Course:                   STAT 3120

                                                                        Instructor:               Dr. Jennifer Priestley

                                                                        Office:                     Science 521

                                                                        Office Hours:           Fridays 9:30 – 11:00

                                                                        Email:                     jpriestl@kennesaw.edu

 

 

Course Pre-requisite: STAT 3010

 

Course Text:

An Introduction to Statistical Methods and Data Analysis, fifth edition, 2001 R. Lyman Ott and Micheal Longnecker, Duxbury-Thompson Learning [ISBN 0-534-25122-6]

 

Course Software:

This course will utilize one or more of the following statistical packages: EXCEL, SPSS, SAS.

 

Course Description:

This course is designed to provide students with a foundation in statistical methods, including review of descriptive statistics, the normal distribution, non-parametric methods, hypothesis testing and t-tests.

 

Learning Outcomes:

Students will receive instruction in the basic methods of statistical analysis as listed in the course description.  By the end of the course, students will be able to:

  1. Describe and interpret a dataset using descriptive statistics and appropriate graphical techniques;
  2. Understand and apply the foundations of the Central Limit Theorem;
  3. Identify when and how to correctly execute a t-test (in its many forms);
  4. Execute non-parametric analysis;
  5. Demonstrate the ability to translate analytical results into information, to support the decision making process, in both written and oral form;
  6. Demonstrate proficiency in at least two major statistical analysis packages.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Course:                   STAT 3120

                                                                        Instructor:               Dr. Jennifer Priestley

                                                                        Office:                     Science 521

                                                                        Office Hours:           Fridays 9:30 – 11:00

                                                                        Email:                     jpriestl@kennesaw.edu

 

 

 

 

Grading in this course will consist of three HW sets, one midterm and a final project:

 

 

Grading:                  

HW                              30%

Midterm                    30%

Final Project             40%

 

Notes on the Final Project:

 

  • Students will need to obtain a dataset of their choice (the source needs to be provided and verifiable).  The dataset will need to have AT LEAST 50 observations and three variables.  The dataset must have at least one ratio scale variable and at least one categorical variable.
  • Students will need to submit a 7-10 page report on the dataset, including:
    • A description of the dataset, the variables, where it came from, and why it was selected over all other potential datasets.
    • Descriptive Statistics on each of the variables (frequency table(s) for the categorical/qualitative variable(s) and measurements of central tendency and dispersion for the quantitative variable(s)).
    • Graphical Displays as appropriate for all data (this will include: Histograms of the quantitative variable(s), Bar charts and pie charts of the categorical/qualitative variable(s), and selected scatterplots and contingency tables).
    • A brief description of the key points from each display;
    • After extracting a 20 item sample from the dataset, students will perform non-parametric analysis on the sample and report the results.
    • If possible, students will perform a t-test on the dataset and report any significant differences (or explain why differences were not detected). 
    • A 5-10 slide presentation of the dataset and the analytical findings.

 

 

POLICIES:

 

Attendance & Assignment Policies:  You are expected to attend all classes, and turn in homework sets by the due date.  Late homework will NOT BE ACCEPTED.  While discussion/study groups are encouraged, you are expected to do your own work on homework problems that are turned in.

 

Withdrawal Policy…The last day to withdraw from the course and possibly receive a "W" is October 13.

 

Students who find that they cannot continue in college for the entire semester after being enrolled, because of illness or any other reason, need to complete an online form. To completely or partially withdraw from classes at KSU, a student must withdraw online at www.kennesaw.edu, under Owl Express, Student Services.

 

The date the withdrawal is submitted online will be considered the official KSU withdrawal date which will be used in the calculation of any tuition refund or refund to Federal student aid and/or HOPE scholarship programs. It is advisable to print the final page of the withdrawal for your records. Withdrawals submitted online prior to midnight on the last day to withdraw without academic penalty will receive a “W” grade. Withdrawals after midnight will receive a “WF”. Failure to complete the online withdrawal process will produce no withdrawal from classes. Call the Registrar’s Office at 770-423-6200 during business hours if assistance is needed.

 

Students may, by means of the same online withdrawal and with the approval of the university Dean, withdraw from individual courses while retaining other courses on their schedules. This option may be exercised up until October 13, 2006.

 

This is the date to withdraw without academic penalty for Fall Term, 2006 classes. Failure to withdraw by the date above will mean that the student has elected to receive the final grade(s) earned in the course(s). The only exception to those withdrawal regulations will be for those instances that involve unusual and fully documented circumstances.

 

Academic Integrity: Every KSU student is responsible for upholding the provisions of the Student Code of Conduct, as published in the Undergraduate and Graduate Catalogs. Section II of the Student Code of Conduct addresses the University’s policy on academic honesty, including provisions regarding plagiarism and cheating, unauthorized access to University materials, misrepresentation/falsification of University records or academic work, malicious removal, retention, or destruction of library materials, malicious/intentional misuse of computer facilities and/or services, and misuse of student identification cards. Incidents of alleged academic misconduct will be handled through the established procedures of the University Judiciary Program, which includes either an “informal” resolution by a faculty member, resulting in a grade adjustment, or a formal hearing procedure, which may subject a student to the Code of Conduct’s minimal one semester suspension requirement.

 

Unauthorized Collaboration: Submission for academic credit of a work product, or a part thereof, represented as its being one's own effort, which has been developed in substantial collaboration with or without assistance from another person or source, is a violation of academic honesty. It is also a

violation of academic honesty knowingly to provide such assistance. Collaborative work specifically authorized by a faculty member is allowed. Although I do not expect cheating, plagiarism, or unauthorized collaboration in my classroom, the penalty is an F for the course…AND I will do everything within my power to have you dismissed from the University and the University System of Georgia.

 

Professional Behavior Guidelines including Tardiness, Side Conversations, Sleeping, and Inattention: If you arrive after class starts, please find the nearest open seat without walking in front of the instructor or the board. This disturbs my concentration. Thank You.