Math 1127, Introductory Statistics (CRN 80850)



MTH 225 Introductory Statistics

Spring 2008

MOVC Room 126

Tuesdays 4:00-6:20 p.m.

|Instructor: |Mrs. Melissa Bledsoe |

|Contact Information: |Phone: (304) 675 – 4571 *CALL ONLY BETWEEN 2:00 AND 9:00PM* |

| |E-mail: tilley1@marshall.edu – This is the best way to contact me. |

|Office: |Since personal office spaces are unassigned, I will use a vacant office located in the main office or I will be in |

| |the MOVC library when not working at home. |

|Office Hours: |By appointment only unless announced otherwise. |

Course Title: Introductory Statistics

Textbook: Bluman, Alan G., “Elementary Statistics: A Step By Step Approach A Brief Version”, 4th Edition. ISBN: 978-0-07-353496-1

Class Information: MTH 225, Introductory Statistics, CRN 3310, Section 204, Located in MOVC

126, 3 credit hours

Course (Catalog) Description:  Introductory Statistics: 3 credit hours

Catalog: Introduction to statistical analysis.

Concepts covered: The course covers basic descriptive statistics, elementary probability: rules and distributions, estimation and hypothesis testing, causal relationship, basic categorical analysis and one-way analysis of variance.

Prerequisites: ACT Math 21, or SAT Math 500, or MTH 121, 123, 127, 130E, 122, or 130.

Technology:

We will use Microsoft Excel for some activities. You are required to obtain a graphing calculator with a statistical package for this course. *The book supplies directions for and illustrates use of a TI-83 and TI-84 graphing calculator, MINITAB, and Excel.* I have access to and will conduct classroom demonstrations using a Texas Instruments TI-83 graphing calculator and Excel. Note that you will not be permitted to share a calculator or computer with a class mate on test days. If you have any questions about the suitability of a particular calculator, please feel free to discuss it with me -- but do so promptly so that you have an opportunity to learn and practice with your calculator far in advance of the first test.

Computer Requirements:

It is mandatory that you establish an active computer account and an active e-mail contact for delivery of information and announcements. This is the manner in which I will frequently contact the class, sending documents you will need and/or to make any outside-of-class announcements. You will also be required to use computers for some applications of material in this class. Please note that MOVC computers do not have drives for compact disks or floppy disks; you may need a portable USB memory drive.

Learning Outcomes/Objectives:

1. The student will be able to use the elementary tools of data collection, description, and analysis.

2. The student will also interpret the results of statistical studies; and design and carry out simple experiments.

3. The student should be able to use a computer spreadsheet program to carry out these tasks.

4. To provide a firm intuitive understanding of the philosophy of statistics as a foundation for further study in the area.

Evaluation/Measurement/Assessment of Learner Outcomes:

Student mastery will be assessed through 3 exams, participation, project(s), and a cumulative final. Each of these will involve various applications of descriptive statistics, elementary probability: rules and distributions, estimation and hypothesis testing, causal relationship, basic categorical analysis and one-way analysis of variance. Each of these will be further discussed below:

Exams

Exams are the manner in which the instructor can accurately evaluate the student’s level of mastery as the student’s independent work in a specified time frame is indicative of the student’s ability to perform these tasks in a (possibly stressful) working environment with time based goals and restrictions. The exams to be administered to this class are a midterm and a final, each of which will be 20% of the overall course grade. Use of books, notes, or formula sheets will not be permitted.  Students will be dismissed upon completion of their exam. Students will not be permitted to begin an exam after another student has left the examination room, so don't arrive late on test days.  In addition, students will not be permitted to leave the classroom and return during the administration of the test. All cell phones must be turned off during the exam – See Marshall University’s Cell Phone Policy.

Midterm Exam (20%)

The midterm exam will be cumulative and will be worth 100 points. Makeup exams will be given only with an excused absence; please refer to the Makeup policy for more information.

Final Exam (20%)

The Final exam will valued at 100 points. The focus of giving this exam will be to thoroughly evaluate the level of comprehension of the student. It will be a culminating application that can reflect the mastery of how statistics are applied and interpreted. An unexcused absence during the final exam will result in forfeiture of the student course grade and will result in a grade of “F” for the course. The final for this class is scheduled for 4:00 – 6:30, Tuesday, May 6, 2008.

Participation (20%)

Participation will involve obtaining help from others and/or giving help to others. Students are permitted to work together unless told otherwise. The student’s participation is indicative of how a student may work in groups and/or in a less stressful, possibly time-restricted business environment. The participation grade will be comprised of work to be completed in class, group work, and attendance. It will be valued at a total of 100 points.

Syllabus: MTH 225, Spring 2008, p.2

Participation (20%) – continued

• Attendance will be valued at 2 points per class meeting. Two points will be given for each class the student attends, to yield a maximum total of 30 points. These points will still be awarded for excused absences, but not for unexcused absences. A tardy will result in only 1 point being awarded for the particular meeting. To obtain this credit, each person must legibly sign (in cursive) his or her own name (ONLY) on an attendance sheet at the beginning of each class. “Being tardy” to this class will be defined as a student being more than 10 minutes late for class, and will be denoted by that student only initialing the attendance roster at the end of class – this is your responsibility to remember. If I notice a late arrival being documented for full attendance, I will not award any attendance-based points for that date to the student. If you sign someone else’s name their credit will be removed for the day and the act will be counted as cheating on your behalf. Cheating in this case will result in forfeiture of all your attendance points for the entire class on the first account. On the second and future accounts, I will reduce your overall course grade by one grade letter for each offense. See the Attendance Policy for more details.

• Group work will be assigned in class as the instructor sees fit. This will be a method used to check the student’s ability to discuss, relate, and explain statistical concepts as they may have to in a future work environment. Group work will yield a total of 35 out of the 100 participation points.

• In-class work will amount to 35 of the participation points and may include any work assigned and completed during class meetings. This will enable the instructor to evaluate and assist each student’s work ethic and his/her ability to follow directions.

Project(s) (20%)

To identify how well students can apply the material in a less time-restricted but semi-independent setting, there will be at least one project assigned to students. As will be announced and written on the assignment sheet, students may or may not be permitted to collaborate on projects and/or they may be assigned groups to work in. In either situation, each student is expected to independently finalize and provide his or her own work in a unique and thorough manner. Projects will require some computer skills and are to be typed and submitted to the instructor before the deadline and in the manner specified on the project assignment sheet or as announced in class. No late projects will be accepted. Project scores will yield a maximum of 100 points toward the overall course total number of points.

Note: I will keep finals and other student papers for possible review and/or pick-up until the beginning of the same term of the following year, so any remaining papers and all finals will be available for students in this class to pick-up and/or review until the beginning of Spring 2009.

|Course grades will be based on participation, 2 in-class tests, lab |

|assignments, a project, and a comprehensive final exam according to the |

|following weights: |

|Midterm |100 points |

| (Excel) lab assignments |100 points |

|Project |100 points |

|Final |100 points |

|Participation |100 points |

|(Attendance & in-class assignments) | |

|Maximum Points |500 points |

Grades:

|Letter grades for the course will be assigned in |

|consideration of the following ranges: |

|90% - 100% |A |448 – 500 |

|80% - 89% |B |398 – 447 |

|70% - 79% |C |348 – 397 |

|60% - 69% |D |298 – 347 |

|0% - 59% |F |0 – 297 |

Explanation of Overall Course Grade Calculation:

For the exams, each percent will represent the number of points for the test. The midterm percentage will represent the total points earned out of 100 possible points. The amount of total participation points earned will be determined by adding the number of points earned for attendance and the group and in-class assignment(s). The number of project points will be determined by combining the project grades and scaling the total to 100 points if necessary. Scores in each area will be added to form a total number of points earned. The total number of points will be divided by 500 and the total point level and/or the student’s percentage will determine the letter grade assigned as shown on the previous sheet.

Attendance Policy:

Since comprehension is linked to the receipt and understanding of each lesson attendance is necessary for acquisition of mastery level. Besides reducing the professor’s ability to accurately determine necessary time limits and evaluate of the current teaching technique, student absences greatly reduce time for questions and thought development (on the part of the student). Therefore, students are expected to attend all classes and will be allowed to miss three (3) class lectures with the applicable deduction of participation points; any students who accumulate four (4) unexcused absences will fail the course.

Makeup Policy:

At least one grade may occur in each class meeting. Exams may be made up only with an excused absence and must be completed on a Saturday when the proctor is available during the specified time span. Not obtaining an excuse and/or not taking the missed exam in the specified time will result in a recorded grade of 0% on the exam. Make-up exams may differ from the original exam.

No in-class work or grades may be made up without a University Excused Absence (please refer to your undergraduate catalog for the definition). If you feel that an absence that does not fit this definition should be excused, then you will need to go to your academic dean to get this absence excused. I will not decide whether an absence is excused if it does not fit the definition of a university excused absence.

Syllabus: MTH 225, Spring 2008, p.3

Class Etiquette:

|Turn off cell phone ringers before entering class. |Be on time. |

|Be kind and considerate to others. |Do not disturb other students. |

|Talk only about topics related to the current class session. |

Additional Guidelines:

Cell phones, excessive talking, or any form of disrespectful activity will not be tolerated. The instructor will ask the student(s) to leave the classroom.

Marshall University’s Cell Phone Policy:

Marshall University’s cell phone policy is that they should be turned off or on silent when entering the classroom. All cell phones must be turned off during tests.

Plagiarism Policy/Academic Honesty/Academic Integrity:

Academic integrity is necessary, priceless and mandated. Academic dishonesty of any nature will NOT be tolerated. Any two or more identical papers will be considered as academic dishonesty unless other reasoning is previously known and accepted. Review procedures and definitions as outlined in the Undergraduate Catalog (pg. 102-105).

Withdrawal Policy:

Students should check with the Financial Aid and the Registrar’s office before dropping a course.

A student must properly withdraw from a class or receive a grade of “F”.

Inclement Weather Policy – 2 hour delays, cancellations, closures:

MOVC will place announcements of school closings and/or delays on Big Country 99.5, The River 101.5, Sunny 93.1, and The Frog 92.1 after 3:00 pm. These announcements will also be available on the weather hotline at (304) 674 – 7239 and/or online at marshall.edu/movc after 3:00 pm.

In the event of a 2 - hour delay, classes would follow the regular timed meetings with the first 2-hours (8:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.) being cancelled for that day.

Statement Concerning Learning or Otherwise Disabled Students:

I will always work with my students in ways that support and deliver fairness and desired achievement as my schedule and ability will permit. I strongly recommend all students with a disability to acquire the assistance and support of Marshall University Disabled Student Services.

Disabled Student Services: {117 Prichard Hall / (696)-2271} marshall.edu/disabled

The Office of Disabled Student Services assists differently abled students with all aspects of campus living through learning programs and activities. The ultimate goal is for each student with a disability to function independently. Services are available for all students with disabilities at the University, whether they are full or part time students.  Students are required to provide documentation of the disability.  The program staff will work with students to individualize the type and level of services provided. Coordinator: Sandra Clements, Prichard Hall, Room 117, 304-696-2271, Fax: 304-696-2288,Clements@Marshall.Edu, Office Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00am - 5:00pm.

Social Justice: marshall.edu/eeoaa/Forms/EEO-Policy.pdf

I personally vow to never discriminate against anyone. This applies to every race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, age, national origin, veteran status, or persons with disabilities. The Marshall University Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Policy can be found at the website shown above and/or in the student handbook. Any requests for information on the implementation of this policy should be addressed to the Office of Equity Programs, 207 Old Main, Marshall University, Huntington, WV 25755, (304) 696-2592

Course Philosophy and Themes to be developed:

My main concern is to keep each course at the appropriate level while making sure to enhance the student’s learning for mastery and success. This course is the beginning level of statistics required to prepare the students for other courses necessary for the career path they have chosen. Students should be certain to understand material presented as it is a building block and will provide some elemental training for the mathematics that dwells in the infrastructure of their curriculum and/or future job market.

Academic Freedom:

Academic Freedom is defined in the Greenbook, p. 15, as follows: “Responsibility for course content, program integrity, and academic quality rests with the faculty of the department where the program is housed, and any changes in courses or programs would normally be initiated by those faculty.” Above all, a course is included in the requirements for a program because it furthers the goals and outcomes of the program. How a faculty member approaches the course objectives is entirely up to that faculty member.

Noteworthy Dates:

January 14: First Day of Classes

January 18: Last Day to Add Classes

January 21: Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday – no classes

January 22: “W” Period Begins

February 8: Application for May Graduation Due in Academic Dean’s Office

March 5: Mid-Semester

March 21: Last day to drop a full semester individual course

March 24 – May 2: Complete withdrawals only

March 23 (Sun.) – 30 (Sun.): Spring Break !

April 9: Assessment Day on Campus – MOVC still meets

April 28 – May 2: “Dead Week”

May 2: Last Day to Completely Withdraw

May 6: Comprehensive Final

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download