Mathematics 106.03 — Elements of
Statistics
Instructor:
Brian D. Jones
Office:
303
Phone:
5386
E-mail:
jonesbd@kenyon.edu
Office Hrs:
Mon
3-4
Wed 2-3
Thur 10-11, 1-2
Fri 2-3
Required
Text David S.
Moore and George P. McCabe, Introduction
to the Practice of Statistics, 5th ed., W. H. Freeman
and
Company (2005).
Course
Material The following
is a rough course outline. Some
sections may
be omitted or added, and some sections may not require written homework.
Ch 1: Sections 1,2,3
Ch 2: Sections 1,2,3,4,5
Ch 3: Sections 1,2,3*,4*
Ch 4: Sections 1,2,3,4,5*
Ch 5: Sections 1,2
Ch 6: Sections 1*,2*,3*,4*
Ch 7: Sections 1,2
Ch 8: Sections 1,2
If time
permits
Ch 9: Sections 1,2,3,4
* selections
Statistical
Software
We will be using the
Windows version of Minitab throughout this course.
Minitab
is available on the local network. No
prior experience
with Minitab is expected or needed — Minitab is very user-friendly and
will
be learned as we go.
Homework and
Computer
Lab Assignments
Homework problems will usually be assigned and collected weekly,
sometimes
twice per week. A student assistant will
grade your
homework and return it as quickly as possible. You
do not need to type your work, but please write neatly.
Homework solutions should be legible and presented in a logical
fashion,
with problem number clearly indicated. I
(and/or the
grader) may give no credit to messy homework consisting of scratch work
here
and there, a few doodles, and a circled final answer.
Besides
the usual symbolic language of mathematics and statistics, good
homework
solutions should be accompanied by explanations and ideas written in
complete
English sentences. In addition to weekly
homework
assignments, in-class and out-of-class computer lab work may
occasionally
require written reports. Typically, lab
reports are
worth one homework assignment.
Homework and lab
assignments are to be handed in at the beginning of the class period on
which they are
due unless I specify otherwise. No
credit
will be given to unexcused late papers. Do
not
leave your homework back at your dorm room! If
you
have a conflict with a due date because you are a student-athlete, tell
me
as far in advance as possible. If you have
an excused
illness, send me an e-mail as soon as possible.
In-Class Quizzes
(Exam Rehearsals) I’ve noticed over the past few semesters that students need extra practice solving
problems
in an exam setting. In-class quizzes are
intended
to provide such practice and give students feedback on how well they
know
the most important core topics of this course. If
a student has a weakness in a particular area, best to find out on a
quiz
rather than an exam. There will be
approximately five
in-class quizzes. The in-class quizzes
will usually be
about 10 minutes long and will consist of an exam-like problem on a
core course
topic.
Paper —
Statistics
in the News
The use of statistics shows up in newspapers and news magazines
all
the time. Most of the time, the statistics
are used
correctly and carefully, but sometimes statistical analyses are on
shaky
ground due to ignorance or naiveté on the author’s part, and in a few
(hopefully
rare) cases, statistical presentations are used in an incomplete
fashion
or tangential context so as to purposely deceive the reader and
buttress
the author’s agenda. Over the first half
of the semester,
you are encouraged to keep a sharp eye out for the use of statistics in
your
reading of current events, such as newspapers, news magazines, or
journals
in your chosen discipline. Near the end of
the semester,
you will write a short paper on one article that uses statistics. More specific instructions and requirements
will be forthcoming
as the assignment nears, but generally you will address such items as: what tools and techniques from this course
were used in
the article, were the methods used appropriately, and are validating
assumptions
satisfied? In essence, you will critique
the article
in light of your knowledge of this course.
Exams
The exam schedule
for this class is
Exam 1 Friday, February
22 (In Class)
Exam 2 Friday, April 11
(In Class)
Comprehensive Final Exam
Course Grade
Your course average
on a scale of 0 to 100% will be determined using the following weights
of
the course components. **
Homework and Labs
23 %
In-Class Quizzes*
10 %
Paper—Statistics in the News
10 %
Exam 1
17 %
Exam 2
17 %
Final Exam
23 %
* I
will delete
your lowest quiz score before calculating your final grade.
** Letter grades are given by
approximately “straight
scale” --- A’s are 90 and above, B’s are 80 to 90, etc.
Academic Honesty Any work you submit for credit in this course
must result
directly from your own understanding, thoughts, and ideas. Presenting
the
work of others as your own is strictly prohibited. In the case of
homework
you may collaborate with other students or tutors in discussing how a
problem
may be solved, but the final submitted solution should be your work
alone! Assistance must not be given nor
received on any quiz
or exam.
Disabilities If
you have a disability
which may require classroom or test accommodations please see me as
soon
as possible during a scheduled office hour. If you have not already
done so,
you must register with the Coordinator of Disability Services (Erin Salva, salvae@kenyon.edu, x5453), who is the
individual responsible for coordinating accommodations and services for
students with disabilities. All information and documentation of a
disability are strictly confidential. No accommodations will be granted
in this course without notification
from the Office of Disability Services.