MATH 2600 - Probability & Statistics - Fall Semester 2015 Dr. Brandon Samples - Department of Mathematics - Georgia College Course Information: CRN: 80123 Lecture: MWF: 8 am - 8:50 am Building: Arts & Sciences Room 1-42 Homework: Posted online through MyStatLab Instructor: Dr. Brandon Samples Office: Arts & Sciences 1-20 Phone: 478-445-2434 Email: brandon.samples@gcsu.edu Website: https://faculty.gcsu.edu/custom-website/brandon-samples/ Office Hours: By appointment or anytime during the drop in hours below Monday & Wednesday: 12-1 Tuesday & Thursday: 10-11 Supplemental Instructor: Ms. Emily Baum Email: emily.baum@bobcats.gcsu.edu SI Sessions: TBD and communicated in class Course Description: This course is an overview of descriptive and inferential statistics with an emphasis on exploratory data analysis, basic experiment design, probability distributions, and statistical inference. Course Prerequisite: C or better in Area A mathematics Course Text/Materials: Agresti & Franklin, Statistics: The Art and Science of Learning from Data, 3rd Ed., Pearson Education Inc, 2013. Must purchase a MyStatLab access code. Digital copy of text available through MyStatLab online access. Hardcopy strongly recommended. A graphing calculator which cannot be shared during exams. TI-84 is the preferred choice, but it s not the required choice. Access to statistical programs such as SPSS in order to complete the project. GC provides many options including SPSS, which is installed on the campus computers. Student Leaning Outcomes: Students will be able to calculate and interpret basic descriptive statistics. Students will be able to calculate probabilities for simple events from a variety of random experiments. Students will be able to describe and use properties of basic probability distributions.
Students will understand and be able to perform statistical inference in the form of confidence intervals and hypothesis tests. Students will be able to use appropriate technology in the evaluation, analysis, and synthesis of information in problem solving. Students will be able to carefully review current public information and apply course knowledge to critique and suggest informed decisions. Withdrawals: Midpoint withdrawal deadline is October 15, 2015 at 5:00 pm. After this day, you may only receive a course grade of F as mandated by the university. Grading: Tests [45%] - There will be 3 in-class midterm exams for this course. If you cannot make it to class for an exam, you must bring an official excuse clearly indicating the situation. Test 1 - September 18, 2015 Test 2 - October 23, 2015 Test 3 - November 23, 2015 Final [25%] - There will be a cumulative final exam given Wednesday, December 9, 2015 from 8 am to 10:15 am. Homework & Quizzes [20%] - There will be online homework assignments administered through MyStatLab. Homework will not be accepted late, so you should plan ahead for potential conflicts. See attached pdf for instructions. Also, there will be a series of unannounced quizzes, which will be administered during the first five minutes of certain classes. These quizzes are a way to verify you are appropriately managing your pre-class work such as assigned reading and videos. Your one and only one lowest quiz grade will automatically be dropped. This includes a situation that you make a zero by virtue of absence. Project [10%] - In order to emphasize the central learning outcome of this course, there will be a group project that integrates various means of statistical inference in order to make informed decisions. The project will require designing an appropriate experiment, collecting data, running appropriate tests using technology, and writing a report. Attendance Policy - Each day your attendance and participation will be evaluated. You will receive a score of 0 or 1 depending on your timely presence and professional behavior. Your one lowest midterm exam score will be replaced by your final exam score (assuming the final is higher) if and only if you accumulate at most three scores of 0 for your daily grade. N.B.: Absences automatically counts as 0 scores, there is no difference between excused or unexcused absences and the final exam score will not be dropped. Grading Policy: Throughout the semester, you will receive feedback on your academic performance in this course. Use the following intervals together with the above percentages to determine your grade. Note that grades are calculated using a weighted average µ = HQ.20 + P.10 + T.45 + F.25 where HQ, P, T and F represent the averages of homework assignments and quizzes, the project, tests, and the final exam, respectively. The instructor reserves the right to round a student s final
score upward. Final Grade Interval Final Grade [88, 100] A [78, 88) B [68, 78) C [58, 68) D [0, 58) F Religious Observance Policy: Students are permitted to miss class in observance of religious holidays and other activities observed by a religious group of which the student is a member without academic penalty. Exercising of one s rights under this policy is subject to the GC Honor Code. Students who miss class in observance of a religious holiday or event are required to make up the coursework missed as a result from the absence. The nature of the make-up assignments and the deadline for completion of such assignments are at the sole discretion of the instructor. Failure to follow the prescribed procedures voids all student rights under this policy. Assistance for Student Needs Related to Disability: If you have a disability as described by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 504, you may be eligible to receive accommodations to assist in programmatic and physical accessibility. Disability Services, a unit of the GC Office of Institutional Equity and Diversity, can assist you in formulating a reasonable accommodation plan and in providing support in developing appropriate accommodations to ensure equal access to all GC programs and facilities. Course requirements will not be waived, but accommodations may assist you in meeting the requirements. For documentation requirements and for additional information, we recommend that you contact Disability Services located in Maxwell Student Union at 478-445- 5931 or 478-445-4233. Student Opinion Surveys Statement: Near the end of the semester, you will be asked to complete an online survey. Your responses are valued because they give important feedback to instructors to help improve student learning. All responses are completely confidential and your name is not stored with your responses in any way. Academic Honesty: The integrity of students and their written and oral work is a critical component of the academic process. The submission of another s work as one s own is plagiarism and will be dealt with using the procedures outlined in the GC Catalog. Remember that allowing another student to copy one s own work violates standards of academic integrity. Fire Drills: Fire drills will be conducted annually. In the event of a fire alarm, students will exit the building in a quick and orderly manner through the nearest hallway exit. Learn the floor plan and exits of the building. Do not use elevators. If you encounter heavy smoke, crawl on the floor so as to gain fresh air. Assist disabled persons and others if possible without endangering your own
life. Assemble for a head count on the front lawn of main campus or other designated assembly area. Electronic Recording Policy: Electronic video and/or audio recording is not permitted during any class unless the student obtains permission from the instructor and every student present. If permission is granted, any distribution of the recording is prohibited. Violation of this policy is grounds for removal from the class and referral for disciplinary action. Students granted specific electronic recording accommodations from Disability Services do not require special permission; however, the instructor must be notified. Any distribution is prohibited.
Advice You will almost certainly do better in this course when you realize this class should be and will be significantly harder than high school statistics. If it was supposed to be easy, we would not even bother. Learning mathematics is like preparing for a marathon. If you try to run all at once without practicing and training almost daily, you will inevitably falter. You should expect to work about 5-8 hours per week outside of class. Do not be surprised if it takes more time on several occasions. If do not spend the advised amount of time, you will likely receive a course grade of C at best. These are the results of grade distributions of past semesters. A B C D F W Total 19 48 28 15 8 3 121 If you expect to already know how to solve a problem as soon as you read it or solve them all in 2 minutes, then you should prepare yourself now for a reality check. Such experiences align accurately with a complicated world where answers usually do not exist and people do not tell you how to solve problems. Employers want to hire graduates that navigate situations which cannot always be google or youtube searched. Emails should be written and discussions should take place in a professional manner. You never know when you might need a recommendation later in your career. The way you present yourself can greatly affect your future success. While I embrace technology, you should be careful that your dependence does not become your undoing. I will ask questions on the exam that demonstrate your actual understanding of concepts. Moreover, all questions must be supported with detailed solutions or will receive no credit. I know what calculators can do and will craft questions accordingly. I suggest you form study groups early in the semester. It is always a great idea to talk math with your peers. Often times it can give you great perspective, keep you on track, and prevent unnecessary frustration. You will understand things much better once you can explain it to someone else. Try it out. Please come visit office hours and SI sessions. We are here to help you succeed. I am always happy to answer questions during office hours or email. I check email almost continuously, so just tell me what is on your mind.
Pearson's MyLab & Mastering Student Registration Instructions To register for Math 2600 - Probability & Statistics - Dr. Brandon Samples: 1. Go to www.pearsonmylabandmastering.com. 2. Under Register, select Student. 3. Confirm you have the information needed, then select OK! Register now. 4. Enter your instructor s course ID: samples76898, and Continue. 5. Enter your existing Pearson account username and password to Sign In. You have an account if you have used a Pearson product, for example: MyMathLab, MyITLab, MyPsychLab, MySpanishLab or Mastering, such as MasteringBiology. If you don t have an account, select Create and complete the required fields. 6. Select an access option. Use the access code that came with your textbook or that you purchased separately from the bookstore. Buy access using a credit card or PayPal account. If available, get 14 days temporary access. (The link is near the bottom of the screen.) 7. From the confirmation page, select Go To My Courses. 8. On the My Courses page, select the course tile Math 2600 - Probability & Statistics - Dr. Brandon Samples to start your work. To sign in later: 1. Go to www.pearsonmylabandmastering.com. 2. Select Sign In. 3. Enter your Pearson account username and password, and Sign In. 4. Select the course tile Math 2600 - Probability & Statistics - Dr. Brandon Samples to start your work. To upgrade temporary access to full access: 1. Go to www.pearsonmylabandmastering.com. 2. Select Sign In. 3. Enter your Pearson account username and password, and Sign In. 4. Select Upgrade access from the course tile Math 2600 - Probability & Statistics - Dr. Brandon Samples. 5. Enter an access code or purchase access with a credit card or PayPal account. For a registration overview, go to www.pearsonmylabandmastering.com/students/get-registered. Scroll down to Need a little help? and select a video.