VALENCIA COMMUNITY COLLEGE – EAST CAMPUS
SYLLABUS (Revised: 08/06/2007)
SUMMER 2007
STA 2023 – STATISTICAL METHODS (3 CREDIT HOURS)
Term/Year:
Fall 2007
CRN:
11963/14820/12342
Professor:
Dr. Agatha Shaw
Phone:
(407) 582 2117
Office:
8-249
Tentative Office Hours:
Tuesday and Thursday: 12:55 PM – 03:25 PM
Tentative Online Hours (E-mail):
Monday, Wednesday and Friday: 12:35 PM – 2:15 PM
Preferred Contact:
Personal Web Page
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Prerequisite: Minimum grade of C in MAC 1102 or MAC 1104 or MAC 1105 or satisfactory score on an approved assessment. This is an introductory statistics course covering collection, description and interpretation of data. Topics include sampling, summarizing data graphically and numerically, probability distributions, confidence interval estimation, hypothesis testing, correlation and regression. Gordon rule course. Minimum grade of C required if STA 2023 is used to satisfy Gordon Rule and general education requirements.
The major topics in this course are probability, random variables, hypothesis testing, confidence interval estimation, correlation and simple linear regression.
REQUIRED TEXTS AND INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS
Textbook: Introductory Statistics, 8/e (with MyMathLab and online tutoring)
Author: Weiss, Neil
Package: ISBN 0321528697 (available at Valencia’s bookstore – East Campus only)
All students must have access to MyMathLab/MyStatLab. Please make sure that your textbook has the MyMathLab/MyStatLab Access Code. Note that MyMathLab/MyStatLab is paired with CourseCompass. To register in CourseCompass you will need an access code (purchased with your textbook above) and a course ID. The course ID is posted in the WebCT’s announcement on the first day of the course.
A graphing calculator is required for this course. The TI-83 Plus and the TI-84 Plus family are recommended. To access information on operating a TI graphing calculator, in MyMathLab, go to the Chapter Contents and click on Tools for Success. You will see links to calculator information sites.
This class is taught online using the required texts and instructional materials as mentioned above. You will be required to participate actively in the discussion forums, collaborate on two term papers, and complete all chapter homework and quizzes online. In addition, you’re required to take a proctored mid-term exam and a proctored comprehensive final exam at one of the testing centers of Valencia College or a proctored site (pre-arrangement is required.)
ONLINE DELIVERY SYSTEM (COURSE PLATFORM)
You will use the WebCT course system for course information and a web-based math practice and tutorial system called CourseCompass/MyMathLab.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:
Display statistical thinking in your approach to situations you encounter by valuing the use of data in decision making, understanding the importance of how data is produced and dealing with the variability that exists in data.
Know the principles of producing quality data and use them to judge the methods used in data collection.
Organize and display data graphically and numerically with the use of appropriate technology.
Understand, make and interpret statistical inferences.
ONLINE ORIENTATION
Under Course Tool on the left column, CLICK on Announcement to get your course code/course ID.
CLICK on Assessment to complete the following: Statistics Survey 101, Statistics Survey 102 and Statistics Survey 103.
CLICK on Course Content and then CLICK on StudyMate Activities. Here, you will find some fun activities to get you familiar with some of the key terms of your coursework. You may start by clicking on “Chapter 1 -The Nature of Statistics.” Just try to go through all of the available activities and have some fun while learning some key terms.
CLICK on CourseCompass under My Tools and you will be redirected to CourseCompass.com. At CourseCompass.com, CLICK Register and proceed to registration process. To complete the registration, you must have both the access code and the course code/course ID.
Download the required plug-ins and activate your course registration at the MyMathLab website. Instructions are included in your student access kit and online at Coursecompass.com.
LOG IN back to CourseCompass and CLICK My Statistics Tutor on the left hand column, you will be redirected to the registration page for "Tutor Services." Complete the registration form and CLICK "Submit."
Read Chapter 1 (section 1.1 to 1.4), work through the odd problems and compare your answers with the answers given from your "Student Solution Manual."
CLICK on Do Homework and start working on Chapter 1 Homework (at CourseCompass.)
CLICK on Take a Quiz and take Chapter 1 Quiz (at CourseCompass.)
CLICK on DVC Learning Styles under My Tools (at WebCT) and you will be redirected to DVC Learning Styles. At DVC Learning Styles website,
a) Read the entire webpage and then CLICK on Learning Styles Survey to take the on-line Learning Style Quiz. (PRINT OUT your results.)
b) Read the Description of your Learning Style and the Learning Strategies associated with your learning style on your print out.
c) Go back to the original DVC Learning Styles website (hit the back button twice) and then CLICK on Learning Styles and Strategies. Read this section entirely.CLICK on Discussions (at WebCT) and respond to the posted questions on “Discussion 1: Introduction.” Please make original posting by adding new thread and respond to at least two other postings.
Copy and paste your original posting in the submission box (at WebCT’s “Assignment”) and CLICK "Submit" to complete your online orientation.
Note: Please complete your online orientation by 09/01/2007; otherwise, you may be dropped from this class.
TECHNICAL PROBLEMS
Technical problems such as power outages and unavailability of internet connections can happen. Do not wait until the last minute to complete your assignments, quizzes and tests. Technical problems are not an acceptable excuse for work that has not been completed by the due date.
If your computer freezes, restarts, or loses its internet connection during a quiz, the quiz will be marked as “Incomplete”. When you resume the quiz, your answers and remaining time will be loaded from your previous session.
For CourseCompass/MyMathLab technical support:
The telephone number is 1-800-677-6337. Staff is available to troubleshoot your technical problem almost seven days a week.
Monday to Friday
8 AM to 8 PM
Sunday
5 PM to 12 AM
Alternatively, you may fill out the Product Support form (log in to CourseCompass.com and click the link for the Product Support in the Support module) to communicate your issue or request.
PARTICIPATION/DISCUSSION
Although the course is taught online, the class will still participate together in discussions via the discussion board. The discussion board is divided by chapters with additional forums for introductions, technical problems, midterm, and final preparations.
Discussion questions will be posted each week that you must answer. The discussions will take many forms. All postings must be in correct sentence and paragraph format and also should be checked for correct spelling and grammar. You’re required to make at least three contributing posting per chapter, by adding new threads and responding to others’ questions by posting a contributing reply to their threads. When participating in a discussion forum, please conform to the rules of netiquette.
Please note that you are responsible for all posted announcements in WebCT and CourseCompass. Please try to check frequently!
ASSESSMENTS
The following assessments will make up your grade in this class, along with your participation grades in discussions and collaborative projects.
Your chapter assessments and practice work will be in MyMathLab/MyStatLab.
Chapter Homework Grade: The homework can be taken multiple times until you achieve a mastery level of 80% or better. The last score will count as your grade. Note that you won’t be able to access the respective chapter quiz until you’ve achieved a mastery level of 80% or better in your chapter homework. Please plan to start working on your homework as early as possible.
Chapter Quiz Grade: The quizzes are timed for 60 minutes. Once started, you must complete the quiz within the allotted time. Problems not completed within the time limit will be counted as incorrect. Chapter quizzes can be taken only once. Do not wait until the last minute because computer problems will not be a valid excuse.
Mid-term Exam Grade: The scheduled mid-term exam is timed for two hours and should be taken at one of the testing centers of Valencia College or a proctored site (pre-arrangement is required.) Problems not worked within the time limit will be counted as incorrect. No partial credit will be given.
Final Exam Grade: The scheduled final exam is timed for two hours and should be taken at one of the testing centers of Valencia College or a proctored site (pre-arrangement is required.) Problems not worked within the time limit will be counted as incorrect. No partial credit will be given.
GRADING POLICY
Your performance will be determined by the discussion participation, assignments (including chapter homework and projects), chapter quizzes, midterm exam and final exam according to the distribution of percents as follow:
Assignments (Chapter Homework and Projects)
35%
Chapter Quizzes
20%
Mid-term Exam (proctored)
10%
Final Exam (proctored)
15%
Discussions
20%
Total Percentage
100%
EVALUATION POLICY
Your final letter grade will be determined according to the scale as follow:
A
90% – 100%
B
80% - 89%
C
70% - 79%
D
60 – 69%
F
0 – 59%
MAKE UP POLICY
No make-up quiz/exam will be given. If a scheduled quiz is missed because of a medical emergency or legal situation, your last quiz score will be used in place of the missed quiz score. Only ONE quiz can be missed with a valid excuse. Please note there is no make-up mid-term exam or final exam.
WITHDRAWAL POLICY
The withdrawal deadline for a W grade for the Fall Term 2007 is November 2, 2007. After this date, withdrawing from this course will result in a grade of either WP (withdraw passing) or WF (withdraw failing), depending on your average at the last day of attendance. Failure to take the scheduled final exam automatically results in a WF. Please note that W and WP will not be counted in the grade point average, but WF will be calculated as an F in the grade point average.
Please seek advice and guidance from both of your professor and a counselor before withdrawing from a class. Be sure to check for any impact on your financial aid.
ACADEMIC HONESTY
All students are expected to be in complete compliance with Valencia College’s policies on academic honesty. Any form of academic dishonesty will result in an F grade for this course.
VALENCIA I.D. CARDS
Valencia ID cards are required in order to use the LRC, Testing Center, and IMC. ID cards are free and can be obtained from the Student Development office in room 5-212.
VALENCIA STUDENT CORE COMPETENCIES
Think: think clearly, critically, and creatively, analyze, synthesize, integrate and evaluate in many domains of human inquiry
Value: make reasoned judgments and responsible commitments
Act: act purposefully, effectively, and responsibly
Communicate: communicate with different audiences using varied means
A detailed overview can be found in the College Catalog and on the website http://valenciacollege.edu/competencies/
STUDENT WITH DISABILITIES
Students who qualify for academic accommodations must provide a letter from the Office for Students with Disabilities and discuss specific needs with the professor, preferably during the first two weeks of class. The Office for Students with Disabilities determines accommodations based on appropriate documentation of disabilities. The East Campus office is located in room 5-216.
TUTORING
Free tutoring is available in the Instructional Media Center (IMC) in downstairs building 4. The open tutoring area has tutors available on demand. This is a good place to work on homework and computers.
The tutoring desk offers free scheduled tutoring. Speak to an attendant at the tutoring desk to set up a weekly appointment with a tutor. Tutors are assigned quickly, so this should be done at the beginning of the semester.
Live tutoring is also available online as an included part of the course package. More details will be given through CourseCompass.
STUDENT CONDUCTS
Valencia College is dedicated not only to the advancement of knowledge and learning but is concerned with the development of responsible personal and social conduct. By enrolling at Valencia College, a student assumes the responsibility for becoming familiar with and abiding by the general rules of conduct. The primary responsibility for managing the classroom environment rests with the faculty. Students who engage in any prohibited or unlawful acts that result in disruption of a class may be directed by the faculty member to leave the class. Violation of any classroom or Valencia’s rules may lead to disciplinary action up to and including expulsion from Valencia. Disciplinary action could include being withdrawn from class, disciplinary warning, probation, suspension, expulsion, or other appropriate and authorized actions. You will find the Student Code of Conduct in the current Valencia Student Handbook.
IMPORTANT DATES
September 3: Labor Day (College Closed)
September 4: Drop/Refund Deadline
November 2: Withdrawal Deadline (To receive a W)
November 21 – 25: Thanksgiving Break (College Closed)
December 9: Final Withdrawal Deadline (To receive a WF or WP)
DISCLAIMER
Changes in the syllabus, course calendar, evaluation procedure and any assignments may be made at the discretion of the professor.