Statistics might be defined as the science of numerical reasoning from data. Its purpose is to aid people in making decisions based on the analysis of numerical information. Data and numerical arguments abound not only in science and social science disciplines but in almost every field of academic inquiry. Moreover, most people encounter statistical reasoning in everyday life. It is therefore exceedingly appropriate and important for all liberally educated citizens to undertake study of fundamental principles and methods of statistics

Course Principles:

The following principles guide my teaching of this course and may help you to understand what I think the course is about:

1. Statistics is not math - it is not number crunching. Contrary to its popular perception as a black box collection of arcane magic tricks, statistics involves much more than numerical computations. The emphasis of the course will be on understanding statistical concepts and on interpreting and communicating the results of statistical analyses. In other words, you will be expected to learn to construct and analyze numerical arguments. In contrast to most mathematics courses, we will be using phrases such as “there is strong evidence that ...” and “the data suggest that ...” rather than “the exact answer is ...” and “it is therefore proven that ...” To alleviate the computational burden, we will often use the computer program Minitab to perform calculations and produce graphical displays.  You will find that interpreting and explaining are at least as important, possibly more important, than calculating in this course.

2. Statistics involves the analysis of genuine data.  Supporting my contention that statistics is applicable in everyday life and in most fields of academic endeavor, you will analyze real data from genuine studies covering a wide variety of applications throughout the course. Some of these data sets involve information that you will collect about yourselves and your peers; others will come from sources such as published scientific studies, official statistics from government agencies, and various web resources.  The contexts for these data will span a wide variety of subject matters, from medicine to law, from psychology to politics, from education to sports.  My intention and hope is that most should be of interest to a general audience.

3. Understanding results from investigation and discovery. Class meetings will be designed for you to actively engage with the material, rather than passively taking notes while I lecture.  We will work through activities carefully designed to lead you to discover statistical concepts, explore statistical properties, and apply statistical methods. You will be encouraged to work collaboratively with a group on these activities, while we will work through others as a class.  In general, my role during class will be to mill about the room, answering your questions and prodding you toward a better understanding of the material.  I will also lead class discussions and present explanations when appropriate.  Please come to class expecting to participate, think, and learn.

By the conclusion of the course, I hope that you have improved your ability to 

•  apply and interpret the results of a variety of statistical techniques, including both exploratory and inferential methods;

•  understand many of the fundamental ideas of statistical such as variability, distribution, association, causation, sampling, experimentation, confidence, and significance;

•  analyze and assess statistical arguments such as those found in the popular press as well as in scholarly publications;

•  use statistical software to analyze data; and

•  communicate effectively your knowledge of statistical ideas, and the results of statistical investigations. 

Prerequisites:

There are no formal prerequisites for this course. Certainly, no prior knowledge of statistics is expected. The mathematical level of the course is that of high school algebra. Although we will use computers extensively, you need not have prior familiarity with them. I will provide you with detailed instructions concerning the use of the computer and the statistical package Minitab. What you do need to bring to the course are an open mind for tackling numerical questions in a conceptual manner and a willingness to participate actively in class. You should also plan to spend 1-2 hours of work outside class for each hour spent in class.   

Evaluation:

In order to give you a variety of opportunities to demonstrate your learning, your grade in this course will be determined by the following components, with relative weight as indicated:

 You will have regular homework assignments which can worked on as part of a group. (For each group assignment, please hand in ONE copy with the signature of each group member who participated in working the activities  recorded on the first page of the assignment.  Groups MUST NOT ALLOW a group member to sign if she did not participate fully in doing that worksheet!) Late work will only be accepted at the beginning of the next class, but it will suffer a 10% penalty.  Frequently homework will be discussed in class and and homework grade will be recorded according to your class response and participation.

Regular class attendance is an indication of your interest in this course. You are expected to attend class every day and a record of your attendance will be carefully kept and factored into your course participation/homework grade. (If you miss more than ¼ of the scheduled classes for any reason, you will fail the course.) The material in this course has a well deserved reputation for being difficult and you cannot hope to keep up if you are not in class. If you miss a class, you are expected to to check the course web pages and find out, BEFORE THE NEXT CLASS what material was covered, and to catch-up and be prepared to move forward.

When you are in class, you are expected to be actively engaged in statistics activities.  The use of cell phones, instant messaging, and web surfing not related to class activities is prohibited.