Catalog Description

MATH 254 APPLIED STATISTICS WITH THE COMPUTER (4-0-4)(S)(AREA III) Pre-calculus treatment of descriptive statistics. confidence intervals, hypotheses testing, regression, correlation. Selected topics from probability theory. Emphasis on concepts and applications to a wide variety of disciplines. Use of computer statistics packages to handle computations. Carries no credit after MATH 360 or MATH 361. PREREQ: MATH 108 , MATH 130, or MATH 143 or satisfactory placement score.

Prerequisites

Either MATH 108, Intermediate Algebra, MATH 130 Finite Mathematics or MATH 143, College Algebra , or satisfactory placement score. The prerequisite should ensure that students have the required basic skills of algebra and analytical geometry.

Jurisdiction

The instructor has complete control over the teaching of this course, including the examinations, homework, and grading system.

Learning Objectives

This is a pre-calculus based introductory course in probability and statistics designed primarily for life science and social science majors. The topics covered should enhance the college education of most students excepting those in the more mathematical sciences. After successfully completing MATH 254 students will be able to demonstrate the following competencies in order to fulfill specific requirements set by the Core Philosophy and Goals Statement.

1. Identify appropriate descriptive and inferential techniques to be used in given situations.

2. Apply statistical techniques to real data and interpret the results of estimation, hypothesis testing and regression.

3. Use a conventional computer statistics package to perform the more common calculations of statistics.

4. Explain the role of probability in inferential statistics.

5. Clearly report results of statistical analysis in written form.

6. Describe the role of statistics as a tool to aid in research and decision making.

7. Identify fundamental assumptions necessary for use of specific statistical techniques.

Assessment of Learning Objectives

Students will be evaluated by their ability to :

do problems in homework sets and formal exams that reinforce text and class material. Many homework exercises require computer use.

explain key concepts in short well-written paragraphs on exams and in homework.

Write at least one research paper explaining the analysis of a set of real data, using the computer to provide graphs and perform calculations.

Topics and Approximate Timeline

The following table is a typical semester schedule. The amount of time spent on each topic and the order of presentation will vary from instructor to instructor.

Text and Program

The following texts have been used for this course.

Introduction to the Practice of Statistics, 2rd ed., D. S. Moore and G. P. McCabe, W. H. Freeman, 1999.

Introduction to Statistical Reasoning, G. Smith, McGraw-Hill, 1998.

Software packages used include Excel and TI 83 plus calculator. Students should have no difficulty in adapting to other software packages.

Format, Student Activities, and Grades

Consistent use of technology - either calculator or computer software- especially in the early and late parts of the course. Actual computer use in class- about 4 days. Homework is an important part of the course. The instructor chooses the exact grading scheme, with a typical distribution approximating: