About Statistics:

Statistics is the study of the collection, organization, analysis, interpretation, and presentation of data. 

In this course, statistical thinking is viewed as an investigative process that leads to data-based conclusions. The type of statistical thinking learned and practiced supports student success in future classes, builds workplace skills, and prepares students to become well-informed, engaged citizens.

We live in a data-driven society. As of May 2024, 328.77 million terabytes (1 TB =  1,099,511,627,776 bytes!!) of data are created every day, and some experts predict that the world will create 147 zettabytes of data by the end of 2024. This is a significant increase from 2020, when users generated 64.2 zettabytes of data  We need to understand and interpret all this data in meaningful and thoughtful ways. Check out the graph below to see just how much data is generated over years. It's A LOT!

By the end of the term, you will be informed citizens.  You will be engaged in the day-to-day activities of statisticians, such as research, thinking, reading, teaching, presenting, and using technology.  Most importantly, I hope that by the end of the term, you will have learned to ask questions about the world and about statistics and data that news media, politics, and other sources cite.  It is asking questions that drive statistical inference and sound decision-making.

You will be challenged, but challenge and struggle are VITAL to learning. You must struggle with the concepts to learn and understand them.  I will facilitate this struggle through active learning and group activities in Canvas. Your voice and perspective are vital to the entire class.

GUIDING QUESTIONS:

• How do we gather “good” data?

• Why is data collected and analyzed?

• How do people use data to influence others?

• How can predictions be made based on data?

MAJOR ASSUMPTIONS:

• As human beings, we engage in research and information gathering — asking questions and pursuing strategies to answer those questions — every day.

• If thoughtful and careful, we can use statistics to connect various systems, social structures, and scientific data worldwide.

• We are a data-driven society: most, if not all, decisions are made by analyzing data and drawing conclusions from the analysis. We need to know how to analyze and properly draw conclusions to make good decisions.

• Education doesn't have to be painful for us to learn. Learning can be fun; we probably learn best when our minds and bodies are actively engaged in the learning process.

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES

Upon Completion of Math 40, a student should be able to:

• build a frequency distribution for, and make a histogram of, quantitative data. 

• determine whether or not there is a significant correlation for a bivariate data set, and if so, fit a linear regression equation and use it for data prediction. 

• perform the steps for a hypothesis test about a single population parameter and interpret the result. 

• solve an application problem using the central limit theorem. 

• use a computer program to make a graph of categorical data. 

Course Outline

We live in a data-driven society. According to this Forbes Article which is over 4 years old, we have generated over 90% of the world's data in just two years!  We need to be able to understand and interpret all this data in meaningful and thoughtful ways.  Also, people will display data in multiple ways and talk about data differently than other people will. (Example: Median vs. mean - which is the true measure of center? Answer: Depends on the data.) The news media is crazy with data displays and polls, but are they useful? Do they help us be more informed? Take a look at these misleading graphs that have shown up in the news. 

We need to be well-informed to make good decisions, and yet, we are often not informed enough. We make the best decision we can with the information we have. Statistics shows us this very principle in action.

Introduction to Statistics satisfies the Mathematics requirement for an Associate degree. This class also serves as a transfer-level math course for some majors.

More reasons why you should take Statistics!!

Link to This is Statistics Flyers: 1 page, 2 page

Link to World of Statistics Flyer

Is it Difficult?

All things are difficult before they are easy.  ~Thomas Fuller

Statistics is the study of data.  Because data can consist of a lot of numbers, we need to use technology, like Excel, Google Sheets, or Python programming.  Most students struggle with the technology aspect of statistics, mostly because of the immense attention to detail that is needed for coding or entering commands. We will work together on this! Detail orientation is a skill that needs practice.

There are a lot of new vocabulary words that you'll need to know and apply. I won't quiz you on direct word-for-word definitions, but after some practice, you should be able to use the vocabulary in the correct contexts and understand the questions that are asked. We're learning a new field of study here, and there is lingo to know with every field of study.

Statistics has a direct application to your life and the world.  Students who never understood why we learn math see it in practice in a statistics class. This is why I love teaching it!  

How Much Reading? Every week, zero-cost readings and videos via Canvas are carefully selected to ensure the essential questions can be answered. The readings may be challenging, yet effective time management is part of the college experience.

How Much Weekly Work? Assignments accompany the lessons: Focused Notes, Collaborations, Lab and Practice.  

• Textbook readings can help you get familiar with the content so that when you get into the examples, you have a foundation to build on with the vocabulary. I'm not expecting you to understand the reading at first; the intention is to get you familiar with the vocabulary and content. 

• Focused Notes are provided to help you organize your learning and to help follow along with the lessons.  

• Collaborations are assignments that you work together in small groups to complete. Many will be completed in class and presented, and then collected at the end of class or beginning of next class.

• Lab assignments focus on applying statistics using various technology. Many of these will be completed along with the lessons and some will be on your own. Several of these assignments will support your Project (see below), and may be done with help from your group.

• Practice is exactly what it is: Practice statistics.  These are usually short "homework" assignments.

How Many Tests? In this class, we'll refer to tests as assessments.   There are 2 types of Assessments:

• • A Formative Assessment is a small and simple assessment designed to measure the process of your understanding of the course content.  Feedback provides guidance toward learning the content, and helps you correct mistakes before the summative assessments.  The focused notes, labs, and practice are formative assessments and occur for each chapter. 

  • A Summative Assessment is designed to measure your application of the unit course content. There are 5 summative assessments: 3 Exams, a Final Exam, and a Project. You will have opportunities to improve your scores for the exams after feedback is given to learn from your mistakes.

A Project? Because analyzing data will occur in nearly every field, it is important that we can apply our statistical learning to a data set and decide on the best statistical test or graph to accurately demonstrate what the data shows and how that information can be applied more widely. This project is broken into smaller assignments throughout the semester that you will have assembled by the end of class. The final project product could be a paper, a slide presentation, a video, a website, or possibly something else creative that showcases all the work you or your group completed. There will be specific components required in the final product, but delivery can occur in one of multiple ways.  

Grading? Focused Notes, labs, and Collaborations are mostly graded on completion. Homework is graded on correctness (you get instant feedback on the homework assignment). Human grading is usually completed within a week.

Any Extra Credit? One opportunity for extra points on the final exam, you can attend three virtual Smart Shops for three points added to your final exam grade.  You will need to make sure you complete the survey at the end of the Smart Shop to receive credit, and include my name as the only instructor. You won't be allowed to "double-count" a Smart Shop for two or more classes.

• This is a 17-week in-person course that begins on Monday, August 19, 2024.

• You will learn in a community with your peers. 

• You are expected to ENGAGE in the class during lessons to learn the content and interact with your peers and me. Do your best!

• This course is in-person. You must enroll in one of the concurrent support classes linked to this course (listed above). We will work on a lot of group work in class and using technology. We are in a computer room, so you don't need to bring your laptop, but you are welcome to do so if you wish. Everything we use is FREE and I will explain how to gain access to the tools.

Textbook, Software, and Other Materials

Education should NOT be expensive; however, too often it is.  I am striving to make your course with me as inexpensive as I possibly can. I am using FREE textbooks and free online resources. I allow free calculator apps for phones, even on exams. I have you use free technology (Excel is free to LPC students; Google Sheets is free with a free account - and your LPC email is a Google account!).   

If you encounter a problem with the course or with required resources, please let me know. I may be able to help.

• Access to the internet will be necessary, due to the online homework and submitting assignments.

• Textbook: Statistics and Probability, a free online textbook. If you want to order a hard copy, I can provide instructions on how you can print and pay only the cost of printing the book! (I'm still fine-editing this very large book for more clarity, so bear with me - your comments are very helpful! You likely won't need this physical book, but can use it for reference if needed. An older version of Bluman's Elementary Statistics or Triola's Statistics would also be sufficient.)

• Online Homework System: MyOpenMath through Canvas is an online homework system similar to MyMathLab, ConnectMath, and WebAssign, but FREE to you! There could be some coding errors with some homework problems, so bear with us as we fix them!

• Canvas Student App - another way to be connected to the course, though it is best if you can acquire a laptop/computer (see FAQs for requesting to borrow one for free from LPC.)

• Apple App Store (iOS)

• Google Play (Android)

• • Start-Up Guide

• A scientific calculator is suggested (Example, but other brands and types are acceptable). Your computer or phone's calculator is also sufficient for most of our calculations by hand (turn phone to landscape). For Statistics, I'm going to expect some fluency in Excel/Google by the second exam, and these can also act as a calculator. By chapter 5, you should start working in Google/Excel for your homework assignments.

  • Desmos Test Mode App is a FREE alternative to a scientific calculator that could be used on exams. Currently this is only available on iPhones, but they are in beta testing for Android (yay!). 

• The files you submit as assignments in Canvas can be created using Google Docs. You all have access to Google Docs in the Google Drive account that comes with your District-issued Zonemail account. Some of you might even have your own private Gmail account. Learn how to use Google Docs. 

• Microsoft Excel and/or Google Sheets will be used to organize data and run statistical analysis. There is a semester-long project that each of you will participate in through the lab portion of class. Learning this technology will be important to your grade in multiple ways, and a marketable skill you can promote in your resume! 

  • Access to MS Excel or Google Sheets. You have free access to MS Office as an LPC Student! Just use your Zonemail email address.  Google comes with your Zonemail.

• Chrome is the preferred browser for Canvas. However, make sure you have multiple browsers installed because if something doesn't work in one browser, it should work in the other. Stay away from Internet Explorer.

  • Here are links to popular browsers:

    • Get Chrome

    • Get Firefox

    • Get Safari  Often Safari doesn't work well with MyOpenMath, so the other browsers will be better choices.

• In order to view documents and certain multimedia on the Web, you need specific browser plug-ins. The most popular plug-in is Acrobat Reader and is typically built into your web browser. If you need to download a free plug-in, click the link below.

  • Get Acrobat Reader

CANVAS: Instructions and Submissions

Canvas will be used to house all documentation from class, as well as the primary communication between you and me, and you and your fellow students.  Canvas is a powerful tool to help facilitate discussion outside of the traditional classroom.

All your work is submitted through Canvas. Content is organized by weekly Modules to keep you on task with the material. There are several ways you can navigate through Canvas, but I encourage you to stick with the Modules.

More about getting started with Canvas can be found here.

Technical Support

Contact LPC’s technical support desk during weekdays to get any Canvas problems solved. During nights and weekends, you can contact Canvas directly at 1-844-600-3467.

If you need NetTutor technical support, click the Customer Service Request link within NetTutor, and fill out the form. You may also call the NetTutor Customer Support Team at (813) 674-0660 x204. The direct email is support@link-systems.com. Note: NetTutor may not be available for mathematics classes. Be sure to check the LPC Tutoring Center.

Grades

More Information on Assignments

Attendance and Late Work Policies

Focused Lessons

Learning the material initially will consist of different means of delivery: 

1. Lessons. In-class lessons relevant to the content focus on interpreting statistical results, running the tests/calculating using technology, and understanding the new terms. Lessons also consist of group work and show how to use the technology with help.  You can complete your focused notes by hand on paper or using online notetaking apps (Notes, OneNote; I provide the PDFs for the notes through Canvas and the paper copies the first week of class).

2. Collaborations. Assignments accompany the lessons to provide additional practice in a community, to help you better understand concepts and have opportunities to ask questions and get mistakes corrected. Collaborations will be completed in class and turned in either at the end of class or beginning of next class.

Practice

Practice homework is intended to practice what you learn. Each lesson will have a few problems for you to apply your learning. You are welcome to work with others on completing the problems, but you will have different problems (different numbers). You should keep a notebook or a spreadsheet of your work - don't just do the problems on scratch paper - so you can refer back to how you completed your work.  I will ask you on occasion to upload a picture of your work or your spreadsheet file, so keep these handy when you do your homework.  As we get further into the assignments, it may be easier to use Excel or Google Sheets to do the homework, and I will ask for uploads of those files when we are ready (usually around chapter 6, normal distribution).

(Optional) Discussion boards are available for you to ask and answer questions on the homework. MyOpenMath has a "message instructor" feature, but it is difficult to access through Canvas. So instead of allowing "message instructor", discussion boards will be used to ask and answer homework questions. These discussion boards are not required, but can give you some insight on homework and allow you to help your peers.

Lab Assignments

This class also includes a requirement to learn technology.  I have chosen to work with MS Excel/Google Sheets and Python programming. Most of the assignments have similar instructions, but sometimes Microsoft and Google diverge on how to do some functions.  Learning a new technology can be quite rewarding since you can translate that skill into other areas (include the skill on your resume!). It can also be time-consuming if you are very new at it. The labs are intended to ramp up in difficulty as we go and build on each other, so it is important you do the labs as presented.

We will also be using Python programming through Google CoLab. One of the largest growing fields right now is interdisciplinary computing. These Python lab assignments have a lot of instructions and are meant to show you that statistics can be accomplished using multiple technologies. We'll work together to complete these labs.

Exams

There are three exams in the semester: 

1. Exam 1 covers Chapters 1, 2, and 3

2. Exam 2 covers Chapters 4, 5, and 6

3. Exam 3 covers Chapters 7, 8, and 9

Final Exam is comprehensive and includes chapters 10 and 11.

Exams will have two parts: without technology and with technology.  The second parts are open notes, open book - only content linked from Canvas. NO PERSONS other than me can help you. Exams are scheduled for particular days during class.

Final Assessment 

Your final exam will be Thursday, December 18 at 9:30 am. The final exam will consist of questions from the entire course and questions from chapters 10 and 11. 

Project

More information about the project will be given after the first two weeks.

Concurrent Support & Math Jam

Math Jam occurs the week before classes start to get your brain cells working on math.  

Concurrent Support classes are semester-long courses to help you throughout your target math course for three hours per week. Also, the online Canvas course has great resources to help review content or brush up on prerequisite skills.  You can take the course for 1 unit credit (Math 100C) or tuition-free noncredit (NMAT 200C) - it is the same environment, you just get to choose whether you need the unit for financial aid or qualifying purposes (paid) or not (free).  My statistics class includes an attached support, so you will get some help that you need right away, through lessons that are more in-depth, review of relevant content, or working on homework assignments with help.

Tutoring

The Tutorial Center is available through the Penji app and in-person in 21215. There are tutors available in the Concurrent Support class, for drop-in at Tutorial Center, and weekly at a regularly-scheduled time.

My Contact Hours!  

I am happy to help by answering questions or explaining a concept in a manner that hopefully meets your learning needs.  See my availability and contact information.

Study with a fellow student from class.  

Creating a study group is one of the best ways to learn. Even if you do not like to work with others or if you think you “got this”, having to explain a concept or process to another student not only helps that student, but it also helps you form a more solid mental structure on the concept by forming your understanding into words. A study group (or study partner) is a two-way benefit! 

Online Resources

• MathTV - this is an online video tutorial site with multiple questions and step-by-step solutions to help you answer some statistics questions. This points directly to the descriptive statistics videos. Multiple videos from different tutors are available so you can get a different perspective on the same problem (and most videos are also in Spanish!). 

Media Credits: 

Course Banner: Computer with Graphs, Photo by Carlos Muza on Unsplash 

Children in Various Poses: Ashley McHale (my two kids at various ages)

YouTube and TedEd Videos, used with permission

Quote Background, Five People Jumping at Sunset, Photo by Guille Álvarez on Unsplash 

Bottom Quote Background: Person holding a handful of Coins with Note "Make a Change", Photo by Kat Yukawa on Unsplash