Honors Introduction to Statistics

STA 2023, Spring 2007

Instructor: Dr. Stephanie Fitchett

Office: HC 164 (it is kind of hidden down a hallway near the biology lab)

Phone: 6-8613 or 799-8613 from off campus

Office Hours: MW 1:30-4:30, and by appointment
I’m usually around on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and you are welcome to drop by.

email: sfitchet@fau.edu

Text. The Basic Practice of Statistics, 4th edition, David S. Moore, published by W.H. Freeman and Company, 2003.

Calculators and Software. You must have a calculator that supports two variable (regression) statistical calculations. I strongly recommend the TI-83 Plus. We will also be using Fathom. Fathom is available in both the HC and SR computer labs. Student versions of the software can be purchased for about $40 from Key Curriculum Press if you want to have your own copy.

Overview. This is an introductory course in statistics, which emphasizes working with data and statistical ideas. In one sense, our question will always be, “What do the data say?” In this course, you will develop a working knowledge of the statistical ideas and tools used in nearly all of the sciences. Statistics involves lots of calculating and graphing, and in this course we will be using calculators and computers to assist our analyses.

Goals. This is a first course in statistics, and is concerned with the learning of basic methods of statistical data analysis and the development of other related skills. In the first category, the goals of the course are for you to (by the end of the semester):

· think critically about data

· select and use basic methods of data analysis, including exploration, organization and description of data using graphs and numerical summaries

· understand and use basic methods for producing data which give clear answers to reasonable questions

· understand the importance and significance of randomization and variability

· apply standard statistical inference procedures

· draw conclusions from statistical analyses, and

· be able to make informed decisions about the validity and accuracy of statistical statements encountered in newspapers, magazines and on television.

In addition, you should further developed those skills intrinsic to the study of mathematics and the sciences, including

· improving logical thinking and problem solving skills

· developing skills with statistical tools, and

· developing skills in writing, especially writing precisely about technical things.

Attendance and tardiness. There may be topics covered in class that are not in the text. You are responsible for all material covered. I don't take attendance, but there is a strong correlation between attendance and final grades. Missing class more than once or twice during the semester is likely to affect your grade, either directly or indirectly. Thus, attendance is strongly encouraged. If you do miss class, you should get notes and/or handouts from your classmates and/or see me in office hours. If you miss class for any reason other than a documented emergency, and you do not notify me in advance, you cannot make-up the work missed in that class (no make-up labs, for instance). Coming to class late is disruptive and rude, so please be on time.

Homework and Quizzes. You should read the section to be covered before the lesson and do the homework exercises before the class day following the lesson. Homework assignments should be written on loose-leaf paper, and be kept neatly arranged (ideally in a 3-ring notebook) as they provide excellent study guides for exams. Answers for most odd numbered problems appear in the text. Except during weeks in which a test is scheduled, we will have quizzes each Wednesday to help ensure that you stay on top of the material. Your lowest quiz score will be dropped for the purposes of determining your quiz grade.

The key to success in this course is doing the homework and asking questions when you have them!!! We will discuss homework problems in class, but there will often not be enough time to discuss all of them. Please come to office hours or visit the math tutors if you have additional questions about the homework.

Tests. We will have three in-class exams, and a comprehensive final exam. Make-up exams are rarely given and are always more difficult than the scheduled exams. I will give make-up exams only if you are ill, if there is a documented emergency, or if you make arrangements with me at least one class period before; if you are ill, I expect a letter from a physician verifying this. Otherwise, if you miss am exam you will receive a 0.

Projects and Labs. You will complete two or three written projects over the course of the semester. Project work and the associated reports will generally be done in teams. Reports will be graded not only for correct statistical "answers,'' but also for the clarity of your write-up. Reports should be typed and should follow the Guidelines distributed in class and available from the course website. When a team's work is turned in, all partners who participated must sign the report. Your signature is your pledge that you were a full participant in the work being submitted.

Most Fridays will be spent working in the computer lab with Fathom. There will be lab assignments that can be completed in pairs, and a brief lab report to be completed and turned in individually. Your lowest lab will be dropped for the purposes of determining your lab grade.

Work is due at the beginning of class on the announced due date. I will accept late work, for reduced credit, until I have graded an assignment or project. After I have graded the pile, I will no longer accept late work and you will receive a 0. I generally grade materials within a couple days of collecting them, and sometimes grade them the same day they are collected. Expect to lose approximately 10% for each day an assignment is late.

Collaboration and the Honor Code. I expect you to abide by the Honors College Academic Honor Code. It is available at http://www.fau.edu/divdept/honcol/academics_honor_code.htm. I assume that you're here to learn. If you talk to each other, you will learn from each other, perhaps more than you will learn from me. I encourage you to form study groups. Try the homework yourself, and then get together with a study group to go over questions, and to study for quizzes and tests. You will learn a great deal from articulating your questions and explaining material to your peers. Collaboration on homework and in class worksheets is encouraged, but you must be sure you understand and can complete problems on your own, as collaboration on tests, quizzes and the final exam is forbidden.

Workload and Assistance. You should expect to spend 5 to 8 hours each week, outside of class, on the course material. This includes reading, completing homework assignments and projects, and studying for quizzes and exams. Some weeks (those in which an exam is scheduled, for instance) may require slightly more of your time, other weeks may require slightly less, but on average, budget 5 to 8 hours each week.

Students with Disabilities. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, students who require special accommodations due to a disability to properly execute coursework must register with the Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) and follow all procedures. The OSD is a part of Diversity Student Services on the MacArthur Campus in Jupiter and is located in the Student Resource building in SR 117. The phone number is 799-8585 (TTY 799-8565).

Grading.

	Percentage
Labs (lowest dropped)	10 %
Projects	10 %
Quizzes (lowest dropped)	10 %
Three midterms (lowest replaced by final, if beneficial)	45 %
Final Exam	25 %

Class web page. The class web page will be available at:

http://www.fau.edu/~sfitchet/teaching/sta2023/index.htm