The required textbook for this course is OpenIntro Statistics 4th edition which is freely available online at the link provided. Additionally, print copies are available for a low cost.
The textbook website provides access to additional resources such as lectures videos, slides, etc. Students are encouraged to make use of these resources.
Other valuable resources include
Learning Statistics with R (see also the well-produced online version). This book will serve as our supplementary reference for using the R language for statistical computing.
Study of the computational aspects of statistics; hypothesis testing, goodness of fit; nonparametric tests; linear and quadratic regression, correlation and analysis of variance. Not open to students who have credit for or are enrolled in an equivalent statistics course.
It is recommended that students enrolled in MATH 204 be comfortable in carrying out addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division of decimal and fraction numbers.
The goals for this course are for students to:
| After taking this course, the student should be able to: | Methods of assessment |
|---|---|
| Work with data: identify variables as categorical, discrete, or continuous; describe basic techniques of data collection and sampling; explain and interpret basic numerical and graphical data summaries. | Concept quizzes, homework, labs, and exams. |
| Work with probability distributions and random variables at an introductory level. | Concept quizzes, homework, labs, and exams. |
| Explain the concept of sampling distribution. | Concept quizzes, homework, labs, and exams. |
| Conduct and interpret basic statistical inferences. | Concept quizzes, homework, labs, and exams. |
The student learning objectives of this course are linked with the Mathematics Program Learning Outcome
As a course with a general education (GE) quantitative reasoning designation (Q), the student learning objectives of this course are linked with the following GE goals and objectives:
In consideration of the care and concern for one another and members of our community, unless you are reasonably unable to do so, please take the following steps as a student in this course to mitigate the spread of coronavirus:
Do not attend class if you have a confirmed case of coronavirus disease (COVID) until you have fully recovered.
Do not attend class if you are experiencing any COVID related symptoms as described at this link.
Do not attend class if you believe that you have been exposed to the coronavirus and might spread it to members of the class. Please visit this link for information on the transmission of the coronavirus.
Wear a CDC approved face covering over your mouth and nose while in the classroom and while visiting the course instructor’s office.
It is important that you attend class regularly. If you must miss class for any reason notify the instructor as soon as possible to make arrangements to quickly make up any content missed by absence.
The course grade will be based on regular concept quizzes (15%), participation (15%), homework (15%), bi-weekly labs (15%), one mid-term exam (20%), and a final exam (20%).
| Grade Range | Letter Grade |
|---|---|
| 94-100 | A |
| 90-93 | A- |
| 87-89 | B+ |
| 83-86 | B |
| 80-82 | B- |
| 76-79 | C+ |
| 72-75 | C |
| 69-71 | C- |
| 65-68 | D+ |
| 60-64 | D |
| <60 | F |
In this course students will be asked to complete a number of concept quizzes. Concept quizzes are meant to be a quick check that you are following the lectures and textbook readings. These quizzes will be timed and administered via the course learning management system (D2L), and the concept quizzes will be given after most class meetings.
For the purpose of this course, participation means actively engaging in the course both inside and outside of the classroom and taking individual ownership of learning. Note that participation is not limited to what is often meant by “in-class participation”. Students will be asked to complete a number of participation assignments, these assignments will usually take the form of a small number of prompts to which students will be asked to respond.
Labs and exams will build on practice problems so it is essential to complete homework practice problems in preparing for quizzes and labs.
Do not underestimate the value (and joy) of carefully working through homework problems.
The bi-weekly lab assignments for this course are meant to assess your developing skills in working with data and conducting analyses using R. Some labs will be in-class while others may be assigned as homework. All labs will be done with RStudio cloud using templates set up by the instructor and accessed via a shared link.
The mid-term and final exams are meant to assess 1) students’ understanding of the material covered in class and in assignments, 2) students’ understanding of the core concepts, 3) students’ problem solving abilities, and 4) students’ ability to think independently.
In order to encourage active participation in the learning process, the instructor invites all students to submit suggested problems to appear on each exam. The rules are as follows: On any given exam, any individual student is welcome to submit up to two problems for consideration. Submissions must be made a minimum of three days before the exam for which they are to be considered. Along with a clear statement of the problem must appear a carefully, clearly, and correctly written solution. Any problem submission, along with the solution, will be copied and handed out to the rest of the class at least one day before the exam. Students will not know in advance if their problem has been chosen to appear on the exam. Note: The instructor is under no obligation to use any or all of the submitted problems. However, the more problems that students submit, the greater the chances that some will be chosen to appear on an exam.
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Classes begin | Monday, August 30 |
| Last day to add classes | Friday, September 3 |
| Labor day, no classes | Monday, September 6 |
| Last day for 100% tution refund | Wednesday, September 8 |
| Last day to drop with no grade | Wednesday September 29 |
| Last day of class before fall break | Friday, October 8 |
| Classes resume after fall break | Wednesday, October 13 |
| Mid-term exam | Thursday, October 14 |
| Semester Midpoint | Friday, October 15 |
| Last day to withdraw with W grade | Friday, November 12 |
| Last day of class before Thanksgiving break | Tuesday, November 23 |
| Classes resume after Thanksgiving | Monday, November 29 |
| Last day of class | Monday, December 13 |
| Final exams begin | Tuesday, December 14 |
| Final exams end | Saturday, December 18 |
Reasonable academic accommodations may be provided to students who submit relevant and current documentation of their disability. Students are encouraged to contact the Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence (CTLE) at disabilityservices@scranton.edu or (570) 941-4038 if they have or think they may have a disability and wish to determine eligibility for any accommodations. For more information, please visit http://www.scranton.edu/disabilities.
The Writing Center focuses on helping students become better writers. Consultants will work one-on-one with students to discuss students’ work and provide feedback at any stage of the writing process. Scheduling appointments early in the writing progress is encouraged.
To meet with a writing consultant, call (570) 941-6147 to schedule an appointment, or send an email with your available meeting times, the course for which you need assistance, and your phone number to: writing-center@scranton.edu. The Writing Center does offer online appointments for our distance learning students. Please contact Amye Archer at amye.archer@scranton.edu for more information.
Each student is expected to do their own work. It is also expected that each student respect and abide by the Academic Code of Honesty as set forth in the University of Scranton student handbook. Conduct that violates the Academic Code of Honesty includes plagiarism, duplicate submission of the same work, collusion, providing false information, unauthorized use of computers, theft and destruction of property, and unauthorized possession of tests and other materials. Steps taken in response to suspected violations may include a discussion with the instructor, an informal meeting with the dean of the college, and a hearing before the Academic Dishonesty Hearing Board. Students who are found to have violated the Code will ordinarily be assigned the grade F by the instructor and may face other sanctions. The complete Academic Code of Honesty is located on the University website at https://www.scranton.edu/academics/wml/acad-integ/acad-code-honesty.shtml.
As a faculty member, I am deeply invested in the well-being of each student I teach. I am here to assist you with your work in this course. Additionally, if you come to me with other non-course-related concerns, I will do my best to help. It is important for you to know that all faculty members are required to report incidents of sexual harassment or sexual misconduct involving students. This means that I cannot keep information about sexual harassment, sexual assault, sexual exploitation, intimate partner violence or stalking confidential if you share that information with me. I will keep the information as private as I can but am required to bring it to the attention of the University’s Title IX Coordinator, Elizabeth M. Garcia, or Deputy Title IX Coordinator, Christine M. Black, who, in conversation with you, will explain available support, resources, and options. I will not report anything to anybody without first letting you know and discussing choices as to how to proceed. The University’s Counseling Center (570-941-7620) is available to you as a confidential resource; counselors (in the counseling center) do not have an obligation to report to the Title IX Coordinator.
The University is committed to providing an educational, residential, and working environment that is free from harassment and discrimination. Members of the University community, applicants for employment or admissions, guests, and visitors have the right to be free from harassment or discrimination based on race, color, religion, ancestry, gender, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, genetic information, national origin, veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable law.
Students who believe they have been subject to harassment or discrimination based on any of the above class of characteristics, or experience sexual harassment, sexual misconduct or gender discrimination should contact Elizabeth M. Garcia, Title IX Coordinator, (570) 941-6645 elizabeth.garcia2@scranton.edu, Deputy Title IX Coordinators Christine M. Black (570) 941-6645 christine.black@scranton.edu, or Ms. Lauren Rivera, AVP for Student Life and Dean of Students, at (570)941-7680 lauren.rivera@scranton.edu. The United States Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) enforces Title IX. Information regarding OCR may be found at <www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/index.html>
The University of Scranton Sexual Harassment and Sexual Misconduct Policy can be found online at https://www.scranton.edu/diversity. All reporting options and resources are available at https://www.scranton.edu/CARE.
It is easy to make assumptions about what pronouns people prefer, but we try not to! Please tell us in class or via a private email if you would like to let us know what your pronouns are, if/when you would like us (and others) to use them, and certainly feel free to correct us or others if we make a mistake. Using the pronouns that a person has indicated they prefer is considered both professional and polite, and as such we ask that all members of our class use the appropriate pronouns.
If you have questions about this, please feel free to look up more information here (https://www.mypronouns.org/) or email jason.graham@scranton.edu with any questions.
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