1 State University of New York at Buffalo INTRODUCTION TO STATISTICS PSC 408 Fall 2015 M,W,F 1-1:50 NSC 210 Dr. Michelle Benson mbenson2@buffalo.edu Office: 513 Park Hall Office Hours: Mon & Fri 10:30-12:30 TA: Colin Tucker Office : 415 Park Hall ColinTuc@buffalo.edu Course Description The goal of this class is to introduce you to basic statistics for social sciences. Upon the conclusion of this class, you should have an understanding of how different types of statistics can or cannot be used and a mathematical understanding of the statistics used in the real world. To appropriately use statistics, you must have a clear idea of the question you are asking, of the type of data you have available to test your question, and the different possible ways of testing your question. By the end of the class, you will be able to pose fairly complicated questions and provide a statistical answer to those questions. Much of the class will deal with math as well as with the statistical concepts themselves and how to best employ these concepts. Because of the cumulative nature of the course, it is essential that student s keep up with the readings and work. If you fall behind it will be very difficult to catch up. For this reason, the deadlines for work are strict and there will be no make-ups for exams. The only extra credit in this class is for correctly answering in-class questions with the clicker and a presentation of the data analysis project. Course Prerequisites This is an upper division class so I expect you all to have had a few substantive courses in the social sciences. However, there are no official prerequisites for this course. I do assume that you all have a working knowledge of basic arithmetic. You should also be comfortable with fractions and decimals, squares and square roots, and basic algebra. Anything else you need to know will be taught along the way. It will also be helpful if you have had a course in research methods but it is not necessary. If you have a math phobia then this might not be the class for you. However, those with a basic knowledge of algebra (which you should have learned in high school) should do fine.
2 Required Class Materials 1) Fox, William. Social Statistics, (Any recent edition). Washington: Micro Case. This book can often be purchased online for much less than at the bookstore often for less than $30. The workbook and disk are not necessary. 2) A Turning Point Turning Technologies Clicker (available at the bookstore). Don t forget to register your product on UB Learns (under Tools ). 3) Spare batteries + small screwdriver for the clicker 4) A non-programmable calculator able to do square roots. 5) A number 2 pencil for exams. You are required to bring your Clicker and Calculator to class every day. For help with clickers go to: https://www.buffalo.edu/ubcei/resources/clickers.html Computer Policy NOTE: Any student caught by myself or another student using their computer or electronic device for ANYTHING other than taking notes will forfeit ALL of their extra credit points for the semester. That means that students should not: check e-mail, check their facebook page, surf the web, text message, use twitter, look at information for other courses, etc. during class time. If you notice a student doing any of these things please come tell me before or after class or send me an e-mail to notify me of the situation. Course Requirements (Student s final grades will be based on the following): 1) Math Quiz 5% 2) Homework assignment 5% (Due Wednesday 12/9 at the beginning of class noemailed assignments accepted) 3) Three Exams 55% (15%, 20%, 20%) 4) Attendance and Class Participation (graded with the clicker) 10% Note: You are responsible for having a working clicker or a charged internet capable devise that can reliably connect to the internet. 5) Final Exam 25% (Scheduled during exam week). 6) Extra Credit (graded with the clicker) 5% -Your clicker scores are available on UBlearns. 7) Extra Credit (1%) for 2-4 minute homework data analysis presentation in front of the class. Presentation slots are assigned on a first come, first served basis. and must be scheduled no later than Wednesday, 12/9. All presentations must be given by Wednesday, 12/9. To obtain the following grades you must obtain the following percentage points in the course: A=93% to100%, A- = 90% to <93%, B+=87 to<90%, B=83% to <87%, B-=80% to <83%, C+=77% to <80%, C=73% to <77%, C-=65% to <73%, D=55% to <65%, F=<55%.
3 Exams You are required to bring a calculator and a #2 lead pencil to exams. The calculator should be able to do square roots. However, the calculator should not be programmable with statistical formulas. To prepare for the exams you are strongly encouraged to attend class and do all of the readings. Exam questions will be based on class material and readings, even if material in the readings was not covered in class. Cell phones and the like may not be used or turned on during exams. I understand that sometimes, because of special circumstances, you do not perform as well on an exam as you normally do. If this happens, come talk with me immediately to discuss the situation do not wait until the semester has almost ended. If, for any reason (e.g., illness), you expect that you might not be able to make it to an exam, you must contact me before the exam. Failure to do so will result in a zero grade for that exam. Medical absences for an exam will require an independent doctor s note (not a family member) explaining that you were too ill to attend the exam. Students may take the exam early if prior arrangements have been made. Students may not take the exam after the exam date. Students caught cheating on an exam will be dealt with following UB s policy on academic integrity (available at: http://academicintegrity.buffalo.edu/). The Final Exam will be scheduled during Final Exam week. Data analysis homework assignment All students must obtain data to test the relationship between two variables. This data may be collected by students themselves or obtained through a reputable data source. Students must develop a hypothesis pertaining to the relationship between the two variables and then test whether this hypothesis should be rejected based upon statistical testing. Students may use ANY bivariate or multivariate statistical procedure employed in this class to test their hypothesis. A detailed description of the homework assignment will be provided to students upon the during the bivariate data section of the course. Homework assignments are due no later than Wednesday 12/9. All homework assignments must be either turned in to me immediately before class by 12/9 or turned in to Mr. Tucker at his office at Park Hall before class on 12/9. You must turn in a hard copy of your assignment. E-mailed assignments will not be accepted. Optional Homework assignments from the book. There are three optional homework assignments taken from your workbook that is with your textbook. Completing the homework assignments will serve as an important aid in studying for the exams. Answers to the homework assignments will be posted on UB learns before the exams. Students are encouraged to discuss the homework assignment questions with myself or the course teaching assistant.
4 Attendance, Quizzes, and Class Participation The study of statistics requires diligent work. To facilitate class attendance and participation, I will be using the standard University at Buffalo clicker (or responseware) during lectures. Students are required to bring their functioning device (please check batteries before coming to class) to each class session (including exams). You are responsible for having a working clicker or internet capable device that can reliably connect to the internet in the classroom each day of class. Attendance and Class Participation will be graded using these clickers. Your clicker will be registered in your name (please do so on UB learns) so they cannot be shared or exchanged. Every week, there will be at least one clicker session. Students who attend and use their clickers to answer the questions posed in class will receive full credit for attendance and participation. Students who do not employ their clickers on questions (by venue of absence, lost clicker, malfunctioning clicker, etc.) will receive a zero on that session. However, two of your clicker sessions will be dropped from this portion of your grade. These two dropped sessions may be used to cover absences, clicker problems, or poor-performance. Employing another student s clicker (or having someone else use your clicker) will be considered to be cheating and will be addressed following the University at Buffalo guidelines. Your clicker session scores can be viewed on UB learns. Please check your UB learns account periodically to make sure your clicker is properly functioning. I will not refund missed points due to forgotten clickers, unregistered clickers, or malfunctioning devices. Many clicker sessions will also include graded exercises based on the class readings for that week. Students who correctly answer questions will be given extra credit. The total amount of clicker extra credit will add up to 5% of the total class grade. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY Course materials that I (Michelle Benson) have prepared, together with the content of all lectures and materials presented and prepared by me in this course are my intellectual property. Video, audio, and photographic recording of lectures is prohibited without my explicit permission. The selling or dissemination of exams, study guides, homework assignments and handouts is prohibited without my explicit permission. The selling or dissemination for commercial purposes of notes derived from my lectures is also prohibited without my explicit permission.
5 Learning Outcomes and Assessments This course provides students with a variety of tools for both feedback and evaluation. The table below presents the learning outcomes of the course as well as the coursework that assesses these outcomes. Course Learning Outcome Analyze data and apply empirical or theoretical methods to guide decisionmaking. Interpret mathematical models, formulas, graphs, and tables, and draw inferences from them. Choose appropriate models for a given problem, using information from observed or deduced data and knowledge of the system being studied. Employ quantitative methods, mathematical models and/or statistics to develop well-reasoned arguments to identify and solve real world problems beyond the level of basic algebra, while also being able to recognize the limitations of mathematics and statistics. Program Outcomes & Competencies UBGE, SUNY Mathematics, MSCHE Quantitative Reasoning, MSCHE Critical Analysis & Reasoning UBGE, SUNY Mathematics, MSCHE Quantitative Reasoning, MSCHE Critical Analysis & Reasoning UBGE, SUNY Mathematics, MSCHE Quantitative Reasoning, MSCHE Critical Analysis & Reasoning UBGE, SUNY Mathematics, MSCHE Quantitative Reasoning, MSCHE Critical Analysis & Reasoning Delivery Lecture Clicker questions Course Lecture Clicker Questions Readings Short films Class discussion Preparation for Mini Research paper Lecture Readings Short Films Class discussion Assessment Mini Research Paper Computation HW assignments Exams Algebra Review & Summation Notation Math Quiz Mini Research Paper Exams Mini Research paper Data Homework Assignments Mini Research Paper Computational clicker questions Exams
6 Course Learning Outcome Recognize common mistakes in empirical and deductive reasoning, and mathematical and quantitative problem solving. Express inferences and conclusions in writing. Program Outcomes & Competencies UBGE, SUNY Mathematics, MSCHE Quantitative Reasoning, MSCHE Critical Analysis & Reasoning UBGE, SUNY Basic Communication, MSCHE Written Communication Delivery Lecture Readings Lab discussion Clicker Questions Short films Readings Lecture Extra Credit Presentation Preparation for mini Research Paper Assessment Analytical Clicker Questions Exams Mini Research Paper Note: UBGE = UB General Education; SUNY categories in the above table are those required by the SUNY General Education Program (http://system.suny.edu/media/suny/content-assets/documents/academic-affairs/generaleducation/genedcourseguidelines_20120530.pdf), and MSCHE categories represent the areas of general education required by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
7 Make-up Policy There are no make-up exams in this class. In a situation of medical emergency, either you or someone on your behalf must inform me of the situation before the exam. Your return to class must be accompanied by a letter from the doctor or nurse who provided treatment. If you are one of those students to whom unfortunate events always seem to occur and have difficulty with deadlines or showing up for examinations, you are strongly encouraged to select another class. Classroom Etiquette and Attendance Please be on time to class, you are free to bring coffee, sodas, etc. but please limit food. The classroom policy is to respect and be considerate to all members of the class. You are expected to attend class regularly and take notes. A large segment of the exams is taken from lecture. I will use material for lecture that is not covered in the readings. If you miss class, it is your responsibility to get the lecture notes from a classmate. I will not, under any circumstances, give my lecture notes to students. Other Issues If you have any disabilities or language difficulties that might affect your participation in the class, please let me know during the first two weeks of the course. Anyone having difficulties in the course should see me during office hours or after class. The earlier we talk about potential problems, the better we can handle them. I follow UB s policy on incomplete grades: http://undergradcatalog.buffalo.edu/policies/grading/explanation.shtml
8 COURSE SCHEDULE Section I: Univariate Analyses Week 1 (8/31-9/4) Introduction, Math Review, and Chapter 1 During this week please read the math review available on UB learns in Course Documents. This course uses a lot of math if you are certain that you will not be able to master the concepts in this document even after my in-class review, then PSC 408 might not be a good class for you. During this week, please sign up for the course on UB learns, purchase your clicker and register your clicker on UB learns (Click on the Tools link from the menu on the left for the Turning Point Registration tool) I have made some supplemental YouTube Videos on how to study statistics and summation notation. The videos may be found at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/ucx1blb0ns9ilsgz7t6fuk_q Week 2 (9/9-9/11): Chapter 2 Frequency & Percentage Distributions, Math Quiz Monday 9/7: No Class for Labor Day Wednesday 9/9: Math Quiz Clicker Questions begin today (you must have purchased and registered your clickers by this date). Be sure to check your clicker responses in UBlearns to be sure your answers are being recorded appropriately. Week 3 (9/14-9/18: ) Chapter2, continued., Chapter 3 Averages Week 4 (9/21-9/25): Chapter 4 Measures of Variation and Confidence Intervals There is a supplementary video on Variance and Standard Deviation available at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/ucx1blb0ns9ilsgz7t6fuk_q Week 5 (9/28-10/2): Review and EXAM Monday 9/28: No Class (Professor Benson will be at a conference at SUNY Binghamton Wednesday 9/30: Review Friday 10/2: FIRST EXAM
9 Section II: Bivariate Analyses Week 6 (10/5-10/9): Chapter 5 Cross Tabulation Week 7 (10/12-10/16): Chapter 6 The Chi-Square Test of Statistical Significance Data Analysis Homework Assignment Distributed The homework is due by the beginning of class on Tuesday 5/5. All extra-credit homework presentations must be completed by 12/9. Extra credit slots are assigned on a first-come first served basis. Students must place their name on the extra credit sign up sheet by 12/2. Week 8 (10/19-10/23): Chapter 7 Measures of Association for Cross-Tabulations Week 9 (10/26-10/30): Chapter 8 Comparison of Means and T Tests Week 10 (11/2-11/6): Chapter 8, REVIEW, and SECOND EXAM
10 Section III: Bivariate and Multivariate Analyses Week 11 (11/9-11/13): Chapter 9 ANOVA -Work on your Mini Research Paper! Week 12 (11/16-11/20): Chapter 10 Regression and Correlation Week 13 (11/23-11/27): Chapter 11 Multivariate Cross Tabulation Monday 11/23: Chapter 11 Wednesday 11/25: No Class for Fall Break Friday 11/27: No Class for Fall Break Week 14 (11/30-12/4): Chapter 11 Multivariate Cross Tabulation Week 15 (12/7-12/11): Chapter 12 (for comprehension only), Review and EXAM Wednesday 12/9: Homework Assignment Due at the beginning of class. (Assignments may not be e-mailed. Hard copies may be turned in before this date). Friday 12/11: THIRD EXAM Friday 12/18: FINAL EXAM 11:45-2:45, NSC 210 HAVE A GREAT WINTER BREAK!