STA 120: Introductory Statistics
Sections 1 and 2
Fall 2016
Instructor:
Dr. Anna Engelsone
206 Sutton Science Center
Office HoursM 1pm – 3pm, TR 9am – 10amor by appointment
Phone 865-981-8171
Text:
Introduction to Statistical Investigations, Tintle et al
Meeting times:
Section 1: MWRF 8:00 – 8:50
Section 2: MWF 9:00 – 9:50, T 8:00 – 8:50
No class November 14-17 (prepare for oral presentations November 17-18).
Final Exam:
Section 1: December 15, 9:00
Section 2: December 12, 9:00
Dr. Engelsone is teaching two sections of STA 120 this semester. An additional section is taught by Dr. Bay. If you wish to switch to a different section, you may do so before the end of the first week of class (September 7). You must attend class with your own section from that point forward. The same signup sheet for oral presentations (for the class project) is open to students in both sections taught by Dr. Engelsone. If you need to take the final exam with another section, please let the professor know at least two weeks in advance.
Course Description:
We live in an age of Big Data. Scientists, businesses and decision makers in every level of government have an unprecedented amount of information at their fingertips, about the world and about each of us. Every purchase decision you ever made, every website you ever visited, every grade you receive in school and the results of every blood test are all recorded somewhere. But to simply record this data is of no benefit to anyone. The next steps are to visualize the data, interpret the data and, most importantly, draw conclusions from the data.
- Is a new drug sufficiently effective in treating an illness (migraines, depression, heart disease) to outweigh serious side effects?
- What marketing strategy will produce the greatest profit?
- Does living in proximity to power lines increase the likelihood of developing cancer?
- What attributes should a general manager of a baseball team most value in his players?
- What is happening to our climate? And what is expected to happen in the next twenty years?
Goals:
- Use software to visualize data through plots (histograms and other graphics.)
- Understand and interpret information presented in the form of charts and other graphics.
- Summarize and interpret data with the use of descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation, regression coefficients, correlation coefficients)
- Understand and apply the concepts behind hypothesis testing
- Identify common sources of bias in surveys and experiments.
- Use regression to reveal and describe relationships between quantitative variables.
- Work with real data.
- Apply statistical reasoning to research topics of interest and relevance to you and your field of study.
Expectations: I expect you to…
- Attend
- Make-up of in-class work including quizzes and tests is only offered in special circumstances (such as documented illness or athletics-related absence.)
- 8or more absences: automatic loss of a letter grade. 3 tardies = 1 absence
- Engage
- Ask and answer questions, point out connections with material from outside of class, read the book, seek help during office hours.
- This course is about developing skills not memorizing facts; we only develop skills through lots of practice.
- Learning a skill can be frustrating at times—be patient with yourself.
- Respect
- No phone or computer use in class unless being used to complete an assignment.
- Statistical studies show that taking notes on paper increases retention and leads to deeper understanding of the material. (
- For your convenience, lecture notes and exam review guides will be posted on Tartan
- Be on time. Chronic tardiness is disrespectful to me and your classmates.
Grading:
Exams60%
Two exams given in October and November, and the final exam, each worth 20% of your grade.
Project15%
Performed in groups of two or three. Written proposal worth 5% of your grade. Oral presentation worth 5%. Presentations take place outside of normal class hours, sign-up posted on Tartan. Final write-up worth 5%.
Homework and Quizzes25%
Homework assigned every Wednesday and due at the beginning of class the following Wednesday. Quizzes are not announced. Make up in special circumstances only, with documentation.
Important Dates:
9/9Homework 1 Due
9/21Homework 2 Due
9/28 Exam 1
10/5Homework 3 Due
10/12Homework 4 Due
10/19Homework 5 Due
10/26 Exam 2
11/2 Project Proposals Due
11/9Homework 6 Due
11/14 – 11/17No Class
11/17,11/18 Oral Presentations
12/2Homework 7 Due
12/9Final Write-up Due
Students with Disabilities:
Students with a disability requiring accommodations or any student who believes that he or she will require accommodations should contact Kim Ochsenbein in the Academic Support Center located in the lower level of Thaw Hall (863-981-8124) before or during the first week of class.