Mathematics 363
Introduction to
Statistical Methods
Fall 2014
Course Home Page
Overview.
In Introduction
to Statistical Methods, we shall be using your background in biology,
economics, or engineering and your previous knowledge of algebra, calculus and
differential equations to consider the issues of collection, model
derivation and analysis, interpretation, explanation, and presentation of
data. The objective this course is
to take advantage of the coherent body of knowledge provided by statistical
theory having an eye consistently on the application of the subject. This
approach will allow you to extend your ability to use statistical methods
beyond those given in the course.
The major prerequisites are comfort with
calculus and a strong interest in questions that can benefit from statistical
analysis. Willingness to engage in
explorations utilizing statistical software is an important additional
requirement. Even though many of our examples are derive from the life
sciences, statistics is
applicable to a wide variety of academic disciplines, from the natural and
social sciences to the humanities.
Day-to-Day Operations.
The class meets Tuesdays and Thursdays from
9:30 AM to 10:45 AM in room 333 of Education Building.
The schedule of topics, the course textbook, and
assignments are given in the course syllabus.
This semester, we will be flipping the class – thus, you will be typically listening to
5 to 6 short lectures, answering 2 to 3 check point exercises and submitting
them before the beginning of class.
The class will begin with a discussion meant to assess your understanding of
the lectures and to discuss the assignment. Most of the class will be devoted
to using a worksheet having one or two statistics or probability problems. Much
of the work can be completed during class time. Typically, you will work in
pairs, so you will need to bring a
laptop to class.
The class will have an
graduate teaching assistant, Julia Fisher. Julia is simultaneously pursuing a
doctoral degree in linguistics and a masters degree in
statistics.
name |
email |
office hours |
location |
Joe Watkins |
jwatkins
at math.arizona.edu |
11:00-12:00 Monday 12:00-12:30 Monday 1:00-2:30 Wednesday |
220 Mathematics 522 Mathematics 522 Mathematics |
Julia Fisher |
jmfisher at email.arizona.edu |
11:00-12:30 Tuesday 11:00-12:30 Thursday |
220 Mathematics 220 Mathematics |
Feel free to stop by my office in the Mathematics Building,
call me at 621-5245 or send an email.
Use of
Software.
We will do some software computation using R. R is a free software environment for
statistical computing and graphics. It compiles and runs on a wide variety of
UNIX platforms, Windows and MacOS. To download R, please
choose your preferred CRAN mirror. As with any computer software, the syntax in
R will seem awkward at first. Many of you will also want to download Rstudio, which is
also free.
Copies of Introductory
Statistics with R by Peter Dalgaard are available at the bookstore. Other options
for software assistance can be found on the resource webpage.
Evaluation
of Students.
We shall have 2 in-class midterm exams and a comprehensive
final exam. Our final is scheduled for Wednesday, December 17th, 2014 from
10:30 am to 12:30 pm.
Permission to turn in late homework for credit must be
arranged in advance. Students will also design and complete a project that
analyzes data using statistical software.
The grading scheme is
number |
points |
total |
|
check points worksheets |
22 20 |
5 10 |
110 200 |
midterm exams |
2 |
100 |
200 |
project |
1 |
50 |
50 |
final exam |
1 |
175 |
175 |
total |
735 |
The check
points are short exercises described in the videos and are meant to
solidify your understanding of a concept. These are due in the D2L dropbox midnight the evening before
class. The worksheets are
generally 1 or 2 problems with several parts that are designed to deepen and
integrate your knowledge. We will start on the worksheet problems in class. You
will often need to complete the worksheet after class. These are due at the beginning of the following class.
Students are encouraged to work together, but everyone is expected to turn in
their own assignment either to the dropbox or in
class. We will keep the top 22 check point scores and
20 worksheet scores. In addition, we will have ~4 optional sections on more
advanced topics (indicated in red). Check point
exercises for these sections will be counted as extra credit.
Grades will be given on the usual scale A is 90%-100%, B is
80%-89%, C is 70%-79%, D is 60%-69%, and E is below 60%. The instructors may move these cutoff values down.
If you fail to complete the course due to circumstances unforeseen, then you
may qualify for a grade of I, "incomplete" if all of the conditions
are met:
Students should take the time to become familiar with policies and codes
of the University. Student with special needs should contact SALT - Strategic Alternative Learning
Techniques Center or the Disability
Resources Center.
Best wishes to you for a good semester in this course and in
all your other activities.
- Joe Watkins