STA 2023 Honors            Introduction to Statistics                      Fall 2008

 

Instructor:  Maria I. Ripol

office: Griffin Floyd 117 C

office hours: MW 11:45 – 12:35 am & 3:00 – 4:00 pm

                        F  11:45 – 12:35 am, or by appointment

phone: (352)273-2976

web:  http://www.stat.ufl.edu/~mripol    

email:  mripol@stat.ufl.edu

 

MWF 4th pd MAT 108  Sec 4431

MWF 7th pd LEI 142    Sec 5370

 

TA:  Chen Li

office:  Griffin Floyd 218

office hours:  TR 3rd period

 

 

Course Description and Objective
STA 2023 is an introductory course that assumes no prior knowledge of statistics but does assume some knowledge of high school algebra. Basic statistical concepts and methods are presented in a manner that emphasizes understanding the principles of data collection and analysis rather than theory.  Much of the course will be devoted to discussions of how statistics is commonly used in the real world.  This course satisfies General Education Credits in the Mathematical Sciences.  There are two major parts to this course:

·       Data (graphical and numerical summaries of data, and the principles of good data production)

·       Inference (drawing conclusions about the whole population of interest, based on data collected for a sample).  The primary goal of the course is to help students understand how the process of posing a question, collecting data relevant to that question, analyzing the data, and interpreting the results can help them find answers to real problems from their world.

Required Materials

1.       Lab Workbook for Statistics: The Art and Science of Learning from Data, 2nd edition by Maria Ripol and Megan Mocko, containing copies of the lecture notes to be used in class.

2.       Statistics: The Art and Science of Learning from Data, 2nd edition by Alan Agresti and Christine Franklin, Pearson, 2009. You may purchase the full book or the Volume 1 portion, depending on what you want to do next. If you plan on taking STA 3024, you would be better off purchasing the full book. If you are not planning on taking STA 3024, it is cheaper to just purchase Volume 1.

3.       Scientific Calculator (around $10 to $15) that has some basic statistical functions like mean and standard deviation (look for the following symbols:  and either s or sn-1).  Graphing calculators are NOT allowed.

 

Course Website:   http://www.stat.ufl.edu/~mripol

The website will have any important announcements, such as quizzes and projects, or any changes to the schedule.  It will also contain directions to e-learning, an integrated, password protected, Web based classroom management tool, where you will be able to take the online quizzes and check all your grades.

 

Online Quizzes   There will be four online quizzes, administered through WebCT.  You have three tries for each quiz (with questions randomly generated) over a period of several days.  The highest of the three attempts is automatically recorded.   Each quiz will be worth 10 points, for a total of 40 points.  Hopefully these quizzes will serve the purpose of improving your grade in the class, as well as be an important tool in learning the material for the course. 

 

Projects  There will be several short activities and projects to be completed during the semester.  The point values of the projects will vary with their length and difficulty, and they will be worth a total of 60 points altogether.  Some of these projects and activities will be done in class, others on your own.  More details about the projects and due dates will be given in class.

 

Suggested Homework Problems, will be listed on the course website.  They will help you master the material but will not be collected. 

 

Exams  There will be three exams given during the semester, each worth 100 points. Students are required to bring a calculator, pencils and a photo ID as well as any other needed materials to the exams. In case of conflict or illness, if a student is unable to take an exam at the scheduled time, they must get in touch with the instructor immediately, for any arrangements to be made for a makeup. Each case will be reviewed individually. Valid and detailed documentation is a prerequisite under such extenuating circumstances. A grade of zero is the minimum punishment of any type of dishonesty on an exam.

Exam 1  

  Monday, October 6, 2008 (in class)

Exam 2  

  Friday, November 7, 2008 (in class)

Exam 3  

 Wednesday, December 10, 2008, (in class)

 

Course Assessment            Grade Structure        

 

        Grading Scale

Exam 1

   100 points

 

    A 

90% to 100%

Exam 2

   100 points

 

    B+ 

85% to 89%

Exam 3

   100 points

 

    B 

80% to 84%

Projects 

     60 points

 

    C+ 

75% to 79%

Quizzes 

     40 points

 

    C 

65% to 74%

TOTAL 

   400 points

 

    D 

60% to 64%   (No D+ given)

 

 

 

    E 

59% and below

 

Course Policies

Email – will be answered within one working day in most cases.  Please be aware that statistical questions should be answered in person (in class, during office hours or in the tutoring room) since they often require pictures and formulas that make it very hard to communicate through email.

Attendance to this course is REQUIRED.  If you miss a class for illness or emergency, it is your responsibility to get a copy of the notes and all information given in class from another student.  Additionally, during class students should turn off their cellular phones and refrain from eating, drinking, reading newspapers, doing homework, listening to music and excessive talking.

Instructor's Honor Code - We the members of the University of Florida community, pledge to hold ourselves and our peers to the highest standards of honesty and integrity.

Academic Dishonesty - We adhere to the University of Florida rules and guidelines for handling instances of academic dishonesty. Please refer to the Office for Student Services for detailed information about the current policies.

Grading – grades will be changed only when an error has been made.  Negotiation is not appropriate.  There is no appeals process.

Incompletes are only assigned when extraordinary circumstances, arising after the date for dropping the course, prevent the student from completing the course requirements. Having a failing grade in the course is not a valid reason for requesting an Incomplete.

Students with Disabilities - Students who require special accommodations in class or during exams should follow the procedures outlined by the Disability Resources Program (http://www.dso.ufl.edu/drp/).  Please see the instructor during office hours early in the semester, to discuss your accommodation letter confidentially.