Fall 2015 STAT 250 012 Introductory Statistics I Administrative Course Dates: Tuesdays, September 1 December 8 (Final Exam Period: December 15) (No class on Tuesday, October 13 th due to Columbus Day Recess) Important Dates: September 8: Last Day to Add / Drop (no tuition penalty) October 2: Final Drop Deadline / Last Day to Drop (67% tuition penalty) October 5-30: Selective Withdrawal Period Instructor: Dr. Linda Davis Office: Room 1703, Nguyen Engineering Building (ENGR) Office Hours: Tuesday (3:00 4:00 p.m.), Loudoun Campus ` Wednesday (12:00 1:30 p.m.), Fairfax Campus Thursday (1:30 3:00 p.m.), Fairfax Campus Evenings (By Appointment) Office Phone: (703) 993-4835 Address: George Mason University Statistics Dept., Mail Stop 4A7 4400 University Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030 E-Mail: ldavisc@gmu.edu Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs): GTAs hold weekly office hours (Monday Friday) in ENGR 1716. Specific times are posted in Blackboard. Statistics Dept: (703) 993-3645; Fax: (703) 993-1700 Prerequisites: High school algebra. Required: Calculator: Should be able to do basic arithmetic operations and take square roots. Needed for in-class quizzes and exams. (Internet-enabled electronic devices, such as cell phones or tablets, cannot be used as calculators during quizzes or exams.) Scantrons: Six form No.882-E scantrons, one for each in-class quiz and exam. Access to MyStatLab. (Purchase of an access code is required.) Optional: Hardcopy of course textbook: Gould, R. & Ryan, C., (2016). Introductory Statistics: Exploring the World Through Data (2 th edition). Boston: Pearson Education Inc. Most of Chapters 1 9, and 12 will be covered. Note: Free access to an e-book copy is included with MyStatLab, which is required for this course. Course Description Elementary introduction to statistics. Topics include descriptive statistics, probability, and estimation and hypothesis testing for means and proportions. Statistical software used for assignments. Course Goals Expose the student to the ideas and concepts of statistics and probability, and the statistical models used for decision support in different areas of your life. Give the student mastery of the concepts and tools of data representation, probability models, and statistical inference by solving problems. Encourage the student to learn the methodologies and techniques of statistics to solve typical problems. Enable the student to: Understand a situation and recognize the type of problem and/or the kind of analysis required. Formulate the problem quantitatively. 1
Associate the appropriate probabilistic models and statistical techniques. Understand and interpret the model results and obtain the required solution to problems using a statistical package. Foster the communication and presentation of statistical results and inferences. Provide a sound basis in statistics for the student s future academic and professional careers. General Education Program This course meets the Quantitative Reasoning requirement within the Foundation section of the Mason Core Requirements. The goal of the Quantitative Reasoning requirement is to help ensure that students develop the ability to use and critically evaluate numerical information, and to create logical arguments using quantitative reasoning. For more information on General Education, please see the University Catalog and the Provost s Office General Education website ( http://provost.gmu.edu/general-education/ ) Required Computer/Software Access MyStatLab MyStatLab is a website where you will find online homework assignments, your e-book, and many additional resources. For this course, access MyStatLab only through the course Blackboard site. Access to MyStatLab requires purchase of an access code. Details on purchasing an access code are available in Blackboard. You can purchase an access code either individually or bundled with the associated textbook. And, you can purchase an access code either online or from the Mason bookstore. Access to the following is also required. However, each is available free with your paid access to MyStatLab. Statistical Software: StatCrunch This is a powerful web-based statistical software program designed for students. It allows users to collect data, perform complex analyses, and generate compelling results. This program has a vibrant online community offering numerous data sets to work with. We will use this program during most class lectures and it is expected that you use this program to complete your data analysis assignments (see the Assignments section below for more information). StatCrunch is free to all students with paid access to MyStatLab. In addition, StatCrunch can be accessed on computers (Mac or PC) and devices (smartphones, tablets, etc.). You must demonstrate competence in the use of the StatCrunch statistical software program. This includes but is not limited to understanding how to create professional style graphics and how to insert those graphics into your data analysis assignments. Learning Catalytics: This is another feature of MyStatLab that will be utilized during class. It is a bring your own device web-based student engagement system (like an I-Clicker) that will be used for class participation in nearly every class. Therefore, you will need to bring some type of device (smartphone, laptop, or tablet) to each class. Access to Learning Catalytics is free with your paid access to MyStatLab. If you do not own a device that supports Learning Catalytics, please let me know now! Course Textbook: Gould, R. & Ryan, C., (2016). Introductory Statistics: Exploring the World Through Data (2 th edition). Boston: Pearson Education Inc. Most of Chapters 1 9 and Chapter 12 will be covered. Web Browser: A complete list of compatible Web browsers is available at: https://help.blackboard.com/en-us/learn/9.1_2014_04/student/015_browser_support Internet Access: Course materials are delivered via Blackboard, an online course management system, which can be accessed via the Courses Tab within the mymason Portal (http://mymason.gmu.edu). If you have not used the mymason Portal before, click on the Help Tab on the page reached via http://mymason.gmu.edu. Then, read through the two documents posted in the mymason Information & Portal Quick Guide module: Portal Quick Guide and Introduction to mymason. 2
Active Mason E-mail Account (Patriot Pass): You must activate your Mason e-mail account before you can access Blackboard. Instructions for activating your Mason e-mail account are available at: https://password.gmu.edu. Once you sign up for your Patriot Pass account, you will use your Patriot Pass username and password to log in to the following systems: MasonLive, mymason, Patriot Web, and Virtual Computing Lab. Microsoft Word and PowerPoint 2010 (or later): You must demonstrate competence in the use of a word processor such as Microsoft Word. In particular, you must be able to import graphics from StatCrunch, create a professional assignment, and upload that assignment to blackboard. Course lecture notes will be posted as PowerPoint slides. Adobe Acrobat Reader: Most course documents (with the exception of lecture notes) are posted in pdf format. Course Delivery All course material will be maintained in Blackboard including readings, lectures, assignments, quizzes, due dates, etc. You are expected to develop proficiency in using Blackboard s features and to login to this system frequently to keep up with the course schedule. Any changes to the schedule as the course progresses will be posted in Blackboard. The Blackboard site for this course will remain available five days after the end of the course. This allows time for you to review feedback from the last assignments and final exam. You are expected to attend all lectures and participate in classroom discussion. Most of the information for this course will be presented in class lectures. So, you must attend class and listen carefully to absorb this information. The book and the resources on the MyStatLab website should be used to support concepts taught in class. You are responsible for applying the information presented in class to complete online homework assignments, data analysis assignments, quizzes, and exams. The goal of each lecture is to have you see and hear the course material presented in an order and within a context that I think makes the most sense for learning. Lectures introduce basic facts and methods, and on occasion, I will try to provide the big picture and context for the topic being presented. However, you should also invest some time trying to develop your own view of the big picture that makes the most sense to you. Class participation is an important component of this course. You are expected to contribute regularly to class discussions, ask questions, and respond to Learning Catalytics questions. Students are strongly encouraged to read through the PowerPoint lectures before the scheduled lecture dates. A tentative schedule of when different topics will be covered is posted in Blackboard. If, as you are reading, you find something hard to understand, don't be alarmed or discouraged. Just make a note of any parts you found confusing, or any questions that occur to you as you read. Often, you will find that those questions are cleared up in the following class. If not, please ask during class! Lecture notes will be made available to you via Blackboard in advance of class. Unless otherwise indicated, hardcopies of material posted in Blackboard will not be provided in class. So, you may want to bring hardcopies with you to class so that you can annotate the notes with additional information as topics are discussed in class. Communication The Blackboard site for this course will be used to provide you with information relevant to the course. So, please check the Blackboard course site regularly for updates! Such information includes announcements, lecture notes, homework assignments and solutions, reading assignments, data sets, dates of exams, and any changes to posted office hours. 3
The primary modes of asynchronous communication in this course are Announcements and the Discussion Board in Blackboard. General topic forums and forums specific to assignments are available in the Discussion Board. You are encouraged to post questions about assignments in the Discussion Board. Consider the Discussion Board as an extra resource for getting help on homework. E-mails concerning this course should be used only to discuss sensitive, confidential information (e.g., grade concerns, personal circumstances requiring special accommodations, etc.) E-mails will be returned within two business days. E-mails may not be returned on weekends/holidays. When you send an e-mail to me, please place STAT 250 at the beginning of the subject line. E-mails related to this course must be sent and received via your Mason e-mail account. E-mails sent from other e-mail accounts will not be answered. General e-mail inquiries (i.e., those not of a personal nature) will be answered with a reference to where the answer can be found in Blackboard. Assignments and Grading Your grade in this course will be based on quizzes, exams, online assignments, data analysis assignments and class participation. Due dates are posted on the calendar in Blackboard and the calendar in MyStatLab. Quizzes There will be three in-class quizzes. Quizzes are approximately 15-20 minutes in duration. The goal of the quizzes is to familiarize you with exam-type questions. No make-up quizzes will be given. If you miss a quiz, you will receive a zero on the quiz. Exams There will be two in-class exams and a final exam. Except in case of an emergency: Make-up in-class exams are given only in exceptional circumstances beyond your control. Please contact me at least one week before the exam to schedule a make-up exam. The final exam will be rescheduled only in either of the following situations: You have more than one examination scheduled at the same time on the same day. You have more than two examinations scheduled within 24 hours. In case of an emergency, in-class exams and the final exam will only be rescheduled with written documentation. In case of illness, documentation from a physician is required. In case of other emergencies, please supply me with written documentation detailing why you could not take the exam at the scheduled time. An in-class exam or final exam must be rescheduled no later than one week after the originally scheduled time. All make-up exams and rescheduled final exams will be given at the Fairfax campus. If you miss Exam 1, Exam 2, or the final exam unexcused, you will receive a zero on the exam. For Quizzes and Exams, you need to bring: Calculator. No internet-enabled electronic devices will be permitted. Scantron form No.882-E. Formula/study sheet (8.5 11 front and back, handwritten sheet). #2 pencil with an eraser. Statistical tables found on Blackboard (for certain quizzes and exams). You are not allowed to use other materials, including scrap paper. 4
Online Assignments Online assignments are available in MyStatLab. Your answers are submitted electronically via the MyStatLab website. The online assignments include homework assignments, quizzes, and review homework assignments. No late online assignments are accepted. Data Analysis Assignments For each data analysis assignment, you are required to type the solutions. That is, you must integrate into one MS Word document, the StatCrunch results (including any graphs) used to solve the problems and all the typed answers to the questions. You must upload this MS Word file electronically through Blackboard. An example document will be posted and discussed in class. Data analysis assignments will be accepted late. However, there is a 5 point deduction each day your assignment is late (each day, not class period). After a week (7 days), a zero is given. Class Participation Learning Catalytics questions are asked at the beginning and end of most classes. Class participation is measured by the percentage of Learning Catalytics questions answered during the semester. Final Course Grade 1. In-Class Quizzes (10%): If ALL three in-class quizzes are completed, the lowest quiz grade will be dropped. 2. In-Class Exam 1 (15%) 3. In-Class Exam 2 (15%) 4. Cumulative In-Class Final Exam (20%) 5. Online Assignments (15%): An overall favorable grade adjustment will be made and disclosed during the semester. 6. Data Analysis Assignments (20%): If ALL five data analysis assignments are completed and the lowest assignment grade is 50% or above, the lowest assignment will be dropped. 7. Participation (5%) You have at most a week after an assignment/quiz/exam is returned to question a grade. If you do not notify me within that time, then the grade posted stands (whether or not it is correct). Your final overall course numeric score is rounded to two-decimal places. Then, letter grades are assigned according to the detailed scale which will be posted in Blackboard later in the semester. Course Policies 1. Contact Information: To contact me, please e-mail or call my office: (703) 993-4835. If you send an e-mail or leave a voice mail message and I have not returned your e-mail/call within two business days, please e- mail/call again. I typically do not check e-mails/voice mails on weekends/holidays. You may drop in without an appointment during office hours. If your schedule prevents you from coming at scheduled office hour times, please contact me (by e-mail or by phone) to schedule an appointment for another time. Please be courteous and make an appointment, instead of just dropping by outside of scheduled office hours. 2. Class Etiquette: Class will start on time at 4:30 p.m. and end on time at 7:10 p.m., with a 10-minute break around 5:45 p.m. Although situations arise making it impossible for you to arrive on time and/or require you to leave early, please remember that late arrivals and early departures can be quite disruptive to your peers. So, please make arriving to class late or leaving early an exception, not a habit. Regular attendance for the full period of each class is very important for this course! Please turn off cell phones during class. 5
I have no objections to students eating during class, as long as it is done discreetly and quietly. (In other words, no chips, apples, etc.) Before or after class is usually not a good time to ask lengthy questions. Please e-mail, call, or come to office hours instead. Questions during class are welcomed and encouraged. 3. Netiquette: Be Relevant and Concise: When posting a message to an online discussion, stick to the topic, make sure that you send sufficient information, and be concise. Use Accurate Subject Lines: Each posting should include a subject line that lets the recipient know what the posting is about. This allows others to scan their online messages, read the more important messages first, and keep organized. Read Before Posting: Read posted questions/answers before asking a new question to avoid repeating points already made, asking questions that have already been answered, or bringing up points that have already been argued and either accepted, rejected, or exhausted. Also, by replying to messages instead of starting a new message, a thread of communication can be kept going. Be Polite: Avoid inflammatory or critical messages. Do not send a message that ridicules someone else. Also, be careful when using humor or sarcasm. Edit Messages Before Submitting: Think before you speak electronically. For the most part, electronic communication is a non-visual form of communication; therefore, people are unable to rely on facial expressions, tone of voice, or body language to properly interpret electronic messages. Misunderstandings can easily occur because of these factors. 4. Assignments: No extra-credit assignments will be given. 5. Inclement Weather Policy: In case of closing due to inclement weather, we will follow the specific policy set forth by the Provost s office, if there is one. In case the make-up process is left up to the instructors, I will schedule make-up session(s) on an ad hoc basis. You will be responsible for the material covered in the makeup sessions. If classes are canceled on the day a quiz or exam is scheduled, the quiz or exam will be rescheduled; the rescheduled date will be posted in Blackboard. The due date for any assignment submitted online will not change. 6. Special Accommodations: If you are a student with a disability and you need academic accommodations, please contact the Office of Disability Services (ODS) at (703) 993-2474. All academic accommodations must be arranged through the ODS. (http://ods.gmu.edu) 7. Incomplete Policy: An incomplete grade can only be given if you are passing the course and have a documented non-academic reason (e.g., health and/or family problems) why you cannot complete the course in the usual time frame. 8. Responsible Use of Computing Policy: Please review the policy concerning use of computing facilities at George Mason: http://universitypolicy.gmu.edu/policies/responsible-use-of-computing/. Students must agree to abide by the university policy for responsible use of computing. 9. Course Material Copyrights: This course gives you access to PowerPoint files, lecture notes, handouts, and copyrighted material and articles. Please treat them accordingly. All material other than copyrighted material should be regarded as authored materials, which if used or referred to must be fully credited through reference to the instructor, course, and date. If used beyond citation, permission of the instructor is required. 10. Honor Code: Read the George Mason University Honor Code and follow it. See http://oai.gmu.edu/the-mason-honor-code/ for more information. You are responsible for becoming familiar with your rights and responsibilities as defined by the George Mason Honor Code; and you are responsible for knowing the requirements for this particular course. All violations of these rules will be referred to the Honor Committee; I take the Honor Code seriously and so should you. 6
Three fundamental and rather simple principles to follow at all times in this course are that: All work submitted be your own. When using the work or ideas of others, including classmates, give full credit through accurate citations. (Appropriately give credit when it is due. Do not claim someone else s work as you own this is plagiarism!) If you are uncertain about the ground rules on a particular assignment, ask for clarification. No grade is important enough to justify academic misconduct! Specifically, in this course: You are required to work alone on in-class exams and quizzes. No communication (except with the instructor) is allowed during in-class quizzes or exams. Do not communicate with students who have not taken a quiz or exam (in this section or any other) after you have taken it. Using the work of another student, whether that student is taking the course this semester or has taken it during some previous semester, is a violation of the Honor Code. You may work together on the online assignments. Data analysis assignments are to be undertaken independently; all graded work is expected to be your original and independent work. I strongly encourage you to work on your own as much as possible. However, you may discuss your ideas with others. Also, you can post questions to the Discussion Board for help on the data analysis assignments. However, it is not appropriate to: (1) give your work on the assignment to someone else to copy, (2) copy directly from someone else s solutions (either present or past students), (3) use someone else s computer program or output, or a copy of someone else s computer session, or (4) use solutions posted in previous semesters. You are responsible for making sure that there is no reason to doubt that the work you hand in is your own. If only your name appears on an assignment, my expectation and assumption are that you have done the work yourself, fully and independently. 11. Student Services: University Libraries (http://library.gmu.edu/): The University Libraries provide resources for students. Writing Center (http://writingcenter.gmu.edu): The George Mason University Writing Center staff provides a variety of resources and services (e.g., tutoring, workshops, writing guides, handbooks) intended to support students as they work to construct and share knowledge through writing. Counseling and Psychological Services (http://caps.gmu.edu): The George Mason University Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) staff consists of professional counseling and clinical psychologists, social workers, and counselors who offer a wide range of services (e.g., individual and group counseling, workshops and outreach programs) to enhance students' personal experience and academic performance. Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (http://registrar.gmu.edu/privacy): The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA), also known as the Buckley Amendment, is a federal law that gives protection to student educational records and provides students with certain rights. 7