| Instructor Information |
| Name: |
Michael
Greenwich |
| Biography: |
BS. in Mathematics (1983),
MS. in Statistics (1984), and Ph. D. in Mathematical Statistics (1987),
all from University of Toronto,
Toronto, Canada.
Teaching at Talladega College,
Talladega, Alabama (1987-1988), at Purdue University Calumet, Hammond,
Indiana (1988-2003), and at the College of Southern Nevada since
Fall of 2003.
Statistical consulting in industries since 1989.
|
| Home Page: |
http://www.nevada.edu/~greenwic/ |
Emergency
E-Mail: |
greenwic@nevada.edu
Note: Due to the wealth of computer viruses spread
through e-mail and the daily barrage of unsolicited junk mail (SPAM),
any current student wanting to send the instructor a course-related
message must do so using the course e-mail on WebCT (now, Blackboard). The instructor's emergency e-mail address is to be used ONLY
if the course e-mail on WebCT is unavailable. Non-Emergency e-mail
sent to this regular e-mail will, most likely, be ignored. |
| Phone &
Voice Mail: |
(702)
651-5884
Note: Although you may leave a message, the most expeditious
way to reach the instructor will be using the course e-mail on WebCT. |
| Fax: |
(702)
651-5881 |
| Office: |
CSN Charleston Campus, Building
H, Room 101-A |
| Office Hours: |
Online (In
Chat Room): T & R 11:30-12:00 Noon
In Office: M 12:30-1:30 & W 10:00-11:00 in H 101-A.
Note: These office hours are in effect from August 25 to December 3, 2008.
Additional Hours: By Appointment |
| |
|
| Course Information |
| Title/Number: |
STAT
152, Introduction to Statistics |
| Section(s): |
DED01
(51750) |
| Dates: |
Moday, August
25 through Friday, December 13, 2008 |
| Description: |
An introductory Statistics
course on basic probability and statistical methods covering topics
such as data, descriptive statistics, graphs, points and interval
estimatation, hypothesis and significance testing, correlation, experiment,
sampling and related topics.
Prerequisite: Placement Test, MATH 124, MATH 126, or higher (or their equivalent). A grade of C or higher is required for the prerequisite. |
| Method of Instruction: |
Students
will be expected to read the text repeatedly till they understand everything in the text, do the suggested homework problems,
and study the indicated website materials.
Note: Technical difficulties and any difficulties (beyond your control or
not) will not be acceptable excuses for missing deadlines or failing
to complete the assigned work (Quizzes & Exams). |
| Location(s): |
Internet-
WebCT Access: http://vconline.csn.edu/webct/entryPageIns.dowebct.
CSN Testing Center on West Charleston Campus-To take Mid-Term Exam and Final
Exam.
| IMPORTANT: The WebCT program requires you to
use one of the following web browsers or their newer versions: |
- AOL 7.0
(PC)
- AOL 8.0
(PC)
- AOL OSX
(OSX)
- Microsoft
Internet Explorer 5.0, 5.5 and 6.0 (PC)
- Microsoft
Internet Explorer 5.1 (OS9, OSX.1)
- Microsoft
Internet Explorer 5.2 (OSX.2)
- Netscape
6.2.x (PC and Mac)
- Netscape
7.0 (PC & OSX)
|
| If
you have any questions, contact your instructor immediately. |
|
Note:
Various features in this course, including the required online
quizzes, make use of pop-up windows. Thus, to be able to participate
in this course, you should disable any "Pop-Up Blocker" software installed
on your computer. |
WebCT
Access: |
CSN
WebCT Access: http://vconline.csn.edu/webct/entryPageIns.dowebct
WebCT ID (User Name): Last 8 digits
of your CSN Student ID
Note: This is NOT your Social Security Number. (Example:
If your CSN Student ID # is C012345678, then your User Name is 12345678)
Password: 4-digit
number, MMYY, corresponding to your birth month and year (Example:
If you were born in May of 1975, your Password is 0575) |
| Special Note to AOL
users: |
AOL
users have reported many difficulties with the class management system.
If you are intending to use AOL to access the course materials, you
will either want to use the latest Version of AOL, or a different browser.
Nearly every computer sold in the last three years contains a copy of
Internet Explorer. After you log onto AOL, you can simply open Internet
Explorer and use it instead of AOL's browser. By the way, all those
free AOL CD's you get in the mail make great coasters. |
| Internet Access: |
Students
are required to have Internet access. If a student does not have Internet
access from home, he/she may use any of CSN's computer labs. To use a
lab, students must provide identification and proof of enrollment in a
course at CSN. |
| CSN Computer
Labs: |
| Most
of you will probably do your assignments/quizzes at home or
at work. Technical problems will NOT serve as a valid
excuse for missing deadlines. If you are having problems
with your computer or do not have the required software, feel
free to use any of the on-campus Computer Labs. Do not wait
till the last day to take a quiz. |
Charleston Interactive
Learning Center - 702-651-5731
Cheyenne Interactive Learning Center - 702-651-4592
Henderson Interactive Learning Center - 702-651-3002
Summerlin High-Tech Center - 702-651-4900
Western High-Tech Center - 702-651-4898
Green Valley High-Tech Center - 702-651-2650
|
|
| |
| Textbook |
| Required: |
The
textbook is authored by Michael Greeniwch and available on WebCT (free of charge).
The textbook is written in pdf files and the Adobe Reader is required. If
your computer does not have it, you can down load it from www.adobe.com
free of charge. All the computers in the computer lab on any CSN campus
have it.
Reference:
Beginning Statistics by Larry J. Stephens (ISBN 0-07-145932-4).
This reference book is optional. Any introductory statistics book can be used as a reference book. If confilicting information is found in any reference and the text,
the information in the text should be used. |
| Text Coverage: |
| All the sections of
the text will be covered, except for optional appendices.. |
|
| |
| Course Objectives |
| Goals: |
| Upon completion
of this course, students should be able to: |
1. Understand and use fundamental statistical principles, analyses,
methods, and tests.
2. Obtain unbiased data from different random systems.
3. Statistically display and analyze data to obtain information
for decision-maiking.
4. Use what is learned to learn more advanced statitsical principles,
analyses, methods and tests.
5. Extend and apply what is learned in this course to solve
real-world problems.
|
|
| |
| Special Notations Used In
This Course |
| Exponents: |
When
typing an exponential expression, it will not be possible to superscript
exponents. Instead, use the ^ symbol (shift-6 on most
keyboards) to indicate exponents. Thus, to indicate the expression x5,
type x^5. As with all exponential expressions, be very careful with the
inclusion or exclusion of parentheses. 7y^3 = 7 · y · y · y,
and (7y)^3 = 7 ·7 ·7 · y · y · y = 343y^3. |
Fractions &
Rational
Expressions: |
For
every fraction, put the numerator in a set of brackets, and put the denominator
in another set of brackets. That is, type it as (numerator)/(denominator),
WITHOUT using spaces. Be careful; use parentheses ( ),
not brackets [ ] or braces { }, and DO NOT type a fraction as
(numerator/denominator). For example, to write the fraction three-fifths,
type (3)/(5), not (3/5).
To indicate the rational expression  ,
you must type (x+2)/(x-3). If you type x+2/x-3, you are actually indicating
 , which is not the
same as the intended expression. Once
again, be sure to use
parentheses, not brackets or braces. The expressions
[x+2]/[x-3] and {x+2}/{x-3} will be marked as incorrect.
If the numerator or denominator
contains several terms, parentheses are allowed, just be sure to put
brackets around the entire numerator and the entire denominator. For
example, a valid response may look like: (x+3)(x-2)/((x-5)(x+4)) which is different from (x+3)(x-2)/(x-5)(x+4). |
| Radicals: |
Since
it is impossible to type a 
symbol, we will indicate square roots using ( )^((1)/(2)). For
example, to indicate  with
the notation, type as 5^((1)/(2)). Also, to indicate a cube root, type
as ( )^((1)/(3)). For example, to indicate a cube root
of x, type as x^((1)/(3)). |
| Example: |
It
is possible to have to type an expression containing some or all of the
above notations. For example, to indicate the expression  ,
you need to type (2(xy^5)^((1)/(2)))/(3). |
| General
Instructions: |
Your
answers to the questions in Quizzes and Exams must be in the simplest
form unless otherwise specified. Do not use spaces when you type your
answers. It is
required to type your answers in WebCT using the notations for fractions
and exponents (regardless of whether or not a question instructs to use
the WebCT notations, if fraction and/or exponents are involved in the
answer) unless otherwise instructed..
If
you get confused or want to clarify the notation for Quizzes, e-mail me;
I would be happy to assist you. |
| |
| Policies |
| Calculators: |
A scientific
calculator is required for this course. A graphing calculator is allowed but not required. |
| Instructional Language: |
English is the instructional language of this course. No dictionary and no translator of any kind are allowed for exams. |
| Dates & Hours: |
All the dates and hours (times) used in this course and by CSN are local to Las Vegas, NV. |
| ADA
Notice: |
Any
student who qualifies for "reasonable accommodations" in accordance
with the American with Disabilities Act must notify the instructor in
writing of such by the end of the first week of class. If you have a
documented disability that may require assistance, you will need to
contact the Disability Resource Center located in the Student Service
Center on each campus. The phone numbers are (702) 651-4700 at Cheyenne, (702) 651-3086 at Henderson, and (702) 651-5089 at West Charleston. Please visit
http://www.csn.nevada.edu/drc/ for more information. |
| Honesty: |
Academic
dishonesty of any kind will not be tolerated. It is a very serious offence. Any incident of academic
dishonesty will be reported to the Vice President of Academic Affairs,
and the most serious course of action will be recommended. |
| Missed
Quizzes & Exams: |
There
are no acceptable excuses for missing (or failing to
complete) a Quiz or Exam. This includes technical difficulties (or other
computer problems), children, illness, deaths in the family, traffic court,
vacations, or any other legitimate (or imaginary) problems, no
exception. Particularly, Quizzes are available for an extended
period of time so that students can make appropriate arrangements to complete
the required work. Thus, any missed Quiz (and Exam) will be scored as
a zero, and no retake, no extension of deadlines or no make-up work of
any kind will be offered. Stay ahead of the deadline schedule for Quizzes. Do not wait till the last day to take a Quiz. |
Religious
Holidays: |
(From
the CSN Student Handbook) CSN is sensitive to the religious obligations
of its students. Any student missing class, quizzes, examinations or
any other class work because of an observance of religious holidays
shall, whenever possible, be given an opportunity to make up the missed
work. You must notify the instructor in writing of such an event
before the date of occurrence. This policy shall not apply
in the event that administering the assignment at an alternate time
would impose an undue hardship on the instructor or the College which
could not have been reasonably avoided. |
| Withdrawals: |
If
you stop logging into the course or quit completing the required quizzes,
you will NOT be assigned an automatic W or "Withdrawal" grade. In order to receive a W, you must officially
drop the course by the final drop date listed in the college catalog.
The instructor of this course will not assign a W to the
students, under no circumstance and no exception. |
| Incomplete: |
An
Incomplete is issued only when the requirements for Incomplete are completely
satisfied; see the CSN Student Handbook/Planner for the requirements.
A student must request and substantiate the satisfaction of the requirements,
in writing, for incomplete to receive the incomplete. |
| No Exception: |
All
the policies and such given in this syllabus and anywhere else apply to
every one of you as a student of this course without any exception. Please
do not think you are special. Every student is treated equally in this
course; no discrimination, no special treatment. You will be evaluated
by nothing but your performances on the Quizzes and Exams as stated in this syllabus. |
| Changes: |
The
instructor reserves the right (and right not) to change the course syllabus,
schedule, policies, and such as necessary. If any change, it will apply
to all the students in the course. |
| |
| Grading |
| Homework: |
Read
each section very carefully till you understand everything in the section.
Do the exerceses given at the end of each section, which will be very
beneficial to you. No assignment will be submitted for grading. Also,
studying quiz questions will be helpful for understanding the materials
and preparing yourself for exams. |
| Syllabus
Quiz (Quiz 0): |
You
will begin the course by taking a quiz (Quiz 0) over the information and
policies laid out in this syllabus. Although the score on Quiz 0 will
not count toward your overall course grade, you MUST get a perfect score
on it before any of the remaining quizzes in the course will be made available
to you. If you do not get a perfect score, review your answers and the
Syllabus, and then retake Quiz 0. Any Quiz missed due to a failure to
take and get a perfect score on Quiz 0 will be scored as a zero, and no
make-up work and no deadline extension will be allowed or offered. |
| Graded Quizzes: |
There
will be eight 100-point, online quizzes. Quiz completion deadlines are
found with the quizzes, listed in the Course Schedule below, or in
the Calendar. Any Quiz not taken by the specified deadline will be scored
as a zero. Absolutely no make-up quiz, no extension of the
quiz deadline, no quiz retake after the deadline will be offered for any reason, no exception. Each
Quiz must be completed within the posted time limit (120 minutes). Unless
approved by the instructor, answers saved after time has expired will
not be accepted. No Quiz score will be dropped from the Course Grade
calculations. At the end of the semester, the average (QA) of all points
earned on the graded quizzes will be included in the Course Grade calculation.
You can take a Quiz as often (with a 30-minute interval) as you wish
before its deadline (that is, no excuse for not getting perfect on a
Quiz). The highest score is used for the quiz. You can take any quiz
as soon as you score perfect on Quiz 0. No score change for a Quiz after its deadline. Study early and take a Quiz
sooner than its deadline. In fact, do not wait till the last day (of
the deadline) to take a Quiz. Take it early and as often as you can
to get the perfect score on the quiz. The correct answers will be released
day after the deadline. |
| Exams: |
Around
the middle of the term, there will be a 100-point Mid-Term Exam,
and near the end of the term, there will be a 100-point Final Exam.
Each Exam must be taken, in person, on the specified date listed in
the Course Schedule. Any Exam not taken on the specified date will be
scored as a zero. Absolutely no exam retake, no make-up exam, and no exam date
extension will be offered for any reason, no exception. The
Exams are closed-book; only a calculator and pens/pencils are allowed
for taking them (no cell phone, no dictionary, no translator). Each Exam must be completed within the posted time
limit (two hours) at the Testing Center on CSN West Charleston Campus
on the specified day. If you cannot take them there (with a legitimate
reason such as living outside the greater Las Vegas area), you must contact the instructor in the first week to make an arrangemen
(the Exams must be proctored). |
| Computer
Grading: |
You
are required to enter all answers and responses using the specified formatting notation
indicated in this syllabus and at the top of the page listing the quizzes
in the course. Additional required notations may also be listed in the
instructions for individual questions. Quizzes will be automatically
graded by the computer, which, unfortunately, sometimes fails to recognize
alternate forms of correct answers. Although you are required to enter
all responses using any specified formatting notations, it will be in
your best interests to review every Quiz after it has been graded. If
you have an answer you believe was incorrectly marked wrong, it is your
responsibility to contact the instructor for a possible adjustment to
your score before the deadline of the Quiz. However, the correct notations are part of this course.
You will lose points for incorrect or lack of use of notations. |
| Extra Work for Extra Credit: |
Absolutely
no extra credit work will be offered in this course, no exception. Please
do not even ask for it. |
| Grade Calculation: |
Grades will consist
of:
QA of 8 Online Quizzes:
Mid-Term Exam:
Final Exam:
Total Points:
|
Points
100*0.4 = 40
100*0.3 = 30
100*0.3 = 30
100 |
Your
points:
90.00-100.00:
80.00-89.99:
70.00-79.99:
60.00-69.99:
Below 60.00: |
Your
grade:
A
B
C
D
F |
|
Point
totals will be rounded to the nearest hundredth of a point. No +/- grades
will be issued. |
| Grade Calculation Example: |
Assume
Stu Dent finishes the semester with a Quiz scores of 100, 89, 95, 56,
96, 67, 100, and 100, a Mid-Term score of 84, and a Final Exam score
of 78.
His grade is computed as:
QA = (100+89+95+56+96+67+100+100)/8 = 703/8 = 87.875
(0.4)*(QA) + (0.3)*(Mid-Term Exam) + (0.3)*(Final Exam) =
(0.4)*(87.875) + (0.3)*(84) + (0.3)*(78) = 83.75, which is a grade
of B for the course.
Any student
who has points fewer than 60, but has not officially withdrawn from
the course, at the end of the semester will receive an F for the course.
|
| |
| Tips For Success |
| Study: |
To succeed in this course (or any course), you must study the
course materials given in the Textbook. Read each section till you understand
it. If you have some difficulties understanding some materials, contact
me by the Course E-mail on WebCT, during the office hours in
the Chat Room, or in my office on West Charleston Campus. Study to understand,
not to memorize, the materials in this course. Memorization (as opposed
to understanding) is the worst thing that anyone can do in a Statistics
course and in life as well. Do the exercises given at the end of each
section and study the questions in the Quizzes. |
| Do not Procrastinate: |
Don't
wait until the last minute to begin a quiz. You are strongly advised
to complete each Quiz at least a day or two before the deadline.
That way, if you experience a technical or any kind of problem, there
would be enough time to resolve the problem before the actual deadline.
Remember, no make-up work and no deadline extension will be offered,
for any reason. Generally, you will be better off if you stay ahead
of the schedule. All the Quizzes are available from the first
day of the semester/session. Stay ahead of the course and
Quiz deadline schedulues. |
| Ask
for Help: |
If
you find yourself falling behind or become even the slightest bit confused,
seek help immediately! Feel free to e-mail your instructor at any time.
You should receive a response within 24-48 hours. Each student receives
12 free hours of tutoring for each class in which they are registered.
The Tutorial Center on the Charleston Campus is located in the lobby
of the D Building. Also, there is an open Math & Science Resource Center on the Charleston,
Cheyenne, and Henderson Campuses. These Centers are staffed with tutors
and math instructors and their use is free of charge. |
Rework
Examples: |
Pay
close attention to the examples (especially, numerical examples) found in the textbook. After reading
through them, write down the problem and try to work it without looking
at the textbook or anything else. |
| Connections: |
When
doing exercises and problems, try to identify the process and point
of doing them. If all you do is crunch out numeric answers or reproducing
from memorization, you won't get very much from them. Eexercises are
intended to reinforce the understanding of concepts. If you can see the
intended connections, you do not have to do many exercises or problems
before you understand them. |
Clearly State
Answers: |
Generally,
when responding to questions, use complete sentences, not phrases. For
example, if the numeric answer to a word problem is 60, simply stating
60 or x = 60 is insufficient. Instead, state "There are 60 cats
in the barn." This will force you to realize some answers may be incorrect.
If you write the sentence, "There are 13.7 cats in the barn," you should
realize 13.7 is not a valid answer.
Note:
For most of the answers on the online quizzes, you are not to write
complete sentences or include units of measure while you are to write
to complete sentences or include units in the exams. While they may
significantly aid in the understanding of the material, the extra
verbiage will cause the computer to mark the answer incorrect.
|
Check
Answers: |
After
completing a quiz/exam, check your answers (especially, the ones graded
to be incorrect) in the quiz/exam. If you believe your answer to be
correct, feel free to ask your instructor, a tutor, a classmate or a
friend. You must contact the instructor before the deadline of the quiz to change the quiz grade.
Also, check all your answers thoroughly before you finish a quiz/exam.
It is your responsibility to give correct answers as instructed in the
appropriate notations. |
| Affirmations: |
Stop
saying "I am not good at stat (or math)." The more you say it, the more
likely you are to fail. Instead, start telling yourself "I can do this." |
| Work
Together: |
Working
with other students will be beneficial. Often, another student
can relate to a simple problem and offer advice. If you can clearly
explain how to work a problem to another student, your own understanding
will be greatly enforced. Also, if you cannot explain how to correctly
work a problem, you may find that you may need to work a little harder on
some topics. You can communicate with other students in the course by Chat or Mail. However, discussions on specific questions
in quizzes before their deadlines are prohibited. All the activities on WebCT are recorded and monitored. Check your
course e-mail (Mail) and Announcements regularly for messages from your
instructor. |
Make
Mistakes: |
Everyone,
including your instructor, makes a few careless and other mistakes. Mistakes are
part of the natural learning process. Do not get discouraged by them;
profit by them. Always take the time to review your work and graded
quizzes. The best way to start reducing the number of mistakes
you make is to identify the kind of mistakes you are prone to making.
That way, you know what to watch out for when working future problems. Always,
check your answers to catch your mistakes and incorrect answers in every
quiz/exam before you submit it. Checking your answers improves your
grade. |
| |
| Important Dates as
Listed in the College Class Schedule |
| August 24 : |
Final
day to receive100% refund. |
| August
25: |
First
day of 2008 Fall Semester. |
| August 29: |
Final
day to drop a class without a grade or W. |
| August 31: |
Final
day to receive 75% refund. |
| October 20: |
Mid-Term
Exam in the Testing Center on CSN West Charleston Campus. |
| October 30: |
Final
day to officially switch between audit and credit. |
| October 30: |
Final
day to drop a class with a grade of W (you cannot get a W after this date,
no exception). |
| December 11: |
Final
Exam in the Testing Center on CSN West Charleston Campus. |
| December 13: |
Final
day of 2008 Fall Semester. |
| |
| Course Schedule (You may go faster than this schedule, except
for the Exams) |
| |
Dates |
Topic & Textbook Sections |
Quiz/Exam Due Dates |
| 1 |
8/25-8/29 |
The
Syllabus and General Information
Introduction
|
Complete
Quiz 0 as soon as possible
Note: You MUST attain perfect score on
Quiz 0 before you can access any other Quizzes. |
| 2 |
8/30-9/5 |
Section
1.1
|
Complete Quiz 1 by 10 pm on 9/5
Quiz 1 on Introduction & Section 1.1 |
| 3 |
9/6-9/10 |
Section
1.2
|
|
| 4 |
9/11-9/15 |
Section
1.3 |
Complete Quiz 2 by 10 pm on 9/15
Quiz 2 on Sections 1.2 & 1.3 |
| 5 |
9/16-9/22 |
Section 2.1 |
|
| 6 |
9/23-9/29 |
Section
2.2
|
Complete Quiz 3 by 10 pm on 9/29
Quiz 3 is on Sections 2.1 & 2.2 |
| 7 |
9/30-10/6 |
Section
2.3 |
|
| 8 |
10/7-10/14 |
Section
2.4
|
Complete Quiz 4 by 10 pm on 10/14
Quiz 4 on Sections 2.3 & 2.4 |
| 9 |
10/15-10/20 |
Section
2.5 |
|
| 10 |
10/20 |
Mid-Term
Exam
|
Mid-Term
Exam
on 10/20 (Monday) at the Testing Center
on CSN West Charleston Campus
Mid-Term Exam on Introduction & Sections 1.1 to 2.5 |
| 11 |
10/21-10/27 |
Section
3.1
|
Complete Quiz 5 by 10 pm on 10/27
Quiz 5 on Section 2.5 & 3.1 |
| 12 |
10/28-11/3 |
Section
3.2
|
|
| 13 |
11/4-11/10 |
Section
3.2 |
Complete Quiz 6 by 10 pm on
11/10
Quiz 6 on Section 3.2 |
| 14 |
11/11-11/17 |
Section 3.3 |
|
| 15 |
11/18-11/24 |
Section 3.4 |
Complete Quiz 7 by 10 pm on 11/24
Quiz 7 on Sections 3.3 & 3.4 |
| 16 |
11/25-12/1 |
Section 4.1 |
|
| 17 |
12/2-12/8 |
Section 4.2 |
Complete Quiz 8 by 10 pm on 12/8
Quiz 8 on Sections 4.1 & 4.2 |
| 18 |
12/11 (Thursday) |
Final
Exam
|
Final Exam on 12/11 (Thursday)
at the Testing Center on CSN West Charleston Campus
Final Exam on 3.1 to 4.2 |
|