MATH2200     Introduction to Statistics     Spring 2005

 

INSTRUCTOR: Dr Geoffrey Poor

OFFICE: Sequoya 127F

TELEPHONE: 272-2512 (voice mail should answer after 4 to 6 rings)

DSC TOLL-FREE: 800-829-4436

EMAIL: gpoor@em.daltonstate.edu

OFFICE HOURS: To be announced soon

 

IMPORTANT: The pace of this class is set by the number of scheduled class meetings and the amount of material to be covered. Time in class is limited and is generally reserved for activities involving the entire class. Time outside of class is plentiful and is better suited for individual help. You are encouraged to seek help with the material we cover in class. Office hours and appointments are made available for this purpose. There is also a Math Lab (SEQ 140) staffed by students and math instructors that is available for extra help on a walk-in basis. I will be there several hours per week. If you need help in the class, you MUST let me know as soon as possible. I have no way of knowing that you are having trouble if you do not ask for help or give me some kind of feedback. You should see me if you’re not sure whether you have questions or not.

 

I offer two types of help outside of class. The first is to answer any questions you may have about the course material – usually homework problems. This will help you understand the topics as we cover them. The second type of help is “What’s the first step?” Many students find it difficult to judge how well-prepared they are for a test. I can work with you to help uncover any weaknesses that you may have. This will greatly improve your confidence and help you avoid test anxiety.

 

TEXTBOOK: Introductory Statistics by Weiss, 7th edition.

We will cover all (or most) of Chapters 1 through 14. Simple calculators (i.e., ‘scientific’ calculators – they should be able to calculate square roots) will be allowed on quizzes, tests, and the final exam. Calculators which are programmable or which can store text or formulas will not be allowed on quizzes, tests, or the final exam. If you bring an “illegal” calculator to a test, it cannot be used. See me if you’re not sure whether your calculator is “legal.”

 

CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT: Each person in this class is responsible for maintaining a good learning environment in the classroom. The student’s part is to refrain from distracting behavior. The instructor’s part is to address any distracting behavior which does occur. I consider this to be of the utmost importance. The most distracting thing that can occur in the classroom is conversation among students; it diverts others students’ (and my) attention away from the class lecture.

 

The best way to achieve a good learning environment in the classroom is through mutual cooperation. As long as there is no interference with any student’s right to understand and learn, I will take no action. Actions that may be taken to address specific classroom problems include:

 

 

These measures may take effect without further warning – this syllabus should be sufficient warning.

HOMEWORK: Homework will be assigned for each section covered. Collection of homework will be announced in class and may change during the semester. Grades on collected homework will be added to the next test and may reduce this grade. Time will be spent in class to answer questions on homework after the day's lecture has been completed. See me outside of class if you have questions which are not addressed in class or if you are more comfortable asking questions outside of class. Each student is personally responsible for all material covered and any announcements made in class.

 

QUIZZES: There will be several short quizzes. There will be no make-up for a missed quiz; however, the lowest quiz grade will be dropped. The quizzes are designed to test on basic concepts and may not necessarily represent the difficulty level of the longer tests.

 

TESTS AND FINAL EXAM: There will be 5 “hour” tests and a comprehensive final exam. Some of these tests will be made up of two parts: an in-class test and an out-of-class project. There will be no make-up for a missed test; however, the final exam grade can replace your lowest test grade (see Credit Distribution below). All seating, attendance, and homework grades that apply to a missed test will be deducted from the final exam grade. Only 1 missed test can be replaced; a second or third missed test will be given a grade of 0. If any of these tests are not given (for any unforeseen circumstance) or is lost, the missing grade will equal each student's average from all other hour tests.

 

Each of these quizzes, tests, and final exam will be given only at the scheduled hour and day. None will be given earlier or later. If you arrive late to a test, you may begin the test only if no other tests have yet been turned in.

 

CREDIT DISTRIBUTION: The grade for this course will be determined solely by the above quizzes, tests, and final exam. The quizzes will add up to a total of 100 points (one test grade) after the lowest is dropped, each hour test will count 100 points and the final exam will count 200 points. If the final exam grade is better than your lowest hour test grade, then the final exam grade will replace the lowest test grade. Grades in this course will be assigned by the following point totals:

 


See me anytime you have a question about your grades.

 

HONESTY: Each student is expected to do his or her own work on all quizzes, tests, and final exam and to neither give nor receive aid in any form. See the Student Handbook for information on the Discipline Committee.

 

SYLLABUS INFORMATIONAL STATEMENTS

 

Disability Support Services Statement

 

Students with disabilities should contact the Ace Center to request reasonable accommodations for academic programs and other activities of Dalton State College. Students must personally request services and provide adequate documentation that explains the disability. Please allow a minimum of five business days for approved accommodations to be arranged. Disability Support Services is located in the ACE Center on the lower level of Pope Student Center. Students who are unable to come to the ACE Center to request services should contact 272-2524 or e-mail for assistance.

 

Workforce Development Statement

 

If a student receiving aid administered by the DSC Workforce Development Department drops this class or completely withdraws from the College, the Add-Drop/Withdrawal form must be taken to the Workforce Development Office first. The office is located in the Technical Education Building, Room 140 and their hours are 9:00a.m. - 12:15p.m. and 1:30p.m. - 3:00p.m., Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, and 8:30a.m. - 12:00noon on Friday. Their phone number is 272-2635.

 

Drop/Withdrawal Statement

 

The Schedule of Classes dated December 30, 2004 gives the last day to drop this class without penalty as March 21, 2005. If you drop this class on or before this date, you will be assigned a grade of W. After this date, withdrawal without penalty is permitted only in cases of extreme hardship as determined by the Vice President for Academic Affairs; otherwise a grade of WF will be issued. Students who wish to drop this class or withdraw from all classes should go to the Enrollment Services Office in Westcott Hall to complete the necessary form. Students who fail to complete the official drop/withdrawal procedure will receive the grade of F. Withdrawal from class is a student responsibility. Before dropping any class, the college strongly advises that students meet with their academic advisor and their instructor to discuss the impact of a withdrawal on their graduation plans. The college also strongly advises students who are receiving any type of financial aid to visit the Financial Aid Office in Pope Student Center to discuss the impact a withdrawal may have on their financial aid status. The grade of W counts as hours attempted for the purposes of financial aid.

 

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES: After completing this course, students should be able to:

1. perform basic mathematical operations

2. articulate understanding of course materials acquired through listening, reading, graphics, experiments, computations, and electronic media

3. organize data and present it in a useful format
4. understand the basic concepts of probability
5. display an understanding of descriptive and inferential statistics and the statistical procedures associated with both
6. apply each statistical technique to data that is based on real-life situations
7. analyze and draw conclusions about a data set by using a combination of the techniques covered in class (sampling, confidence intervals, hypothesis tests, correlation, and regression).