Elementary Applied Statistics - STAT 280
Course Meeting Times
Lectures: MTWRF, 10:00AM-1:20PM
Location: Duncan Hall 1046
Instructor:
Sharon Chiang
Office: DH 1036
E-mail: sc4712@rice.edu
Office Hours: Mon 2-3PM / Thurs 2-3PM
Grader:
Thomas McDonald
E-mail: thomas.o.mcdonald@rice.edu
Description
This course is designed to introduce the student to statistical methodology useful for data analysis. Emphasis will be placed on applications through working examples and computer-assisted data analysis in lab sessions.
Prerequisite
None.
Textbook
We will cover material from Chapters 1-10 and 12 of the book. Supplements will be made available along the way as needed.
Assignments
There will be eleven (11) problem sets, with one problem set per chapter. The purpose of homework is to learn and practice the material covered in the lecture. These assignments will be posted to the class website and are due at 10:00AM of the assigned due date. The lowest homework score will be dropped. You may use whatever resources you find helpful to work the assignments, including other students and the Web. However, you must write up and submit your own work individually. Submissions which are copies of another student’s work will be considered a violation of the Honor Code. Homeworks submitted after 10:00AM will be deducted 2 points for every additional late hour. Late submissions will not be accepted after 3PM of the due date.
Solutions to the problems sets will be posted after 5PM of the due date. Homeworks will be graded and returned to students within 3-4 days of the submission date. Students should not wait to receive their graded homeworks back before reviewing the posted solutions.
Exams
There will be three exams. Exam 1 will cover Chapter 1-3 and will be closed-book and closed-notes. Exam 2 will cover Chapters 4-7 and will be closed-book and closed-notes. Exam 3 will cover Chapter 8-10 and 12 and will have a closed-book, closed-notes component and a practical (open-laptop) component. Students must bring their own calculators to Exams 1, 2, and 3.
Grading
Your final grade will be based on homework (40%) and exams (60%). The following initial grading scale will be used.
Mendenhall, W., Beaver, R., & Beaver, B. Introduction to Probability and Statistics. 14th ed. Boston, MA: Cengage Learning, 2013. ISBN-13: 978-1133103752.
98 - 100 A+
93 - 97 A
90 - 92 A-
87-89 B+
83-86 B
80-82 B-
77-79 C+
73-76 C
70-72 C-
67-69 D+
63-66 D
60-62 D-
<60 F
Per University policy, the initial grading scale will be revised such that at most 10% of the class may receive an A+, and at most 40% may receive an A-, A, or A+.
Software
We will use the R programming language for this class. No previous experience is required.
Attendance
Students are expected to attend class. If a student misses a class, then he or she is responsible for keeping up with the course material and finding out if any exams, quizzes, or homeworks have been assigned or scheduled.
Disabilities
Any student with a documented disability needing academic adjustments or accommodations is requested to speak with me during the first two weeks of class. All discussions will remain confidential. Students with disabilities should also contact Disability Support Services in the Ley Student Center.