STATISTICS
250
Statistical Principles and
Practices
Course
Policies and Syllabus
MWF-12:00-12: 50pm Room SH-351
Spring 2008
Instructor
Contact Information:
Instructor: Sara Zarei email:
szarei@sciences.sdsu.edu
Class website: http://www-rohan.sdsu.edu/~szarei/
Office Hours: Mon & Wed 1:00-2:00pm. You may also
make an appointment by emailing me, using the contact info written above.
Required Textbooks and Materials:
q Agresti, A., and Franklin, C. (2007). Statistics: The Art and Science of Learning from Data, Prentice Hall.
q Graphing Calculator TI83+ or similar Models.
q Math XL (You can purchase the access code online from www.mathxl.com for $34.95. (Your school zip code is 92182)
q Class notes: Lecture notes for each chapter will be
available on Blackboard: http://blackboard.sdsu.edu.
The course syllabus, class schedule, practice midterms, practice final,
computer assignments, and warm-ups can also be found on blackboard. We will communicate frequently through blackboard
so please check the announcements page daily.
Course Description: Topics
include descriptive statistics, data displays, measures of central tendency and
variability, random variables, sampling distributions, estimation and
hypothesis tests for means and proportions, linear regression and correlation.
q
Recognize
whether an experiment or survey is well designed.
q
Understand
how to produce a sample that represents the population of interest.
q
Summarize
data using both graphical and numerical methods.
q
Produce
and interpret statistics and graphs, using regression techniques, to describe
the relationship between two numerical variables.
q
Test and
interpret hypotheses for the linear regression model.
q
Use
basic probability principles in a variety of practical applications
q
Identify,
and calculate probabilities for, binomial and normal probability distributions.
q
Understand
the concept of sampling distributions.
q
Use
statistical methods to construct, and interpret, interval estimates for
population means and proportions. The student will learn both small sample
(t-distribution) and large sample (normal distribution) methods.
q
Formulate,
test and interpret various hypotheses for population means and. proportions.
q
Construct
confidence intervals, and test hypotheses for differences in two population
means or proportions, and interpret results.
q
Use a
statistical software package to display data and carry out statistical data
analysis
Grading: Your
grade will be composed of the following items for a total of 500 points:
Homework 70 (8 assignments, lowest one dropped, 10
points each)
Computer Assignments 40 (2 assignments, 20 points each)
(Using Minitab)
Midterms 240 (3 midterms, 80 points each)
Final 150
The
letter-grade cut-offs will be determined at the end of the semester based on
the distribution of final grades, but will roughly follow A:463-500,
A-: 450-462, B+: 438-449, B: 413-437, B-:400-412, C+:388-399, C:363-387,
C-:350-362, D:300-349, F: 300 and below.
Homework: There will be eight MathXL homework assignments. Your lowest homework assignment score will be dropped. MathXL will not allow you to submit late homework. The MathXL website is www.mathxl.com. All homework assignments must be turned in online using MathXl by Sunday 11:00 pm of the week that is due.
Computer Assignments: There will be two computer assignments, worth 20
points each requiring the use of Minitab.
You will receive accounts to use the labs in GMCS 422/425/428 where
Minitab software is installed. You can
also download a free 30-day trial of Minitab for your home computer or rent a
five-month copy for $29.99 from http://www.minitab.com/products/minitab/demo/default.aspx?ad=mssbn2
Once the
semester is underway, computer lab hours will be posted on Blackboard.
Exams: We will have three midterms tentatively scheduled for Feb 25th, March 24th and April 21st. The final exam is scheduled for Monday, May 12th from 10:30am-12: 30pm. The exams will be closed book, though you may bring one side of an 8.5x11 sheet of handwritten notes to each midterm and two (single-sided) 8.5x11 sheets of handwritten notes to the final exam. No photocopying of texts or handouts is permitted. Statistical tables will be provided. Practice exams with solutions will be posted on Blackboard. The exams are to be held in a secure environment. You may not use any other electronic devices such as cell phones, computers, pagers, radios, MP3 players, I Pods, palm pilots, or blackberries. Any student whose phone rings audibly during an exam will have 5% deducted. Any student who answers a phone during an exam will receive a zero.
If you have a documented
disability requiring special accommodation, please come see me during
the first week of class. DSS
is the campus office responsible for determining and providing appropriate academic
accommodations for students with disabilities.
Students needing these services should contact DSS by phone (594-2653)
or by email dsstest@mail.sdsu.edu.
Cheating is taken very seriously. Violators will be prosecuted through the
judicial procedures office division of student affairs,
q Turn your cell phones off (not
on vibrate) before entering class and put them away for the entire class.
You will not be able to use the
phone as a calculator.
q Put away ipods, other
musical devices, and newspapers before the start of class,
q Please do not talk during
lecture. It is both disrespectful and
disruptive.
q Save all of your graded
quizzes and homework in case a score is lost.
q Enjoy this class!
Tentative
Schedule: The following dates are
subject to change. Pay attention to
announcements in class and on Blackboard.
|
WEEK OF |
CHAPTERS
|
HW
& Exams |
|
21-Jan |
Chapter 1 |
|
|
28-Jan |
Chapter 4 |
|
|
4-Feb |
Chapter 2 |
HW 1
Due |
|
11-Feb |
Chapter 5 |
|
|
18-Feb |
Chapter 5 |
HW 2
Due |
|
25-Feb |
Chapter 6 |
Exam
#1 |
|
3-Mar |
Chapter 6 |
HW 3
Due |
|
10-Mar |
Chapter 7 |
Computer
Assignment #1 |
|
17-Mar |
Chapter 7 |
HW 4
Due |
|
24-Mar |
Chapter 8 |
Exam
#2 |
|
31-Mar |
Chapter 8 |
Spring
Recess |
|
7-Apr |
Chapter 9 |
HW 5
Due |
|
14-Apr |
Chapter 9 |
HW 6
Due |
|
21-Apr |
Chapter 3 & 10 |
Exam
#3 |
|
28-Apr |
Chapters
3 & 10 |
HW 7 Due-------Computer Assignment #2 |
|
5-May |
Final Review |
Hw 8 Due |
|
12-May |
Final
Exam |
Final
Exam May 12, 10:30am -12:30 pm |