Elements of Statistics
Math 106
Fall 2008
Professor Marian Frazier
Office 309-A
Rutherford B. Hayes Hall
Phone PBX 5267
Website www2.kenyon.edu/Depts/Math/FrazierM/
Office Hours
Required Text
Peck, Roxy and
Devore, Jay (2008), Statistics: The Exploration and Analysis of Data,
6th Edition,
Goals
Daily Reading & Attendance/Participation
Reading the assigned textbook
sections before each lesson is a necessity.
Come to class prepared with questions and comments for discussion. There will not be enough time to cover all
aspects of each topic during class. You
will still be held responsible for the material.
In addition to being prepared, you
should also arrive at class ready to ask questions, discuss points, and work on
problems. Statistics really is more of
an investigative science than a branch of mathematics; the more involved
everyone is, the more fun class will be!
Statistical Package &
Computer Use
MINITAB is available at these
sites on campus and will be used throughout the course. Assignments and course
announcements will be sent to you via e-mail or posted on the course web page.
Data sets and Minitab worksheets (that are not associated with the text) will
be placed in P:\Data\Math\STATS. Proper maintenance of computer accounts,
files, etc. is your responsibility. I recommend that you back up your data sets
and Minitab worksheets on a regular basis. I will not assume you have prior experience
with statistical software so you do not need to be concerned about the use of
technology in the classroom.
Since our class takes place in a computer-equipped
classroom, a reminder on computer etiquette:
Computers are never to be used during the course of class meetings for
completion of your assignments (for me or any other professor), email, instant
messaging, random internet surfing, or playing games. I will treat any failure to adhere to the
policy detailed above as a request for a Pop Quiz. Consistent disregard of this policy is
considered grounds for expulsion from the course. On a similar note, if you have a cell phone
anywhere on your person during class, please remember to either turn it off or
silence it during class time. If your
cell phone does go off during class, I reserve the right to answer on your
behalf.
Homework & Labs
Homework and lab assignments will
be given throughout the semester (these assignments will be posted to the class
webpage). Subsets of these assignments will be collected and graded frequently.
You should work on as many problems as possible; including problems which will
not be graded. Homework should be prepared in a professional manner. This means that all papers that you turn in
must be legible with problem numbers and solutions clearly marked; and
explanations should be written in complete sentences. Keep in mind that you will be graded on
neatness, completeness, and correctness. Your lowest homework score will be dropped
and the remaining scores will be averaged to obtain your homework
percentage. I encourage you to discuss
the concepts and problem solving techniques presented in class with other
students. However, you must submit your own solution for each of the assigned
problems to be collected. (Please see section below on Academic Honesty.) The data sets from the textbook are available
on P:\Data\MATH\STATS\Peck-Devore-Data.
In that folder, you will also find a Minitab Manual that you may find
very useful as you learn Minitab.
Exams
Thursday, December 18, 1:30 – 4:30 pm (12:10 class)
Short Papers
At least two short paper assignments
(2-8 pages) will be given during the semester. These will be graded on both
statistical accuracy and writing proficiency.
The
Late Policy
Assignments must be turned in at
the beginning of the class period on the assigned due date. No credit
will be given for late papers. If you know you will be
missing class for some reason (e.g., an athletic event), you must contact me before
class and turn in your assignment before you leave.
Statistics Clinic
Tutors will be available on
Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday evenings. They will help you with technical
software questions or general questions about the course material, but they
will not solve your homework problems.
Learning Disabilities
If you have a disability and feel
that you may have need for some type of academic accommodation(s) in order to
participate fully in this class, please feel free to discuss your concerns with
me in private. However, you must also
identify yourself to Erin Salva, Coordinator of
Disability Services, at PBX 5453 or via e-mail at salvae@kenyon.edu. Ms. Salva has the
authority and the expertise to decide on the accommodations that are proper for
your disability. Though I am happy to
help you in any way I can, I cannot make any accommodations for learning (or
other) disabilities without proper authorizations from Ms. Salva. I must be notified of any necessary
accommodations at least one week before the accommodation is needed.
Academic Honesty
In general, the rules set forth in
the 2008-2009 Course of Study apply. Presenting
the work of others as your own is strictly prohibited. In the case of homework, you may collaborate
with others in discussing how a problems may be solved (in fact, this is
encouraged), but your write-up must be your own. If you are not sure about some aspect of this
policy, please see me before turning in the assignment.
Grades
Your course grade will be based on
your overall percentage. The categories used to determine your overall
percentage are listed below with their respective weights.
Class participation will be used
to help make borderline decisions.
Course Outline