elms.umd.edu.
There is an online tutorial to help you or if you need additional assistance please do not hesitate to ask your discussion group leader for help.
Math Assistance
We expect that many of you might not think you are good at math (though you are very likely “good enough”). If you think you are shaky at math then read and work on the math review in Appendix A of your text book. You can also get help from the university through its “Math Success Program”. Visit the Math Success Center online at:
http://www.resnet.umd.edu/programs/math_success/
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
Academic dishonesty of any form will absolutely NOT be tolerated. The University of Maryland, College Park has a nationally Recognized Code of Academic Integrity, administered by the Student Honor Council. This Code sets standards for academic integrity at Maryland for all undergraduate and graduate students. As a student you are responsible for upholding these standards for this course. The Student Honor Council proposed and the University Senate approved an Honor Pledge. The University Honor Pledge reads:
“I pledge on my honor that I have not given or received any unauthorized assistance on this assignment/examination.”
Students will be asked to write the University approved Honor Pledge on each exam.
DISABILITY SUPPORT
I will make every effort to accommodate students who are registered with the Disability Support Services (DSS) Office and who provide me with a University of Maryland DSS Accommodation form which has been updated for the Spring 2012 semester. This form must be presented to me no later than February 16, 2012. I am unable to accommodate students who are not registered with DSS or who do not provide me with documentation that has not been reviewed by DSS after February 16, 2012. DSS students who are requesting to take their exams at the DSS Center need to provide me with a testing form for each exam that must be turned in to me no later than 1 week prior to each exam. The student is expected to take the exam at the same time as the rest of the class.
RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCES
If you are unable to take the any exams due to a religious observance, you will need to discuss this with me by February 16, 2012.
CLASSROOM CODE OF CONDUCT
The success of this class is dependent not only on my abilities and talents as an instructor to communicate new and complicated ideas, but also on our ability as a class to work together to create an environment conducive to learning. As a Department and University, we expect the faculty and students to be prepared for class and to be actively engaged in the classroom activities. Unfortunately, disruptive behaviors in the classroom cheat other students out of their opportunity to learn. The University of Maryland’s Code of Academic Integrity defines classroom disruption as “behavior a reasonable person would view as substantially or repeatedly interfering with the conduct of a class.” Examples would include coming late to class, repeatedly leaving and entering the classroom without authorization, making loud or distracting noises, and persisting in speaking without being recognized. As the instructor of this class, I also find the following distracting: reading outside material, sleeping, and loud side conversations with your neighbor. Also forbidden are: text messaging and using laptops for non-academic functions (IM, e-mail, Facebook, surfing, etc.). I also request that you turn cell phones/pagers on silent during class.
Students are expected to treat each other with respect. Disruptive behavior of any kind will not be tolerated. Students who are unable to show civility with one another, the teaching assistants, or me will be subject to referral to the Office of Student Conduct or to Campus Police. You are expected to adhere to the Code of Student Conduct.
COURSE EVALUATION
Your feedback about this course and how I have done is very important to me. Completing a course evaluation is also part of what it means to be a member of the UMD academic community. At the end of the semester I very much would like you to fill out the online course evaluation. CourseEvalUM will be open for you to complete your course evaluation. You can go directly to the website (www.courseevalum.umd.edu) to complete your evaluation starting in late April.
WARNING!!!
This will be a very difficult class for many of you. It is particularly important, therefore, that you not wait until the exam to do the readings. It is critical that you keep up with the readings and do the problems at the back of each chapter in addition to your homework. If you find yourself struggling or falling behind, let me or your discussion group leaders know and we will do everything we can to help you. But it is important that you do this early rather than late, it is much, much too difficult to catch up! It is also important that you attend the discussion group meetings because it is here where you will get practice in working the problems covered in class.
COURSE SCHEDULE
DAY / DATE / TOPIC / READINGASSIGNMENT
Thursday / 1/26 / Introduction, Sampling, Key Statistical Terms and Levels of Measurement / Chapter 1
Tuesday / 1/31 / Data Distributions, Simple Descriptions of Data / Chapter 2
Thursday / 2/2 / Graphical Presentations of Data / Chapter 3
Tuesday / 2/7 / Measures of Central Tendency / Chapter 4
Thursday / 2/9 / Measures of Central Tendency / Chapter 4
Tuesday / 2/14 / Measures of Dispersion / Chapter 5
Thursday / 2/16 / Measures of Dispersion / Chapter 5
Tuesday / 2/21 / FIRST EXAMINATION
Thursday / 2/23 / Probability Theory / Chapter 6
Tuesday / 2/28 / Probability Theory & Hypothesis Testing / Chapter 6
Thursday / 3/1 / Point Estimation / Chapter 7
Tuesday / 3/6 / Confidence Intervals / Chapter 7
Thursday / 3/8 / One Population Mean Tests / Chapter 8
Tuesday / 3/13 / One Population Proportion Tests / Chapter 8
Thursday / 3/15 / SECOND EXAMINATION
Tuesday / 3/20 / No Class – Spring Break
Thursday / 3/22 / No Class – Spring Break
Tuesday / 3/27 / Hypothesis Tests with Categorical Data I / Chapter 9
Thursday / 3/29 / Hypothesis Tests with Categorical Data II / Chapter 9
Tuesday / 4/3 / Two Population Hypothesis Tests Part I – Independent Samples / Chapter 10
Thursday / 4/5 / Two Population Hypothesis Tests Part I – Independent Samples / Chapter 10
Tuesday / 4/10 / THIRD EXAMINATION
Thursday / 4/12 / Two Population Hypothesis Tests Part II – Dependent or Matched Samples / Chapter 10
Tuesday / 4/17 / Two Population Hypothesis Tests Part III – Proportions Tests / Chapter 10
Thursday / 4/19 / Three or More Populations Tests: Analysis of Variance / Chapter 11
Tuesday / 4/24 / Three or More Populations Tests: Analysis of Variance / Chapter 11
Thursday / 4/26 / FOURTH EXAMINATION
Tuesday / 5/1 / Correlation, Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) Regression / Chapter 12
Thursday / 5/3 / OLS Regression / Chapter 12
Tuesday / 5/8 / Multivariate Regression / Chapter 13
Thursday / 5/10 / Multivariate Regression Part II
Thursday / 5/17 / FINAL EXAMINATION FROM 1:30-3:30 PM IN THIS ROOM
This is an approximate schedule and will likely change. However, the exams will always be on the date that is marked above, and will cover the new material since the previous exam. The final exam will cover all of the material in the course.