INTRODUCTORY SOCIOLOGY



SOCIOLOGY 502.03: StatisticsFall 2013 Mondays & Wednesdays 5:10-6:30pmHorton 207Instructor:Erica JablonskiDepartment of Sociology, Horton 102Email:esn54@unh.eduOffice Hours:Mondays and Wednesdays 4:00 – 5:00pm and by appointmentTeaching Assistant:Amber SwindellEmail:ael45@wildcats.unh.eduOffice Hours/Review Sessions:Tuesdays 9:00-11:00 and Thursdays 2:10-4:10 and by appointmentRequired Daily Class Materials (textbook and clickers will be available for purchase at the Durham Book Exchange and the University Bookstore). Textbook: Healey, Joseph F. 2010. The Essentials of Statistics: A Tool for Social Research (2nd Edition). (Wadsworth).“Clicker”: You will need an iClicker for this class. The iClicker product will be available for purchase at the UNH Book Store and the Durham Book Exchange. You should register your clicker inside of your Blackboard course with the directions outlined at the end of this syllabus.? DO NOT register your remote at .? If you do, you will need to contact support. to have the registration removed before you can correctly register inside of Blackboard.?If you require additional support they may visit the Academic Technology Support Center on the 3rd floor of Dimond Library, or call the IT Service Desk at (603) 862-4242. You will use an iClicker will throughout the semester and will probably be asked to use for other classes as well this semester or in the future. If you already have an iClicker you will not need to purchase another one. If you have a CPS clicker you will need to purchase an iClicker instead as the University has switched over to this brand instead. If you already own an eInstruction CPS clicker, there will be a $10.00 rebate available to help offset the cost of switching to a new device. The student rebate is valid through July 31, 2015. To redeem this rebate or for more information go to: calculator so that we may quickly work through in-class problems. These are available at the UNH Book Store and are very inexpensive. Students may not use the calculator functions on their cell phones in class.You are required to bring your book, clicker, and a calculator to every class to follow along with lecture and solve problems.Course DescriptionThis undergraduate-level course provides an overview of commonly used statistical concepts and techniques. Statistics can be used as a way to help us better understand the world around us. If misinterpreted or misrepresented however it can confuse or mislead us. Everyone in this class may not end up with a career that requires the daily use of statistics, but because statistics are commonly used in political discussions, it is important to be able to understand what they can and cannot tell us, and to determine whether or not they are being used accurately to inform our decision making and that of our leaders. We may not be able to be experts in everything, but knowing statistics is one way to evaluate whether or not some of the information presented to us actually makes sense and is as credible as it should be. This course will introduce you to elementary applied statistical techniques manually and with the use of statistical software such as: tables, graphs, cross-classifications; central tendency and dispersion; correlation and linear regression; confidence intervals and hypothesis testing. Don’t worry about these terms now; our goal is that you know what they mean and how to use them by the end of the course. By the course’s end students should be able to demonstrate knowledge of fundamental ideas in statistics as well as understand how to generate and interpret appropriate statistical techniques. Course RequirementsTo enhance student learning and prevent you final course grades being too dependent on only one assignment, this course contains a number of assignments throughout. To help you organize your semester schedule I would encourage you to put assignment dates into your calendar(s) so that you can plan on allocating enough time for each of them. Class Participation and Attendance. In general, active participation in your own learning increases the likelihood that you will retain what you study. Therefore, you are expected to attend all scheduled classes, to do all of the readings ahead of time, and to be prepared to respond to in-class questions. There will be daily in-class exercises to help us both identify which topics have been mastered and which require additional review. These exercises will not be graded but will be used for attendance in addition to helping assess your progress. Because statistics ideas build upon each other, it is essential that if you are having difficulty with concepts, techniques, or just getting the right answer to a certain type of problem, that you attend the weekly review session held by our teaching assistant as soon as possible. If you cannot attend the review session, please plan on coming to my office hours or otherwise scheduling an appointment with our teaching assistant or myself.One other way to receive some participation credit is to find an article of interest in a newspaper, journal article, or book that uses some of the statistics that we will be covering in class such as the mean, median, chi-square (check your textbook for additional techniques). If we have time I will try to incorporate this document into the course. I would recommend you try to get these to me as soon as possible to improve the chances that your document can be applied to the course material. This could be a quick and easy way to earn some course credit early on in the semester before you have too many other deadlines.Twenty percent of your final grade is based on your attendance and overall participation.Statistical Software Homework Assignments: Spread throughout the semester will be four homework assignments. Because you will learn less, and probably not enough to do well on exams if you only read the textbook and attend classes without actually working on statistics problems themselves, I am assigning homework to give you the opportunity to practice solving problems that will bring together a number of ideas and techniques that we will have already gone over. Homework Assignments will ask you to answer questions by solving problems and/or interpreting how to solve them or to interpret data analyzed to solve them. Homeworks are a way to go beyond simple multiple choice recognition of answers but to give you a chance to explain your answer. Doing so has been shown to be more effective to initial understandings and to retention of learning. Because it’s difficult to know how long each problem will take, I recommend that you start on your statistics homework as soon as you can so that you can ask any questions you have early on and can complete assignments on time. Statistical analyses are customarily done using a statistical analysis program and hence computer data analysis is an integral part of this course and homework assignments. You do not have to purchase software. SPSS is available on the university network for both MACs and PCs and is available at: homework assignment should be completed individually. While you may study with classmates and help each other prepare for class otherwise, in the case of written work and exams you are expected to produce your own work. This means you should analyze data and provide answers to all questions independently. Because homework assignments will be short, they should also be proofed for spelling and grammar, as with any college assignment before being submitted. Homework must be submitted via Blackboard. They will not be accepted through email. Because it is so important that we progress together as a class and identify areas requiring additional review as soon as possible, late work is discouraged and will only be accepted due to a documented medical/family emergency (in which case you should contact me to make arrangements for rescheduling). Forty percent of your final grade is based on your homework assignments. (All homework assignments may be submitted before listed deadline to reduce the number of competing deadlines you may have on any given day.)In-Class Exams: There will be two exams in this course. You midterm and your final will each be counted as 20% of your final grade. Make up exams will only be given in extreme circumstances and with proper documentation. Having more than one exam on the same day is not considered an extreme circumstance. Requests for a make-up exam must be discussed with the instructor BEFORE the exam.Forty percent of your final grade is based on your combined exam scores.Grade Components (Totaling 100 points):Attendance and class participation20%Four Homework Assignments 40% (10 % each)Midterm Exam20%Final Exam20% 100%Final grades are based on conventional university standards: A = Excellent, B = Superior, C = Satisfactory, D = Marginal, and F = Failing. Numerical/letter grade equivalents are as follows:100-93.0=A(95.0)76.9-73.0=C(75.0) 92.9-90.0=A-(90.0)72.9-70.0=C-(70.0)89.9-87.0=B+(88.5)69.9-67.0=D+(68.5)86.9-83.0=B(85.0)66.9-63.0=D(65.0)82.9-80.0=B- (80.0)62.9-60.0=D-(60.5)79.9-77.0=C+(78.5)below 60.0=F(55.0)Course PoliciesAttendancePlease be on time. Latecomers disrupt instructors and other students. If you know you will be late, please come in the back entrance of the classroom. If you need to leave early, please let me know before class and sit close to the door so you can leave with as little disruption as possible. If you will be absent, it is your responsibility to get class notes from another student. There is no way to make up in class work if you are not in attendance.Blackboard Site Our course blackboard site contains the syllabus, a place for you to upload homework assignments, supplemental course documents, and. your individual grades. You are requested to check your grades in Blackboard to verify that the correct grades are recorded for your completed work. If you come across a discrepancy, please let us know as soon as possible. If you need any help accessing the blackboard site, please contact the IT help desk.Classroom EtiquetteIt is our shared responsibility to create a classroom environment that is conducive to learning, free of distractions, discomfort, or disrespect. Please turn you cell phones off before coming to class. Ringing cell phones, texting during class, unnecessary noise, late arrivals, and early departures are disruptive, and more passive forms of inattention (like sleeping or using earphones) are disrespectful. These distractions often annoy your peers as much as they bother your instructors. There will be consequences for students who disrupt class or are disrespectful. Your teaching assistant and I will not meet outside of our regularly scheduled office or review session hours with students who text, send emails, surf the Internet during class, or otherwise willingly disrupt members of the class. I will start class promptly at 5:10pm and plan to end class by 6:30pm each day. I have a watch and a clock on my computer so I ask that you do not begin packing up your materials prior to the end of class. These movements and noises are distracting to me and your classmates.Curtailed OperationsYou can call 862-0000 to determine if the university has curtailed operations. If class needs to be cancelled for any reason I will post an announcement on Blackboard prior to class. Unless I indicate otherwise, you should assume that the schedule of readings, assignments, and exams on the syllabus remains in effect.Documented Disability AccommodationsThe University is committed to providing students with documented disabilities equal access to all University programs and facilities. If you think you have a disability requiring accommodations, you must register with Disability Services for Students (DSS). Contact DSS at (603) 862-2607 or disability.office@unh.edu. If you are a student with a documented disability who will require accommodations in this course, please register with Disability Services for Students in the Memorial Union Building, Room 118 (862-2607) for assistance in developing a plan to address your academic needs. If you have received Accommodation Letters for this course from DSS, please provide me with that information privately so that we can review those accommodations.Email is the best way to reach us: Your Teaching Assistant and I check email often and attempt to respond in a timely fashion. Please note however, that we may not respond within the same day to emails sent after 5pm or on weekends.Personal Electronic UseThe use of electronic devices (e.g., cell phones, iPods, gaming devices, etc.) in class is prohibited. Laptops used for purposes other than in-class work (e.g., Facebook, email) are also prohibited. Students who use these devices to talk, text, listen, post or play will be asked to leave the classroom.Student Code of ConductI expect each student to observe the UNH policy on academic honesty printed in the latest version of Student Rights, Rules and Responsibilities publication (). Any misconduct, unethical behavior, or academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. This includes, but is not limited to, cheating, plagiarism, falsifying or forging data, tampering with other students’ data, misrepresenting findings, harassment, and the creation of an unsafe or threatening learning environment. Allowing someone else to submit answers on your behalf constitutes a violation of academic honesty for both parties. Let me know if you have questions about how the policy applies to your work in this class. The University of New Hampshire has a practice of zero tolerance for student dishonesty. Therefore, students who violate the student code on academic dishonesty will be reported to the College of Liberal Arts and will automatically fail the course. We are here to help youAlthough your performance in this class, as in all classes, is your responsibility, your teaching assistant and I are here to help you learn. In order to collaborate optimally with us you should start asking questions you have early on in the semester because statistics is cumulative. When you come to office hours or review sessions it will be most effective if you come having completed the readings, are asking for help with one or more specific questions, and have tried to complete the assignment on your own beforehand. That way we can most quickly get at what the precise problems are spend more time working on solutions. Coming prepared in this way is a good practice for your classes more generally, as well as in the workplace. By maximizing your efficiency in office hours or review sessions, you provide more time for additional questions to be asked and more material to be reviewed for your fellow classmates and yourself. Office hours and review sessions should not be considered as a make-up class for lectures.In addition to course-specific resources, the mission of the Center for Academic Resources (CFAR) is to assist undergraduate students in achieving their academic potential and in maximizing their educational experience at UNH. Toward these ends, the Center staff teach students to become actively involved in the learning process and to develop their abilities in order to attain their educational objectives. CFAR provides services to all undergraduate UNH students, and provide additional services to students eligible for their TRiO/Student Support Services (SSS) program.Course ScheduleDATETextbook chapter to be read, tasks to be completed, and assignments to be submitted before class.Monday, 8/26Introduction to SOC 502: Complete Pre-class Survey on Blackboard, & Read Prologue: Mathematics ReviewWednesday, 8/28Chapter 1: Introduction, Download SPSS software from UNH Information Technology websiteWednesday, 9/4Chapter 2: Basic Descriptive Statistics, Download 2006 GSSMonday, 9/ 9Chapter 3: Charts and Graphs, Appendix F: Intro to SPSS, Appendix G: Intro to GSSWednesday, 9/11Chapter 4: Measures of Central TendencyMonday, 9/16Chapter 5: Measures of DispersionWednesday, 9/18Chapter 6: The Normal Curve Monday, 9/23Chapter 6: The Normal Curve (continued) (HW 1 due at 5:10pm)Wednesday, 9/25Chapter 7 (7.1-7.5): Inferential Statistics-Sampling DistributionsMonday, 9/30Chapter 7 (7.6-7.12): Inferential Statistics-Estimation and Confidence IntervalsWednesday, 10/2EXAM REVIEW SESSION: Bring questions to class! (e.g., from lectures, class quizzes)Monday, 10/7EXAM I (HW 2 due at 5:10pm; Doing this HW will help you prepare for the exam!)Wednesday, 10/9Chapter 12: Bivariate Association at the Nominal LevelMonday, 10/14 Chapter 12: Bivariate Association at the Nominal Level (continued)Wednesday, 10/16Chapter 13: Bivariate Association at the Ordinal LevelMonday, 10/21Chapter 13: Bivariate Association at the Ordinal Level (continued)Wednesday, 10/23Chapter 11: Hypothesis Testing – Chi-squareMonday, 10/28Chapter 11: Hypothesis Testing – Chi-square (continued)Wednesday, 10/30Probability Review & Statistics applications: Dill & Thill (2007) & Downs & Smith (2010) Monday, 11/4Chapter 14: Bivariate Association at the Interval-Ratio Level (HW 3 due at 5:10pm)Wednesday, 11/6Chapter 14: Bivariate Association at the Interval-Ratio Level (continued) Tuesday, 11/12Chapter 15: Partial Correlation and Multiple RegressionWednesday, 11/13Chapter 15: Multiple Regression and Multiple Correlation (continued)Monday, 11/18Probability Review & Statistics applications: Kim & Sok (2013) & Krause-Parello (2008)Wednesday, 11/20Chapter 8: Hypothesis testing – one sample t-testsMonday, 11/25Chapter 9: Hypothesis testing – two sample t-tests Monday, 12/2Chapter 9: Hypothesis testing – two sample t-tests (continued)Wednesday, 12/4EXAM REVIEW SESSION (HW 4 due at 5:10pm)Monday, 12/9 6 - 8 pmHorton 207 (our Usual Classroom)This is the tentative reading and assignment schedule for the semester; it is subject to revision and addition as the semester progresses. Registering your i>clicker inside of Blackboard NOTE: Do not register your clicker at . If you have, contact their support to have your registration removed. 1. Log into your Blackboard.unh.edu account. 2. Navigate to the course in which you will be using clickers. 3. Select “Tools” from the panel on the left. 4. Select “i>clicker Remote Registration”. 5. Enter the clicker ID from the back of the remote into the “i>clicker Remote ID” field. NOTE: There are no “O”’s (the letter) in a remote ID, only the number zero. 6. Select “Submit”. Repeat this process for every class in which you will be using a clicker. ................
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