STAT 3125

Biostatistics

INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Louise Lawson

OFFICE 537 Science/Math Building

OFFICE PHONE: 770-423-6505

Email:  mlawso16@kennesaw.edu

 Course Website WebCT:  http://courses.kennesaw.edu

Office Hours: By appointment

Lab/Homework Session Wednesday 4:45, Thursday 12:30 CL 1005

 

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

This is a course for students who are life or health science majors.  My goal is for you to learn how to use quantitative information to analyze and interpret research. By the end of the course you should be able to:

 

  1. Be a “critical consumer” of statistics who can ask good questions about data that are presented to in order to better understand their meaning.
  2. Use the terminology of commonly used statistics and be able to calculate these statistics yourself using a computer or calculator.
  3. Interpret the most commonly used statistics in science and describe the uses and limitations of these statistics.
  4. Discuss uses and limitations of probability and statistical hypothesis testing.
  5. Calculate probabilities, means, proportions and confidence intervals and determine whether an observation of a difference between two groups is “statistically significant.”
  6. Conduct simple regression and correlation analysis.
  7. Correctly determine when to use non-parametric statistics and calculate and interpret those statistics.
  8. Create an EXCEL spreadsheet and use it to calculate simple statistics and create simple graphs in present research effectively.
  9. Do simple analysis with the SAS statistical program
  10. Write a clear report of statistical analysis methods and results

 

REQUIRED TEXT:

Jessica Utts, Seeing Through Statistics, 3rd Edition.  Reading assignments prior to class is REQUIRED.  There will be random quizzes and in class questions for points about the reading.

 

COURSE MATERIALS:

I will post the slides, homework assignments and supplemental readings on WebCT as they become available. 

 

DO YOUR HOMEWORK WITH DR. L (AKA LAB/HOMEWORK SESSIONS): 

These sessions are optional, but at these lab sessions I will help you do your homework, so if you attend lab you should get full credit on the homework.  Prior to each test we will have a practice test during the lab session.  I post the practice test just before the actual test and do not post the answers, so it is much better if you can arrange your schedule to attend a practice test.  If your schedule does not allow you to attend either lab, make an appointment to meet with me separately.

 

ASSIGNMENTS:

Homework assignments will be posted on WebCT and are due at the beginning of class.  For electronic submissions, they are due at 10 am on the due date.  I will not make any exceptions to due dates and times for ANY reason.

 

Check WebCT regularly for course announcements and updates.

 

GRADING:

I will grade based on a total of 500 points for the semester.  Tests will be in class and you will be allowed to bring two pages (8X10 of notes).  Generally I focus questions around interpretation rather than calculation, although you’re going to have to do some calculations.  If you can add, subtract, multiply and divide you should be able to do all the calculations.  You will receive the majority of credit for choosing the correct technique and interpreting the results correctly, in clear English using complete sentences.  If you make calculation errors they will have an extremely small impact on points for a specific question.   While I encourage discussion/study groups, I expect you to do your own work on homework problems that are turned in to be graded.   I generally get suspicious when groups of students make exactly the same errors or use exactly the same words in their answers.

 

Please note that there are 550 possible points and grading is on a scale of 500 points.  This means you can miss up to 100 points without affecting your letter grade.  Consequently, I will not give make-up tests, not accept late homework, and don’t even think about harassing me for extra points on a problem.  If you feel that you have lost points unfairly you may photocopy your answer and write an explanation of how many more points you should get and why you should get them.  Turn this in to me by the next class and I will save it until the end of the semester.  If these points would affect your letter grade at that time, I will consider your request.  If you do not understand how we arrived at the answer to a problem, please ask a question in class or make an appointment to discuss this with me.  If you miss a test with a prior valid excuse you can earn up to 100 points on the final instead of 50.  Note:  A prior valid excuse requires you to contact me before the test.  If you do not contact me before the test, please proved medical evidence of altered consciousness (non-self imposed, that is) prior to petitioning for my forgiveness.

 

Tentative Test Dates (100 points each):  September 18/19, October 16/17, December 4/5

Final (50 points):  Week of December 11

10 Homework Assignments (10 points each)

Random quizzes and final analysis projects:  (100 points total)

 

Get out of work free cards:  5-10 points each, these can be used to substitute for work you don’t want to do, they cannot be used as “bonus” points.  You MAY NOT add these points to a test or homework.

 

Letter Grades:

A-    450-500

B-     400-449

C-    350-399

D-    300-349

F-   less than 300

 

POLICIES:

1. Attendance & Assignment Policies

You are expected to attend all classes and are responsible for checking with me at the end of class if you are late to make sure you are signed in as present.

 

2. Withdrawal Policy

If you want to withdraw without academic penalty you must do so by October 13, 2006.  Withdrawal forms can be obtained online.  The completed form must be approved by the Registrar.  If you stop coming to class and don’t earn points, I’ll have to give you a failing grade unless you have officially withdrawn from the class. 

 

3. Academic Integrity

Remember, our goal is for you to learn the material, and you can only do that by exercising your own brain.  You will find that the material in the course actually will be useful in your everyday life, but you must take the time to understand it.  Doing work for others cheats them of their opportunity to learn, and reinforces their erroneous belief that they can’t do the work themselves.   I’m assuming that all of you are planning to do your own work and be supportive to your classmates by helping them learn, but just to cover the bases and be very clear, here’s the legal stuff:

 

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 minimum one semester suspension requirement.

           

I expect you to comply with the above standard.  I must emphasize that I deal severely with anyone I find failing to comply with Academic Integrity standards.  I work hard to help you succeed, and if you pay me back by cheating I will be very angry.  You won’t like me when I’m angry.

 

If I find that you are representing other’s work as your own (including homework) or that you are doing work for others, I will give you an F for the course and do whatever I can to have you dismissed from the University.