Syllabus for Math 214 (Multivariable Statistics)

Syllabus for Math 214 (Multivariable Statistics)

Spring 2013 Semester at Lycoming College

Course Content

Topics begin with a summary of introductory statistics (descriptive statistics, applications of the normal distribution, confidence intervals and hypothesis tests about means, and simple linear regression), after which topics covered will include confidence intervals and hypothesis tests about variances, multiple regression and regression diagnostics, one-way and two-way analysis of variance, multiple comparison methods, analysis of covariance, stepwise regression, chi-square tests, logistic regression, and various sampling methods. Heavy use is made of statistical software, currently SPSS. The major goal of this course is to provide the student with an overview of some advanced statistical techniques and some applications in a variety of fields, such as business, psychology, sociology, science, etc. This course can count as an elective choice toward several majors and/or toward the mathematics distribution requirement. Prerequisite: either MATH 123 or one of MATH 129 and MATH 130.

Course Goals

Since this course counts toward the mathematics distribution requirement, goals for this course include fostering critical thinking skills and preparation for further work in the scientific traditions that require the collection and statistical analysis of data. Since this course can count for the mathematics major, goals for this course also include developing the ability to assess the probability of a simple random event, to interpret the result(s) of a statistical study, and to solve mathematical problems with the use of technology.

Who Should be Taking This Course

This course is designed for students who have either (1) taken Math 123 (Introduction to Statistics) and desire to study more sophisticated statistical techniques, or (2) taken Math 128-129 (Calculus I and II) and/or Math 130 (Matrix Algebra) and desire to study some sophisticated statistical techniques without having to start with Math 123 (Introduction to Statistics). Students who do not satisfy one of these course prerequisites will have their names removed from the roster.

Lycoming College provides academic support for those students who have been diagnosed with learning, physical, and psychological disabilities. If you have a diagnosed disability and seek academic accommodations, please consult with Mr. Dan Hartsock, Sophomore Dean and Coordinator of Services for Students with Disabilities. Mr. Hartsock can help you arrange for academic accommodations in the classroom. His office is in the ARC on the third floor of the Snowden Library.

Instructor(s)

Name

Office Location

Office Hours *

Office Phone

Dr. Gene Sprechini

Academic Center D311

Mon 4:00 PM to 4:30 PM (B302)

Tue 10:00 AM to 10:30 AM (D311)

Wed 4:00 PM to 4:30 PM (B302)

(570) 321-4288

*You may of course also see your instructor by appointment

Tutoring

General Tutoring is available for students who want to check homework answers for errors, get help doing homework, and ask questions about class work. While tutors may need to give some detailed explanations to help students with questions, it is not the tutors’ job to teach material from scratch. (Students who miss class should get a copy of class notes from the instructor, from a tutor, or from a classmate. It is then the student’s responsibility to review the material, update notes, and direct any questions to a tutor, the instructor, or a classmate.)

Individualized Tutoring is available for any student who needs more help than an instructor or tutor can provide. Students desiring individualized tutoring can visit the Academic Resource Center on the third floor of the Snowden Library, and speak with Shanna Wheeler.)

Required Materials

Each student must have

· a three-ring binder with a section containing a copy of this syllabus together with the course schedule and tutor schedule (if there is one), a section containing the class handouts, and a section containing homework assignments (Since students will need to use this binder every day in class and will be allowed to use this binder for exams, it should be kept up-to-date and complete; also, many of the exercises assigned both in and out of class will refer back to work done in one or more previous exercises.)

· a calculator (any TI-84 or TI-83 calculator is recommended but not required) – students will need to use the calculator almost every day in class, for completing many of the required assignments, and on exams

· a computer account on the college network in order to access the SPSS statistical package

At various times throughout this course, you will need to access certain files (typically for SPSS and occasionally for Excel). These files can be accessed from links on the course schedule.

Course Links

Course Schedule

General Tutoring

Individualized Tutoring

Description of Required Project

Statistical Tables

Selecting the Proper Statistical Procedures

Using SPSS for Windows

Grading

Item	Point Values and Policies
Homework	Homework assignments are given at the end of each class; the assignment due for the following class is announced and is posted in red the course schedule. The total number of possible homework points for the semester is 200. Late homework is never accepted for any reason. Between 10 and 20 possible homework points can be earned each week, and all the homework points for a given week can be earned as long as there are not too many errors or too much missing work; homework assignments not submitted should be completed for practice and answered checked with a tutor or the instructor. A student who misses submitting more than 10 homework assignments automatically fails the course.
Semester Tests	Three semester exams are given; specific dates are available from the course schedule. Each semester test is worth 150 points, so that the total number of possible test points for the semester is 450. For each missed test, a grade of zero is recorded, unless (1) the instructor is presented with documented evidence of a medical reason for not completing the test at the scheduled time, and (2) arrangements to make up the test are made within 24 hours of the originally scheduled exam time.
Project	The project is worth 200 points and involves the formulation of research questions and the analysis of relevant data.
Final Exam	The final exam (administered during final exam week) is worth 350 points.
Attendance	The final course grade percentage is reduced by 4% for each unexcused absence after the third unexcused absence; an absence is considered to be excused when the instructor accepts an email from the student explaining the reason for the absence. It is the student’s responsibility to find out what was missed in class and keep up with the coursework. Students can get a copy of class notes from the PowerPoint files posted in the course schedule, the instructor, a tutor, or a classmate. A student with more than 8 unexcused absences automatically fails the course.
There is a total of 1200 points that can be earned. The final course grade percentage is the percentage of points earned out of the total number of points that can be earned. The final course letter grade is determined from the following: A = above 93.33% A– = 90% to 93.33% B+ = 86.67% to 90% B = 83.33% to 86.67% B– = 80% to 83.33% C+ = 76.67% to 80% C = 73.33% to 76.67% C– = 70% to 73.33% D+ = 66.67% to 70% D = 63.33% to 66.67% D– = 60% to 63.33% F = below 60%

Tips for Success in This Course

(1) Keep up with the homework - understanding every homework assignment as completely as you can is the key to grasping the course material. Even though there will be some homework assignments that you may not be required to submit, do them anyway, since they will help you master the material. Check all your homework answers with a tutor before submitting an assignment.

(2) As part of your preparation for tests and the final exam, do all exercises suggested for practice by the instructor, and start working on these early; don't wait for the night before the test or exam.

(3) Get your questions answered quickly by the tutor, the course instructor, or a classmate. If you feel you need more personalized assistance, go to the Individualized Tutoring link and arrange for private tutoring.

(4) Keep your binder up-to-date and well-organized, since you are allowed to use the binder for exams.

General Standards and Policies

All work submitted must be of professional quality. All paper must be neat, without ragged edges, rips, tears, smudges, stains, etc. All answers must be clear, complete, and concise; handwriting must be legible. If the instructor can't read it, it's wrong. Assignments may be down-graded if these standards are not met.

It can be very helpful for some students to work together on daily assignments and to study together; this is encouraged when it does not result in one student simply copying another's work with no understanding. Acts of academic dishonesty will result in a grade of F for the course, and a letter to the Provost describing the circumstances. If you are having problems in the course, talk to the instructor; don't involve yourself in academic dishonesty. With each assignment submitted, students are expected to write a short note at the end of the assignment indicating from whom help was received and to whom help was given (but this does not affect the grade for the assignment). The following is from the FACULTY HANDBOOK in the section titled Student Course Load:

"It is expected that students will spend, in preparation for courses, two hours of study time outside the classroom for every hour of credit in the classroom."

This means that you should be prepared to spend, on average, eight hours per week outside of class working on a four-credit course; however, this will vary from student to student and from course to course. Your time will be spent reading the text, reviewing class notes, and completing homework exercises.

If you encounter a problem while working on assignments, do not spend more than 20 or 30 minutes trying to solve the problem; if you cannot solve a problem in 20 or 30 minutes, even with the help of a tutor or lab monitor or classmate, work on something else and show the problem to the instructor of the course as soon as possible.