Math 54 (Section 2538) - Elementary Statistics (Online Version)

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Math 54 (Section 2538) - Elementary Statistics (Online Version)

Spring 2024

Prerequisite: Math 18 or Math 20, or courses equivalent

Course Text: 

The required text for this course is Statistics:  Informed Decisions Using Data, (6th  custom edition for Santa Monica College), by Michael Sullivan, III.  To access the online portion of our class you will need a MyMathLab/MyStatLab student access code.  Open your MyMathLab/MyStatLab Student Access Kit and follow the direction (http://pearsonmylabandmastering.com/).

Course Overview:

Since this is apurely online course there are no scheduled in-person meetings or required live Zoom meetings like there would be for a typical on-ground or hybrid class.  This is the nature of a purely-online course, designed to be flexible in this matter so that students with any kind of schedule can complete this course successfully from anytime zone.  However, Iwill have all of my pre-recorded lecture videos posted so that you can view actual lecture videos beyond just notes to read over. I will also post lecture notes and other resources for you to read over if    you want to view these to learn the material more efficiently than by watching the pre-recorded lecture videos.  However you choose to study, you will have all the materials necessary to be successful in this course.  I also recommend reading over the textbook if you need more resources to help you master the material.

This course covers concepts and procedures of descriptive statistics, elementary probability theory and inferential statistics. Course content includes:  summarizing data; computation and interpretation of descriptive statistics; classical probability theory; probability distributions; binomial, normal, T, Chi-square and F distributions; making inferences; decisions and predictions.  This course develops, analyzes, and interprets confidence   intervals for population parameters, hypothesis testing for both one and two populations, correlation and regression, ANOVA, and test for independence. This course develops statistical thinking through the study of applications in variety of disciplines. The use of a statistical/graphing   calculator and/or statistical analysis software (Stat Crunch, Excel) is integrated into the course.

Calculator: 

A TI-84 or TI-83 calculator is required for this class, since its use is highly integrated into the course.  It is important that you have your calculator with you every day that you work through problems, watch my Zoom lecture videos, or read over my notes since in this class we will go over how to use some of the statistical functions to do many calculations more efficiently.  On the exams you will be required to use your calculator since certain problems   will require using calculator functions.

Canvas: 

I will post Zoom lecture video links, handouts, notes, solutions, practice problems, and other useful materials throughout the course.  Thus, it is essential that you have internet access, particularly for using Canvas. These materials will be useful for you!  Always feel free to reach out tome if you   have questions on where to find these valuable resources.  If you click on “Modules” on Canvas and scroll down you find all of the valuable resources for the course. Note:  It is very imrportant for this class to regularly check    the ”Announcements” side tab on Canvas where I post regular announcements so that way we can all make sure we are kept in the loop and do not miss anything important.  For an online class this is crucial, so be sure to check it every day.

Course Topics:

1.   Descriptive Statistics

2.   Measures of Location and Dispersion

3.   Introduction to Probability and Probability Distributions (Discrete and Continuous)

4.   Sampling and Sampling Distributions

5.   Confidence Intervals

6.   Hypothesis Testing

7.   Tests of Independence

8.   Analysis of Variance

9.   Correlation and Regression Analysis

Course Objectives: Upon completion of the course students should knowhow to:

1.   Summarise and interpret data.

2.   Analyze and interpret presentations of data in graphical form.

3.   Find and interpret measures of central tendency and dispersion.

4.   Solve basic probability problems

5.   Analyze and interpret probability distributions.

6.   Formulate and perform a hypothesis test made about one-population parameters.

7.   Formulate and perform a hypothesis test made about the difference between the means or proportions of two populations.

8.  Formulate and analyze point estimates and interval estimates for the difference between the means or proportions of two populations.

9.   Formulate, test, and interpret a hypothesis of independence between two variables.

10. Formulate, test, and interpret a hypothesis test for equality of three or more population means using ANOVA.

11. Find and interpret the correlation between two variables.

12. Find the regression line, interpret associated values in context, and evaluate the goodness offit of the regression model.

13. Use the calculator and/or statistical analysis software to effectively implement the above objectives.

SLO - Course Level Student Learning Outcomes:

1. Given a data set, students will analye the data set and design a presentation of the information using tables, graphs, and statistical calculations.

2. Given sample data, students will decide on and use appropriate estimation strategies to make inferences about the important characteristics of population data, including the mean, proportion, and variance..

3. Given sample data, students will decide on and use an appropriate test to reach conclusions about a hypothesis made about a population parameter.

Program Learning Outcomes:

The student will demonstrate an appreciation and understanding of mathematics in order to develop creative and logical solutions to various abstract and practical problems.  As aresult of learning about the basic structure and manipulation of mathematical functions, students will analyze and solve abstract and practical problems.

Institutional Outcome:

As a result of studying instructor feedback given during lecture, or written on homework and exams, students will evaluate critically and present solutions in a clear and logical manner.

Entry Skills for Math 54: Prior to enrolling in Math 54, students should be able to:

1.   Solve linear and nonlinear equations.

2.   Simplify advanced numerical expressions (order of operations).

3.   Plot and interpret points on Cartesian coordinate system.

4.   Plot linear equations using the slope-intercept method.

5.   Translate verbally stated problems into appropriate mathematical forms.

6.   Solve absolute value equations and inequalities in a single variable.

7.   Evaluate an exponential function.

8.   Evaluate simple expressions involving sigma notation.

9.   Solve literal equations for designated variables.

10. Evaluate complex numerical expressions.

11. Given the description of a line, write the equation of a line.

12. Express the solution to an inequality using interval notation.

List of Exit Skills for Math 54:

1.   Statistically describe mathematical sets of data.

2.   Apply basic laws of probability.

3.   Formulate a probability distribution.

4.   Formulate and test the null hypothesis of one, two, or more populations.

5.   Make point and interval estimates of parameters.

6.   Indentify correlation between two variables as well as a linear relationship between them.

7.   Use statistical functions on a calculator.

8.   Critically evaluate statistical claims.

To Avoid Being Dropped:

Keeping up with the class by watching my Zoom lecture videos or reading my notes, reading the textbook, and completing the online homework, quizzes, and discussion board posts is important.  Staying on top of the assignments and being  organized tends to strongly increase class performance.  Throughout the semester, I will review your participation and assignments.  If you have not participated or   logged in for at least 1 whole week, you risk being dropped from the course.  It is  your responsibility to notify me if you have any challenges as soon as possible so  I can offer support.  Although I retain the right to drop you, it is nevertheless the   student’s responsibility to withdraw from the class if you do not intend to complete it. If you wish to drop this class, you may do so through Corsair

Connect. Students may process a drop for themselves through 75% of the class. Withdrawal dates for each class are provided within each student’s individual    Corsair Connect account.

Students who miss any exam before the drop date or who are inactive for more than two whole weeks without notifying me may be dropped from the course. Please keep mein the loop so that I can offer help if needed.

General information regarding drop dates, withdrawals, and other enrollment matters maybe found at the Admissions section of the SMC website:

http://www.smc.edu/EnrollmentDevelopment/Admissions/Pages/default.aspx

Required Participation During the FIRST Week of Course:

Grading: Your grade will be determined by the following weighted percentages:

Discussion Board Participation:                           4% of grade

Online Homework (Lowest Three Dropped)       6% of grade

Online Quizzes (Lowest One Dropped):              6% of grade

Small Project                                                        6% of grade

Midterm Exams (Lowest One Replaced):           52% of grade

Final Exam:                                                         26% of grade

Your grade in the course will be determined by the following:

A          89.5% - 100.0%

B          79.5% - 89.4%

C          69.5% - 79.4%

D          59.5% - 69.4%

F             0.0% - 59.4%

Note:  The extra credit for this class is being able to replace you lowest midterm exam grade with the percentage of your final exam (if you score higher on the final exam) as well as being able to drop your lowest 6 homework scores and your lowest 2 quiz scores (discussed more below).   However, I must adhere to making class equal and fair for all students.  In reality, Ido not give you a grade, you earn your grade based on performance.  I am always happy to offer any help or suggestions on how to study or prepare more effectively for this course to help youreach your goals.  Therefore, if you are struggling in my class please reach out early   without hesitation and I will be happy to help you get on the right track!

If you want a certain grade in this class, start strong from the beginning, work dilligently all along, and see me for help whenever you need it so that you can be successful.  You can be successful in this course!

Discussion Board Participation

Part of your grade is based on participation on the Discussion Board in Canvas inside the tab “Discussions”. That means interacting on the Discussion Board with your fellow students and the instructor to discuss and communicate about Statistics or other aspects of the course. 

At least two (2) weekly Discussion Board posts are due every Tuesday by 11:59pm.  This is to encourage everyone to keep up with the course and to stay active in interracting with one another (exceptions: Tuesday of the first week of class and Tuesday of Spring Break week).

You are required to make your thoughtful discussion board posts per week in the chapters required for the given week.  Please see the week- by-week schedule, also found in the last three pages of this syllabus, for more details.  Each of your required posts may either be (1) in the form of a question, (2) answering a question of another classmate, (3) contributing meaningfully to a discussion, or (4) making an additional remark to a comment or answer posted.  I also encourage students to make posts in the form of a video clip as this can be a wonderful way to interract with one another.

For the first week, your student biography can count as a required post. 

Guidelines on how to earn full credit on weekly Discussion Board posts:

1)  Questions or answers must be complete sentences, not simple one or two word answers such as “yes”, “ok”, “oh really?”, etc.

2)  Each post must be related to math or statistics.  For example: “On problem #5 on Section 8.1 HW, how come the standard deviation value used in the z-score calculation is 2.1 rather than 4.6?” . General questions such as due dates clarificantion, although encouraged, will not count towards your required 4 posts per week.  Thus, a simple post such as “Ido not have questions” will not count towards a required post.

3) Posts must be appropriate for the class and help to promote a positive and encouraging environment conducive to learning.  I reserve the right to delete posts that I find rude or negative in any type of way towards other classmates, myself, or the course in general.  Please use your common judgement and think before you    make posts.  This is not Facebook, Twitter, or Social Media and you are responsible for what you write!

Online Homework:

The homework exercises for this course are online, available from any computer at anytime, as long as the MathXL plugin is installed.

Although the homework can be time consuming, practicing doing math problems is essential for your success in this class.  As commonly said, “practice makes perfect”, eventually.  The homework is interactive, meaning you can get help, view an example, and see the solution worked out in detail, step by step.  There are also instructional videos that you can refer to for extra help.

The online homework assignments are designed to be challenging at times and may sometimes contain questions that will require different ways of thinking or strategies for solving problems than what are covered in recorded lecture videos.  This is normal and not to worry  about as you can discuss these problems with your classmates in the discussion board.  We are here to help each other and challenging ourselves is one of the best ways to grow as problem solvers.

Online access code for the text-book:   To access the online homework for our class, as well as the online quizzes (discussed below) you will need to purchase aMyMathLab/MyStatLab student access code.  You can access this through your Canvas account under the MyLab and Mastering tab on the side.  You may register for a 14-day trial for free, but after that you will need to pay with a credit card or purchase an access code or use the one that came with your textbook. Registration   within MyMathLab/MyStatLab is vital for your sake to be able to keep up with the course and not fall behind. Since registration is free for 14  days, there is no reason for not registering within the first two weeks

You are required to complete online homework and online quizzes assignments on a weekly basis (at least several times each week is recommended to keep up). Weekly online homework and online quizzes assignments will be due every Tuesday at 11:59pm (with the exception of Tuesday of the first week and Tuesday during Spring Break), soon the same days as weekly discussion board posts are due.

Do not procrastinate, it is strongly recommended that you keep up with the assignments at least several times per week to avoid falling behind   as you will not have enough time to catchup if you wait to start them until the day before the assignments are due. Although there will not be extensions on these weekly online assignments, I will be kindly dropping the lowest 6 homework assignments and the lowest 2 online quizzes to help accommodate for any potential difficulties or extenuating circumstances that you could encounter in your journey (life gets in the way sometimes as we know it). Note that there are    settings that allow you to look over already completed online assignments for practice and review when preparing for the unit exams.

Exams: There will be three two-hour long midterm exams as well as a three-hour cumulative final exam. During the time of taking exams, all students will be required to use Proctorio and have their camera turned on (more of ths to be discussed later on). Exams will be closed-book and closed-notes, but I will provide the Formula Card Packet for you on each exam which you can use.  The scheduled dates for the exams (tentative to change with prior notice), as well as the final exam, are as follows:

Exam 1: You have 2 hours to complete the exam (using Proctorio).

Exam 1 will be available on Canvas at 12:00amon Sunday, March 17, 2024, until 11:59pm on Monday, March 18, 2024.

Exam 2: You have 2 hours to complete the exam (using Proctorio).    Exam 2 will be available on Canvas at 12:00amon Sunday, April 21, 2024, until 11:59pm on Monday, April 22, 2024.

Exam 3: You have 2 hours to complete the exam (using Proctorio).   Exam 3 will be available on Canvas at 12:00amon Sunday, May 19, 2024, until 11:59pm on Monday, May 20, 2024.

Final Exam: You have 3 hours to complete the final exam (using Proctorio).  Final Exam will be available on Canvas at 12:00amon Sunday, June 9, 2024, until 11:59pm on Monday, June 10, 2024.

Students missing any exam should email me why they missed the exam to avoid being dropped from the course from being inactive. If you miss one exam, regardless of reason, your final exam percentage will count in place of that one missed exam. If you have not missed any exams, I will replace your lowest midterm exam score with your percentage scored on the final exam if you do better on the final. Thus, think of it as extra credit.  If you miss more than one exam you will get a 0  which unfortunately cannot be made up.  Even if you do not feel confident  in you might perform on an upcoming exam, you should still try to take it    and do your best.  You will not be able to drop or replace the final exam.

Also, you must take the final exam to pass the class with at least a C.

Important note: You will not be able to replace any of your exams with the percentage of your final exam if you have been caught cheating on one of    them, or if on that exam you have engaged in any other form of academic dishonsty (including lying tome that you took an exam when you did not). 

The questions on the exams will overall be similar to examples discussed in Zoom recorded lecture notes, online homework and quiz problems releted    to my notes, and my review problems that I give out.  Some questions on exams are designed to be more challenging to test if a student thoroughly understands concepts covered and how to apply them, rather than merely memorizing homework problems or example problems.  In order to maximize your grade for this class, I recommend reviewing the material a  few times a week to make sure you understand what has been covered.  I    also recommed working out extra problems to boost your problem-solving skills.  Waiting until a day or two before an exam to start preparing is strongly advised against.  Be sure to show work, as correct answers on   exams with little or no work shown, especially for major steps requiring lots of work, will receive little or no credit.