MATH 127: Introduction to Statistics Fall 2013 Course Syllabus

MATH 127: Introduction to Statistics
Fall 2013
Course Syllabus
Instructor: Obed Lewis
Office: 218 Hollenbeck Hall
Phone: 937-327-7041
e-Mail: OLewis@Wittenberg.edu
Class Meetings: MWF 12:40pm - 1:40pm Room 261 BDK Science
Course Website: http://www4.wittenberg.edu/administration/math_workshop/lewis/
Office Hours: See course website
RequiredText: The Basic Practice of Statistics, 4 th Edition; by David S. Moore
Technology: Minitab, Java Based Web Apps (from textbook web-site), TI-30+ calculators
Prerequisites: There are no prerequisite courses for MATH 127; however you need at least
Level 23 on the Math Placement Exam.
Grading: Tests/Quizzes 460 pts
Homework 100 pts (20 Homework Assignments @ 5 pts each)
Project
260 pts
Miscellaneous 135 pts
Total
955 pts
The grading for the course is broken down into four discrete categories – Tests/Quizzes
(there are four 100 point exams and two quizzes worth 60 points total), Homework (there
are 20 Homework assignments taken from the textbook and graded only on it being
completed and turned it), a final Project (which includes points given for completing
milestones on time), and Miscellaneous work (mostly doing and handing in smaller
assignments & worksheets not taken from the text book). In all, there will be roughly 955
points, give or take.
General Overview of Course:
Exploratory Data Analysis (~5 weeks)
General principles for effectively summarizing and organizing data, and general strategies
for getting insight from data summaries.
Design (~2 weeks)
Principles for gathering data that yield the most insight; how to plan effective observational
studies and experiments.
Sampling Distributions (~1 week)
Examining the behavior of the statistics that are commonly used.
Inference (~7 weeks)
Drawing powerful, focused conclusions, when using data from carefully planned studies.

Expectations for Homework Assignments: Many (but not all) of the problems assigned have
answers in the back of the book - so you may check your answers. If you are having difficulties
with a problem, please seek help either from me, from the Math Workshop or from another
classmate who may help you with the problem (but not to do the problem for you).
Rules for Homework Assignments
1. Your name (or names – see below) MUST appear clearly at the top of the page.
2. Because Minitab must be used to answer many of the homework questions, you may
want to choose to do the homework by typing your answers in Microsoft Word (or some
other word processing program) and copying & pasting graphs and data generated by
Minitab into your Word document (feel free to resize graphs to fit the page).
3. Please staple or clip multiple pages together.
Pairs of students (no more than 2) may collaborate on homework and submit a single copy in
which case both names should appear on the paper. This does not give license to split the
assignment with each person only doing half; work on the assignment together. The
homework sets are crucial for practicing concepts and techniques learned in this course.
Homework assignments are due during the due dates class period. Late homework
assignments will not be accepted.
Weighted Tests:
The 4 major exams will have weighted values when all is said and done. What I mean by this
is that your top 3 scores will be weighted more, while your lowest exam score will be weighted
less. So if you do well on 3 exams, but have a poor test date on the other one, then it will not
affect your overall grade as much. The exact weighted proportion has not been decided yet,
but will be roughly 120% for each of the 3 highest exam grades and 40% for the lowest grade.
Honor Code. All quizzes and tests will carry the standard pledge which must be signed:
I affirm that my work upholds the highest standards of honesty and academic
integrity at Wittenberg and that I have neither given nor received unauthorized
assistance.
An honor violation involving a test or quiz will result in a grade of 0 on that test for all parties. A
report will be submitted to the Honor Council (which is not good!)
Classroom Behavior: In order to prevent disruptions to classroom learning, please follow
these few simple rules. Thank you!
1. Please turn off your cell phones during class and refrain from using cell phones in class!
2. Please do not bring food or beverages into the class room. Bottled water is OK.
3. Please do not surf the web during lecture. The computers are to be used to follow
along on the web resource or the statistical software.

Class Attendance & Class Attendance Bonus: You are expected to attend every class. If a
class is missed you are still responsible for any missed material so contact a classmate to get
missed notes. Attendance is worth 50 points towards your course grade. If you miss no more
than 2 classes, you will receive all 50 points. For each absence above 2, 10 points will be
deducted for each absence. Note: Absences due to legitimate reasons (personal illness, field
trip for course, road trip for sporting event, etc.) will not be counted provided I receive
notification ahead of time.
Final Note: Your learning in this course is very important to me. If you feel you are falling
behind or just do not understand the current material, please come and talk to me so we can
get you back on track. The Math Workshop is also a great resource if you want a quiet place
to work or just want to get some assistance. Also, please be aware that Wittenberg is
committed to providing reasonable accommodations for students with documented disabilities.
If you are eligible for course accommodations because of a disability, you need to register with
the Academic Services Office in 206 Recitation Hall. After you register, give me a copy of your
self-identification letter from Academic Services and arrange to talk with me about your
learning needs privately in a timely manner. Early identification at the start of the term is
essential to ensure timely provision of services. If you have questions or would like more
information about services for students with disabilities, please contact Mary Jo Zembar,
Assistant Provost for Academic Services, 206 Recitation Hall, extension 7891 or by e-mail at
MZembar@Wittenberg.edu.