Stat 470W Problem Solving and Communication in Applied Statistics (3)

Stat 470W Problem Solving and Communication in Applied Statistics (3)

Problem Solving and Communication in Applied Statistics

Stat 470 W

InstructorKirsten Eilertson, PhD

323C Thomas Building

(best way to reach me)

Course Objectives

  1. Be able to apply statistical knowledge to real world problems
  2. Be able to recognize experimental design
  3. Be proficient in ANOVA, and GLMs including understanding the modeling assumptions
  4. Be able to identify concerns about the use or interpretation of statistical models in context
  5. Be able to communicate statistical findings through written and verbal communication

Class Meeting Times:MWF 9:05 – 9:55 a.m. 118 Thomas

*Lab Classroom 105 Ferguson (by announcement)

Office Hours: Mondays 10:00 – 11:30am 323C Thomas

By appointment (email me with 3 hours of suggested available times)

Required Materials:

  • Broadening Your Statistical Horizons: Generalized Linear Models and Multilevel Models

Julie Legler and Paul Roback, St. Olaf College

  • iClicker+ (available from the bookstore, see registration instructions on ANGEL)
  • Assigned journal articles and selected chapter (available through ANGEL)

Grading (tentative)

HW25%

Design Project 20%

Consulting Project 15%

Exam15%

Final Report 15%

Professionalism 10%

Homework

There will be 6-9 homework assignments throughout the semester. Some assignments will be on content from BYSH (class text), but other assignments will be based on assigned readings posted on ANGEL. Details and a hw dropbox will be posted on ANGEL for each assignment.

Design Project

Students work in small groups to carry out a designed experiment or observational study from beginning to end. Each group writes a proposal for a project of their own devising; plans and implements the collection of data; analyzes the data in an appropriate manner; and finally writes a formal report of their findings. Groups will have at least 6 weeks to complete the study. The project must require the use of analyses more advanced than those seen in Stat 200.

Consulting Project

Students will work in a small group to address the questions of a “client”. Each group will be responsible for conducting an initial meeting with the client, analyzing the data, writing a report appropriate for a non-statistician, and presenting the results in a final meeting with the client. This project will emphasize explaining methods and results without relying on jargon. These projects are also designed to challenge the students statistically. Professional conduct of each student in the meetings and in the final report will be evaluated and graded.

Exam

The “exam” is an in class exam about half way through the semester. It will be based on BYSH material, and focus on material found in homework assignments and labs.

Final Report

The “Final Report” is your final exam. It is a take home exam, where each student is expected to do 100% of the work by his/herself. Each student will be responsible for analyzing a provided data set to address a specific research question, and summarize the findings in a formal report. All questions should be directed to the teacher.

Professionalism

Professionalism includes attending class; arriving on time to class and meetings; being engaged while in class; and being respectful of the teacher and other students’ questions/comments and time. In presentations and meetings each student is expected to be prepared; to actively participate; and should be able to answer questions about all content presented even if it is not specifically something he/she contributed to the project. Three or more unexcused absences will affect the professionalism grade. Unexcused absences on a the day of a presentation or meeting will also affect the project grade.

Possible Topics Covered

Problem Solving and Communication in Applied Statistics

Stat 470 W

Professional Ethics

Common Statistical Pitfalls

Generalized Linear Models

Multilevel Modeling

Design (CR, LS, RB)

Survey

Consulting Procedures/Strategies

Scientific Writing

Multiple Testing

Equivalence Testing

Power/Sample Size

Bayesian Data Analysis

Principle Component Analysis

Problem Solving and Communication in Applied Statistics

Stat 470 W

This is a writing intensive course so all written work will be graded in terms of grammatical correctness, clarity of writing, organization, and accuracy of content.

Class will occasionally be canceled to allow scheduling of small group meetings with Dr. Eilertson for the consulting projects and design projects. These dates will be announced on ANGEL and in class.

ABSOLUTELY NO LATE WORK WILL BE ACCEPTED! If you have a UNIVERSITY approved excuse and communicate your excuse no later than one week before your absence then, as per Faculty Senate guidelines, I will accommodate the assignment. Please note that any extended travel for personal reasons is NOT an excuse for missing class and any assignments missed will be graded as zeros. THIS POLICY IS STRONGLY ENFORCED. I WILL NOT MAKE EXCEPTIONS!

Problem Solving and Communication in Applied Statistics

Stat 470 W

“Penn State welcomes students with disabilities into the University's educational programs. If you have a disability-related need for reasonable academic adjustments in this course, contact the Office for Disability Services (ODS) at 814-863-1807 (V/TTY). For further information regarding ODS, please visit the Office for Disability Services Web site at . In order to receive consideration for course accommodations, you must contact ODS and provide documentation (see the documentation guidelines at ). If the documentation supports the need for academic adjustments, ODS will provide a letter identifying appropriate academic adjustments. Please share this letter and discuss the adjustments with your instructor as early in the course as possible. You must contact ODS and request academic adjustment letters at the beginning of each semester.”

All PennState policies regarding ethics and honorable behavior apply to this course. Academicintegrity is the pursuit of scholarly activity free from fraud and deception and is an educational objective of this institution. All University policies regarding academicintegrity apply to this course.

Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating, plagiarizing, fabricating of information or citations, facilitating acts ofacademic dishonesty by others, having unauthorized possession of examinations, submitting work of another person or work previously used without informing the instructor, or tampering with the academic work of other students. For any material or ideas obtained from other sources, such as the text or things you see on the web, in the library, etc., a source reference must be given. Direct quotes from any source must be identified as such. All exam answers must be your own, and you must not provide any assistance to other students during exams. Any instances ofacademic dishonesty WILL be pursued under the University and Eberly College of Science regulations concerning academicintegrity.