Syllabus for Applied Statistics - Continuing Education at the ...

Psych 6250 Syllabus
http://www.psych.utah.edu/classes/psy6250/Syllabus.html
Page 1 of 7
6/1/2010
Syllabus for Applied Statistics
Psy 6250 (Independent Study)
University of Utah
Syllabus may change if circumstances dictate and with proper notification to the students.
Contents of this page:
1. Instructor
2. General Course Information
3. Grades
4. Course Material
5. Software
6. How to Succeed in this Course
7. Distance Education Proctored Exams Policy
Instructor:
Dr. Oakley E. Gordon
Office: Behavioral Science Tower (the one that looks like the monolith from 2001) Room #701
Office Hours: by appointment.
Phone: (801) 581-4328
Fax: (801) 581-5841
Email: Oakley.Gordon@utah.edu
As an adjunct professor I am rarely on campus and am not in a position to hold regular office hours. I
want to be as available to you as possible, however, so here are the options.
1. The best way to contact me is through email. I read and respond to my email several times a day
on weekdays when classes are in session, and usually at least once a day on weekends.
2. I have written a chat function for the course software where you and I can communicate in real
time by typing questions and answers into a text area. Chat sessions are available by appointment,
email me if you would like to set one up.
3. If you phone you will need to leave a message, I check my phone messages on a semi-regular
basis. Emailing me really works better, folks, but I understand that sometimes you just need to
talk with the prof. You could consider emailing me to arrange for a time for us to talk over the
phone.
4. If your needs can't be met by one of the three options above then we can arrange to meet in my
office at the university.

Psych 6250 Syllabus
http://www.psych.utah.edu/classes/psy6250/Syllabus.html
Page 2 of 7
6/1/2010
General Course Information
A. Course Description: Psy 6250 is a graduate-level examination of statistical procedures commonly
used in the health, social and behavioral sciences. Topics include: sampling distributions, probability,
confidence intervals, t tests, ANOVA, correlation, regression, nonparametric statistics, data
transformation, robust statistical procedures, and the problems with and alternatives to null hypothesis
significance testing. This is the independent study version of the class.
B. Prerequisite: College-level intermediate algebra (or higher level math class).
C. Course Goals: The class is designed to be a graduate-level course in statistics for those who have not
taken an undergraduate statistics class, or who have but would like to go through the material at a more
sophisticated level than what is provided in an undergraduate statistics course. Statistics is a vast topic,
and there are limits to how much can be covered in one semester. The focus of the class will be on
developing a solid conceptual foundation that will serve those who need to read and evaluate statistical
work in their discipline, as well as provide a set of basic tools for those who need to perform statistical
analyzes of their own data. The course should also serve as a good foundation for students who are
preparing to take more sophisticated and specialized courses on statistics in their graduate program.
D. Text (required): Applied Statistics, by Oakley Gordon. I have written the textbook that accompanies
this class. It is a spiral-bound document printed by the University of Utah Printing Services and is
available for purchase through the University of Utah Bookstore (they can mail it to you). It is a
prepublication draft, has no ISBN number, and is available only through the University of Utah
bookstore. Please know that I do not benefit financially from the sales of my textbook to students in my
own courses.
E. Calculator: you will need a calculator for the class, but it does not need to be anything fancy, as long
as it computes square roots. You may take a calculator into the proctored, offline exams (you'll need it).
F. Hardware and software requirements: this course relies upon the use of various software. You
must have access to a computer that can handle the software in order to take this class. Complete
information is provided below in the Software section of this document.
G. Special Announcement Concerning Students with Disabilities: The University of Utah seeks to
provide equal access to its programs, services and activities for people with disabilities. If you will need
accommodations in this class, reasonable prior notice needs to be given to the instructor and to the
Center for Disability Services, 162 Olpin Union Building, 581-5020 (V/TDD) to make arrangements for
accommodations. All written information in this course can be made available in alternative format with
prior notification.
Grades
A. Overview: the class will involve homework assignments, simulations, and gates (all of which are
online) and four proctored exams (which are taken offline in a proctored environment).
B. Weights: your grade in the course will be based upon the following.

Psych 6250 Syllabus
http://www.psych.utah.edu/classes/psy6250/Syllabus.html
Page 3 of 7
6/1/2010
35% Homework Assignments
5% Simulations
15% Exam 1
15% Exam 2
15% Exam 3
15% Final Exam
C. Letter grades: your total numerical grade at the end of the semester will be assigned a letter grade
using the following scale*:
A 92+ A- 90-91
B+ 88-89 B 82-87 B- 80-81
C+ 78-79 C 72-77 C- 70-71
D+ 68-69 D 62-27 D- 60-61
E 0-59
*All students must pass the final exam in order to pass the course. Students who fail the final exam, fail
the course. This is a requirement of all U of U Distance Education courses.
Course Material
A list of the lectures, assignments, Sims, exams, and the data that go with the assignments, are provided
on the 'Assignments & Data' page of this class.
Announcements directed to the class as a whole, as well as some important links, are presented on the
Home Page of this course
Text: I wrote the text that is used in this class in a rather informal style, as if I were giving lectures in
front of a class. I did this for a couple of reasons; the first is that it makes the subject matter less
intimidating (and many students are intimidated by statistics), and the second is that it allowed me, while
I was writing, to feel as if you were actually there, which made the writing process easier and more
enjoyable for me. One consequence of this is that I refer to the chapters in the text as 'lectures', so the list
of lectures on the Assignments & Data page is actually referring to chapters in the text. The text is a
prepublication draft, which means you may find typos and the various grammatical errors that come
from editing sentences in midstream and that are hard for me to catch in my own writing.
Homework Assignments: The great majority of your work in the class will involve completing the
homework assignments. The number of homework assignments reflects how the course is taught when it
is offered as a semester-based course, which meets three times a week with a corresponding homework
assignment after each class meeting. So much material is taught in a one-semester statistics class that
even four exams can barely scratch the surface of what was covered. The much more numerous
homework assignments provide the primary means to evaluate how well you understand the material.
The assignments, however, are not meant to be just evaluative in function. Statistics is a topic that you
can't really understand by reading about it, you have to do it before you fully understand it, nor can you
discover whether you understood it or not without trying to do it and getting some feedback. The
assignments, therefore will be a very important aid in your learning the material. They also prepare you
for the exams, which are similar to the assignments.
The amount of time it will take to complete the assignments varies greatly from student to student. As
you are taking a graduate level class it is very likely that you are a very good student, intelligent, selfmotivated,
with good study skills. The students in this class, however, vary greatly in terms of how

Psych 6250 Syllabus
http://www.psych.utah.edu/classes/psy6250/Syllabus.html
Page 4 of 7
6/1/2010
quickly and easily they can do math-related problems, and that makes a big difference in how long it
takes to do the assignments. As explained below, after you complete an assignment you can do it again
and again until you get the score you want, while this is definitely to your advantage (both in learning
the material and getting a good grade) it can also add significantly to the amount of time you devote to
the assignments. The standard amount of time that a student is expected to spend on a university course
is 3 to 6 hours per week for every hour the class meets during the week. If this were a semester class
then you could expect to spend between 9 to 18 hours a week on this course. As this is an independent
study class you do not need to complete the work in one semester, but I strongly advise you to make
steady progress and not attempt to do most of the work toward the end of your time, otherwise you will
be overwhelmed. Note the assignments vary in how long they take to complete, so do not expect the
assignments you haven't completed yet to take the same amount of time as those you have completed.
The homework assignments are presented and graded by the Oak Homework software (described
below). After each question you will be informed as to whether you answer was correct or not. If the
question is a fill-in-the-blank question you will be given a chance to try again (as many times as you
wish) before proceeding to the next question,. If the question is a multiple-choice question you will not
be given the chance to try again (otherwise you could just sit there and try each option until you got it
right) you will simply have to go on the the next question. At the end of the assignment you will be
shown your grade for the assignment and given a choice to hand in that grade or not. No matter which
you choose, you can always come back to the assignment and do it again as many times as you want in
an attempt to improve your score. When you click on the 'Hand In' button the software will look to see if
you have a previous grade for that assignment, if you do, then the software will only record your new
grade if it is better than the one you already have for that assignment (i.e. your grade never goes down
when you redo an assignment).
Simulations: The simulations (which I refer to as 'Sims') take advantage of the unique abilities of
computers to teach and test information in an interactive manner. I have designed them to introduce
some important concepts at a more intuitive level through hands-on learning. You receive a grade upon
completing the simulation, most of the time it is an all-or-nothing grade, where you receive a perfect
score of 100 for successfully completing the sim. The sims are also presented by the Oak Homework
software.
Gates: The 'gates' in the Oak Homework software don't have a deadline nor is a score recorded for them.
At the beginning of the semester all the gates are 'locked'. To unlock a gate you will need to answer a
few questions correctly, you can have as many tries as you would like. Until a gate is unlocked all
homework assignments, quizzes, and simulations after the gate are unavailable. The questions that you
need to answer correctly to open the gates aren't difficult, everyone should be able to answer them. I
added gates to the course for pedagogical reasons (as a way of insuring that all students demonstrate an
understanding of a few easy but fundamental ideas). Don't worry, you should sail right through them,
and if you need help that is what I'm here for.
Exams: The four exams are taken offline in a proctored environment arranged through Distance
Education. For general information on exams, including how to arrange to take the exams, please refer
to the Distance Education Proctored Exams Policy at the bottom of this syllabus. In order to be eligible
to take an exam you must have a score of 60 or higher on all homework assignments and sims preceding
the exam (remember that you can keep redoing assignments and sims until you earn the grade you
want). When you are ready to take an exam email me, I will check your grades, and then I will let
Distance Education know that you are eligible to take the exam, after that you can arrange your exam
with Distance Education.
The exams are open book and you will need a calculator. The exams are similar to the homework

Psych 6250 Syllabus
http://www.psych.utah.edu/classes/psy6250/Syllabus.html
Page 5 of 7
6/1/2010
assignments (which are meant to get you ready for the exams) but you will not be asked any questions
that require access to a computer. Study guides are available for each exam. The final exam will cover
the material presented after the material covered by exam 3 (which is less material than is covered in the
first three exams) and will also contain questions similar to those found in the first three exams (making
the final exam somewhat comprehensive). The latter will provide a good incentive to make sure you
understand the answers to the questions in the earlier exams, and those exams will serve as part of the
study guide for the final exam.
Software
There are two internet-based applications that your computer has to be able to run if you are to take this
class:
1. Oak Homework (free software I have written in Java to be run over the internet)
2. SPSS (a free internet-based version of this is provided by the College of Behavioral and Social
Sciences of the University of Utah).
OAK Homework: This is the internet-based software that will present and grade your homework
assignments and sims and post all of your grades (including exam scores), it is written in a computer
language called 'Java' and is designed to run in your browser. If you want to take this class you must
have access to a computer that will run this software. If you use computers in a lab on the University of
Utah campus (which seems unlikely as this is a Distance Education class) then you shouldn't have any
problems if you select the correct browser. If you are running it anywhere else you may need to
download Java or a newer version of your browser or both to get the software to run. Detailed
information on what browsers to use, and where to find any downloads might need can be found on the
Technical Help page. I strongly encourage you to find a computer that will run the software right away.
The best way to test whether or not your computer is set up to run the software is to go to the Home
Page for this course, click on the Oak Homework link, and see what happens. A gray virtual desktop
should appear on your screen, and then after a bit of a wait while the program downloads, the menus on
the virtual desktop should become active (be patient, it is a big program). If you have any problems
please go to the Technical Help page, if you still have problems then please contact me.
SPSS (aka PASW): SPSS (now called PASW) is a widely used statistical program that we will use in
this class. Not only will it save us a lot of tedious calculations (giving us more time to understand
conceptually what is going on) it is also a good tool to learn how to use if you ever need to perform
statistical analyzes. SPSS is an expensive program but it still might be worth it for you to purchase your
own version (if you do then at least in this class you can get by with the least expensive version).
Fortunately, you don't have to buy it if you don't want to. All students enrolled in classes at the
University of Utah, including students not enrolled in the university who are only taking independent
study courses, are given a university ID number (unid). The College of Social and Behavioral Sciences
at the university provides free access to an internet version of SPSS (or PASW) to anyone who has a
unid. As it runs over the internet it is kind of clunky and slow but it will do everything you need to have
it do. To access the program go through your browser to apps.csbs.utah.edu . The college computer
center recommends that if you want to run this program that you use Firefox as your browser for both
Macs and PCs. Information on how to download Firefox is provided on the Technical Help page where
you will also find some help on accessing SPSS.

Psych 6250 Syllabus
http://www.psych.utah.edu/classes/psy6250/Syllabus.html
Page 6 of 7
6/1/2010
How to Succeed in this Course
This class covers a lot of material. I have worked, and worked, and worked to create a class where if you
do all of the work required then you should come out at the other end having an excellent understanding
of the material. That being said, there is a lot of work involved in this class, including a lot of
assignments that need to be completed. Independent study courses can be a challenge because it is
sometimes easier to make yourself go to a scheduled class than to get around to doing an assignment that
has no immediate deadline. Still, this is the price that needs to be paid to have the freedom that comes
from taking the class as independent study. I can't urge strongly enough that you work your way
methodically through the assignments. If you let them pile up to be completed towards the end it will be
very difficult. First, you'll understand the material better if you give yourself time to assimilate what you
learned in each lecture and assignment rather than trying to do a lot of them at the end. Second, if you
are under time pressure to complete several assignments you may panic when you don't understand
something, not understanding it simply because you are trying to rush through it and then not being in a
good state of mind to sit back and try to figure it out. And third, if you do need help understanding
something it is good to have enough time to contact me so we can work through it together. So please,
do yourself a favor (and me too...I want you to succeed), do whatever works best for you to arrange to
work through the material at a steady pace.
Distance Eduction Proctored Exams Policy
Distance Education students are required to meet the same academic standards and are under the same
regulations regarding academic honesty as University of Utah students taking courses on campus. This
includes all work within the course, including assignments and examinations.
Distance Education exams can be completed in a variety of formats depending on the course. The
following are the instructions for proctored exams:
Students living in Salt Lake County (local students) are required take exams though the University of
Utah's Testing Center (http://www.sa.utah.edu/testing/). Students must show a valid picture ID and be
prepared to pay a testing fee at the center. Begin by filling out the "Local Student Exam Request" form
electronically at http://continue.utah.edu/distance/localexamreq.php. Eligibility to take the exam will be
verified and the appropriate exam sent to the Testing Center within 2 business days. No appointment is
necessary at the Testing Center; please contact the testing center at 801-581-8733 for hours of operation.
Be sure to arrive at the Testing Center early enough to finish the exam before the office closes.
Students located outside Salt Lake County (out-of-area students) must arrange to have a university or
college testing center administer the exam. Many colleges and universities have testing centers which
allow students to take exams from other schools. Contact the nearest university or college testing center
to arrange to take the exam. If needed, the Distance Education office can assist with arrangements. This
should be done several days prior to taking the exam - so it is recommended that students plan
accordingly! In addition, there may be a cost associated with proctors for each exam and amounts vary
depending on the institution. After finding a testing center, fill out the "Out-of-Area Exam Request"
form electronically at http://continue.utah.edu/distance/outsideexamreq.php. A professional email
address is required for all proctors (i.e., testingcenter@sa.utah.edu). Once the proctor is verified,
eligibility to take the exam will be verified and the appropriate exam sent to the proctor within 2
business days. All originals of exams must be sent back to the Distance Education office, and students
are responsible for the postage necessary to send the exam.

Psych 6250 Syllabus
http://www.psych.utah.edu/classes/psy6250/Syllabus.html
Page 7 of 7
6/1/2010
All students must pass the Final Exam in order to pass the course. Students who fail the final exam, fail
the course. This is a requirement of all U of U Distance Education courses.
Additional questions can be answered by calling the Distance Education office at 801-581-8801 or toll
free at 800-467-8839, or email at distance@aoce.utah.edu.
ALL EXAMS:
All students will be asked to show a picture id and are responsible for any proctoring fees. Students
will be asked to temporarily surrender all backpacks, purses, binders and notebooks to the proctor,
unless the exam specifically allows notes. Also, all electronic devices must be temporarily surrendered
to the proctor; this includes, but is not limited to, cell phones, PDAs, MP3 players and iPods. CELL
PHONE CALCULATORS MAY NOT BE USED.
March 2010