Syllabus for STA 2023 - Introduction to Statistics

Spring 2014 -- ONLINE

1. Instructor Information

Instructor: Megan Mocko

Email: mmeece AT ufl.edu

Phone Number: 352-273-2975

Online Office Hours: M 1:30 – 2:30(chat room) W 4 – 5pm (Video Conference)

2. General Course Information

THIS COURSE SATISFIES GENERAL EDUCATION CREDITS IN THE MATHEMATICAL
SCIENCES. STUDENTS LEARN HOW TO SUMMARIZE DATA AND HOW TO MAKE
APPROPRIATE DECISIONS BASED ON DATA. (This course is the general education
category of M.)

Course Description
STA 2023 is an introductory course that assumes no prior knowledge of statistics but does
assume some knowledge of high school algebra. Basic statistical concepts and methods are
presented in a manner that emphasizes understanding the principles of data collection and
analysis rather than theory. Much of the course will be devoted to discussions of how statistics is
commonly used in the real world. There are two major parts to this course:

I Data – which includes graphical and numerical summaries to describe the distribution
of a variable, or the relationship between two variables (chapters 1, 2 and 3), and data
production to learn how to design good surveys and experiments, collect data from
samples that are representative of the whole population, and avoid common sources of
biases (chapter 4.)

II Probability and Inference – using the language of probability and the properties of
numerical summaries computed from a random samples (chapters 5, 6 and 7), we learn to
draw conclusions about the population of interest, based on our random sample, and
attach a measure of reliability to them (chapters 8, 9, 10).
 Week Topics Covered

1 What is Statistics? Exploring Data with Graphs

2 Measures of Center and Spread; Exploring the Relationship Between
Two Variables
3 Learning about Regression; Cautions on Regression
4 Gathering Data; Understanding Probabilities
5 Learning about Probability Distributions; Review
6 Exam 1; Sampling Distribution of the Sample Proportion
7 Sampling Distribution of the Sample Mean; More about Sampling
Distributions
8 Confidence Interval for the Population Proportion; Confidence Interval
for the Population Mean
9 Spring Break
10 More about Confidence Intervals; Significance Test about the
Population Proportion
11 Review; Exam 2
12 Significance Test about the Population Mean; Additional Topics about
Significance Test
13 Comparing Two Independent Proportions; Comparing Two
Independent Means
14 Comparing Means from Dependent Samples; More about Comparing
Proportions
15 Which One?; Exam Review
16 Final Exam
Course Objective
The primary goal of the course is to help students understand how the process of posing a
question, collecting data relevant to that question, analyzing data, and interpreting data can help
them find answers to real problems from their world.

3. Required Materials
1. Student Lab Workbook for Statistics: The Art and Science of Learning from
Data—3nd edition by Megan Mocko and Maria Ripol

2. Statistics: The Art and Science of Learning from Data by Alan Agresti and
Christine Franklin 3rd edition, Pearson, 2013 with MyStatLab Access Code.
3. Scientific Calculator that has some basic statistical functions: mean and standard
deviation. Many inexpensive calculators (around $10 to $15) have these
functions; check the manual or look for the following symbols: x-bar and either s
or σn-1. All of the more expensive graphing calculator have them as well, but it is
not necessary to buy one of them for this class.
4. A Reliable Computer
 • Windows Users: A reliable computer running Windows
XP(minimum) Windows 7(recommended) (or higher) with
1024 MB of RAM or higher
• Macusers: Mac OS X 10.7 Lion
• A web cam with 640x480 video pixel resolution or higher.
• Headphones or working speakers connected to the
computer.
• A working microphone connected to the computer. We
recommend a web cam that has a built in microphone.
(Webcam must have 640x480 resolution, 1280by720
preferred.)
• A web browser with Adobe Flash Player installed. We
recommend Flash Player 11 and Adobe Shockwave player.
• A reliable, high‐speed internet connection (minimum 768
KBPS/384 KPS download upload or higher –
recommended 1.5Mbps download and upload speed.)
(wired connection preferred)•
• The ability to allow video and screen‐sharing connections
to the computer you will be using to take your exam.
• Authority to allow remote access to your computer and
screen by one of the test proctors.
• Use this link to test your computer before the Exams.
http://www.proctoru.com/testitout/

4. Course Assessment
Assessment Percent of Grade
Exam 1 21%
Exam 2 21%
Exam 3 21%
Cumulative Quizzes (3 in total) 6%
Lesson Quizzes 7%
Team Project 8%
Individual “Island” Project 8%
Homework Problems 8%

To find your grade, use the following formula.

Grade = (Exam1)/100 *21 +(Exam2)/100*21+(Exam3)/100*21+(CumulativeQuizzes)/60*6+(LessonQuizzes/10

5. Possible Grades for the Course

 Letter Grade Grade Points Percentage of Points Needed
A 4.00 90 to 100%
A- 3.67 88.5 to 89.99%
B+ 3.33 84.5 to 88.49%
B 3.00 80 to 84.49%
B- 2.67 78.5 to 79.99%
C+ 2.33 74.5 to 78.49%
C 2.00 67.5 to 74.49%
D 1.00 60 to 67.49%
E 0.00 Below 60%

6. Course Websites
A. We will be using the new system, Canvas. This system can be accessed using
your gatorlink id and password.

In Canvas you will be able to:

• complete the lessons in the course.

• find any updates to the Syllabus

• watch the lectures as streaming video as you complete the lessons

• take the online quizzes

• turn in portions of the project using the assignment tool

• ask questions in the “Piazza”

• check your grade

For any technical problems with E-Learning, please contact 392-HELP or learning-
support@ufl.edu.

B. We will also be using MyStatLab for homework.

To register for Intro to Statistics 1 ONLINE - Megan Mocko Spring 2014:

MyLab & Mastering Student Registration Instructions

To register for Intro to Statistics 1 UF Online Megan Mocko
Spring
2014:
1. Go to pearsonmylabandmastering.com.
2. Under Register, click Student.
3. Enter your instructor’s course ID: mocko22573, and click Continue.
4. Sign in with an existing Pearson account or create an account:

• If you have used a Pearson website (for example, MyITLab,

Mastering, MyMathLab, or MyPsychLab), enter your Pearson username
and password. Click Sign in.

• If you do not have a Pearson account, click Create. Write down your
new Pearson username and password to help you remember them.

5. Select an option to access your instructor’s online course:

• Use the access code that came with your textbook or that you
purchased separately from the bookstore.

• Buy access using a credit card or PayPal.

• If available, get 14 days of temporary access. (Look for a link near the
bottom of the page.)

6. Click Go To Your Course on the Confirmation page. Under MyLab &

Mastering New Design on the left, click Intro to Statistics 1 UF Online Megan
Mocko Spring 2014 to start your work.

Retaking or continuing a course?

If you are retaking this course or enrolling in another course with the same book,
be sure to use your existing Pearson username and password. You will not need to
pay again.
To sign in later:
1. Go to pearsonmylabandmastering.com.
2. Click Sign in.
3. Enter your Pearson account username and password. Click Sign in.
4. Under MyLab & Mastering New Design on the left, click Intro to Statistics 1
UF Online Megan Mocko Spring 2014 to start your work.

Additional Information
 See Students > Get Started on the website for detailed instructions on
registering with an access code, credit card, PayPal, or temporary access.

7. Lessons
You will be completing about two lessons a week. This lesson will include text and video about
the day’s assigned material. As you work through the material, you will be filling in the lab
workbook. It will also have several activities and short quizzes for you to accomplish. You
should expect this lesson and the homework to take you about 2 to 3 hours per lesson.

When you open the lesson, it will ask for your userid. Enter your gatorlink id everytime. (For
example, my email address at UF is mmeece@ufl.edu. So, I would put in mmeece into that
space.) You will see a popup box that says that you have successfully connect to
ScoreCenter. After you have finished the quizzes, you will want to submit your scores to a Soft
Chalk Score Center by hitting the Finish button at the bottom of the last page. As you complete
the assignment, click save in order for the items that you have completed to be sent to the Score
Center. As long as you hit save, you can stop the lesson and come back to work on it at a later
time. There is an unlimited number of tries for each lesson up until the due date.

After you finish the assessment, it will ask if you want a receipt of your completion of the lesson.
If you want a backup of the grade, send the email receipt to your email account. Please do not
send it to me unless you find that your score has not been posted after the due date in Canvas.
The SoftChalk Score Center gets the results when you send it. The lesson must be completed by
midnight for that day that is assigned. It is o.k. to complete lessons early. After the due date, I
will upload the lesson scores into the gradebook. Please check the schedule posted in the course
management system for a more up to date list of deadlines. Please check your scores in a timely
manner. To get your grade for this section, total up your points from each lesson and divide by
the total number of points. Take this number and multiple by 100 to get your grade for this part.

8. Cumulative Quizzes
Time: We will have 3 online cumulative quizzes in Canvas.

Quiz Chapters Dates

1 Cumulative Quiz Monday, Jan. 20th 8am to Thursday Jan 23rd 11:59pm
2 Cumulative Quiz Monday, Feb. 24th 8am to Thursday, Feb. 27th
11:59pm
3 Cumulative Quiz Monday, April 7th to Thursday, April 10th 11:59pm

Three attempts: You will be allowed three attempts for each quiz – each randomly generated, so
the questions won't be identical. The highest grade is counted. Given all these opportunities, all
students should do extremely well on the quizzes. Hopefully they will serve the purpose of
improving your grade in the class, as well as be an important tool in learning the material for the
course.

No makeups. There will be no makeup quizzes for any reason.

If you have questions, you are allowed to ask teaching assistants and the instructor questions
about submitted attempts on the quiz only. Do not post questions about quiz questions on Piazza
when the quiz is still running. Email the instructor. In your email, make sure that you show the
work that you did on the problem.

Place: You can take the quiz on any computer that has internet access.

Popup Blockers: If you have a pop-up blocker activated on your machine, you need to allow
pop-ups for this page. If you click on the quiz and nothing happens, you need to allow pop-ups
for this website. If you need help to do this, contact the UF computer help desk at 392-HELP.

Technical Problems: If you have problems with Canvas, please contact the UF computer help
desk at 392-HELP for assistance.

Grade: To get your grade for this part, add up the three quiz scores.

9. Exams
There will be three online proctored exams. The exam will be multiple choice and short answer.
Exams will cover a larger amount of material than the quizzes and will also place more emphasis
in the understanding of concepts and ideas behind the formulas. Academic dishonesty on any
exam will result in a grade of zero on that exam. There will be 2 parts to the exam – a calculation
part and a concept part. For the calculation part, you will have access to your calculator and to
the StatCrunch Spreadsheet. For the concept part, you will not have access to any aids.

Online Exam Dates

Exams Date Time Chapters in Book Handbook Pages

Exam 1 Tues. Feb. 11th – Wed Ch. 1 – Ch. 6 Sec. 3 1 - 50

Feb. 12th
Exam length: 2 hrs.
th
Exam 2 Thurs. March 20 Exam length: 2 hrs. Ch. 7 Sec. 1 – Chapter 9 51 - 85
- Fri. March 21st Section 2
Exam 3 Tues. April 22nd - Exam length: 2 hrs. Ch. 9 - Ch. 10 86 - 121
Wed. April 23rd

Makeup Exam Policy

 • Every effort should be made to take the exam during the 48 hour open exam period. Only
extreme situations will warrant a makeup exam. Contact the instructor prior to the exam -
as soon as you realize you will be unable to take the test at the scheduled time. Each case
will be reviewed individually. Valid and detailed documentation is a prerequisite for
scheduling a makeup exam under such extenuating circumstances.
• If you have an emergency on the day of the exam, the instructor must be contacted by
midnight of the day of the exam via email.
• To make arrangements for a makeup exam: Contact the instructor at
mmeece@stat.ufl.edu. Makeup exams will cover the same material as the regularly
scheduled exam, but will not necessarily be in multiple choice formats.
• Additional Note: Being on vacation is not a valid reason to request a makeup.

Pre-Exam Checklist

• Go to ProctorU’s FAQ: http://proctoru.com/faq.php

• Test out your equipment: www.protoru.com/testitout
• Be sure that you are in a well lit room – must be daylight quality.
• Be sure to have your photo id ready.
• Be sure to bring a reflective surface such as a mirror, CD or DVD.

ProctorU information
You will be taking your exam through an online proctoring company. I have posted their
information here for your convenience.

What We Do

ProctorU is a revolutionary new service that allows students to complete their assessment at any
location while still ensuring the academic integrity of the exam for the institution. Using almost
any web cam and computer, you can take exams at home, at work, or anywhere you have internet
access.

Preparing for Your Exam

You will be connected to a live person during your exam that will be there to guide you through
the process and assist with any technical problems. If you have any questions, please call our
proctor line at 205‐870‐8122.

Appointments

Appointments are required to use ProctorU and all appointments need to be made at least 72
hours in advance. If you register prior to 72 hours before the exam, there will not be an
additional fee. Reservations made within 72 hours of your exam are subject to a $5 late
reservation fee.There is also a “Take it Now” option that does not require prior reservation.
However, it will cost you $8.75. To make an appointment, simply create an account at
http://go.proctoru.com, log in, click on the “new exam” link and select the exam, date, and time
you desire. You will receive a confirmation email of your reservations at the email address that
you provided to ProctorU.

Procedure

• Plan ahead for your session.

• Make sure you have a quiet, private location in which to take the test.

• The area and room around your computer will be scanned using a web cam prior to your
exam, so all non‐authorized materials should be put away and the area should be clutter‐free. If
you are using a public computer lab, you must have a web cam connection and use headphones,
so you won’t disturb others.

• You will also be required to show picture identification to your proctor at the time of your
exam. Approved forms of identification include, but are not limited to, a driver’s license, military
identification card, passport, or school‐issued identification card.

• No breaks are allowed during your testing session and cell phones and other devices will not
be permitted in the testing area.

• No other people are allowed in the area in which the test is being taken.

• Any unauthorized notes or other attempts to cheat will abort the test session and will be
reported to your instructor.

• At the date and time of your appointment, return to http://go.proctoru.com, log in, and a
message will appear saying, “You have an exam. Click here to begin.” Click on this button and it
will automatically take you to the proctor page. Fill out your personal information and hit
submit. You will then be directed to a screen which will connect you to your proctor. Just follow
the steps on the screen and a proctor will be connected with you shortly. Once connected, your
designated proctor will walk you through the set up process and you will log into your testing
portal. Your proctor will also supply the password for your examination. Your exam time will
begin when the proctor enters the examination password on your screen. If you have any
problems connecting, please call ProctorU at 205‐870‐8122. Should you not be able to reach
ProctorU via telephone you can email help@proctoru.com If you have scheduled an exam and
you are late, your proctor will attempt to call you at the phone number you provided when you
scheduled your exam. Should there be any UF login issues at the time of your scheduled exam
your proctor will contact the course instructor or course coordinator and you will be able to
reschedule your exam if necessary.

• You may not take the exam at a café, on a plane, train or other public place.

• Make sure that your laptop is plugged in before starting the exam.
10. Lecture Notes

The notes in the Lab Workbook will be used in class. When you are following the lectures, you
should always have the lecture notes in front of you. The instructor will go over the definitions
and theory, and work out the examples on the spaces provided.

11. Homework Questions

Doing the homework is essential step in succeeding in this class. For every lesson, there will be
about 30 to 60 minutes of work for you to complete in MyStatLab. Please see the schedule in the
course management system for due dates. The help functions have been turned on, so that you
will have guidance as you are working on the problems. You may complete the homework
problems multiple times.The highest score will be recorded. The homework scores will be kept
in MyStatLab. Please view the Grade book in MyStatLab to see your homework scores. I will
transfer homework score from MyStatlab into the Canvas gradebook through the semester. If you
are having trouble understanding homework problems or course concepts, please post your
questions in Piazza. This way everyone will benefit from your question. WARNING: Because
the help functions have been turned on in the course, homework scores are not always a good
judge of how you are learning the material. Carefully, reflect on how often you have to use the
help functions and how many times you submit the homework. Each homework is worth 10
points. To get your final homework score, add up all of your homework scores and divide by
220. Take this number and multiply by 100 to get your overall score.

12. StatCrunch
StatCrunch is an online statistical software package that comes with your MyStatLab access
code. The data sets from the textbook are automatically entered. We will be using StatCrunch to
work out problems throughout the semester. The lessons will include videos on how to do certain
tasks and quiz you on these activities. You will also be using StatCrunch as part of your “Island”
project and will be used on the test.

13. Projects
In this course, there is a team project and an individual project. The purpose of these assignments
is to get a broader view of statistics outside of the classroom. More information and rubrics are
provided in the course management system. Each project will be graded out of 100 points and
will count as 8% of your grade.

14. Office Hours and Review Sessions

Online Office Hours:

During the semester there will be online office hours using the Chat function or Big Blue Button
Conferences in Canvas by both the instructor. Please see the top of the syllabus for hours.

Live Review Sessions

We will also be having Live Review Sessions during the semester before the exams. Please email
me about what questions you would like to go over in the review sessions. These live review
sessions will be held in Big Blue Button. Attendance at the review sessions is not required.
Sessions will be recorded and can be viewed at a later time by all. The sessions are stored for 14
days before they are automatically deleted. The review sessions will be conducted by the
instructor, Megan Mocko. I will stay online for 15 minutes, if no one attends, I will close the
session.

15. Question and Answer Discussion Board (Piazza)

All students will have access to a Piazza in Canvas. Piazza is a great tool that will allow us to
organize questions so that it is easier to find answers. Please try to post questions under the
correct chapter or assignment heading. You are able to ask questions about lessons, videos,
lesson quizzes, and homework questions. DO NOT POST QUESTIONS ABOUT CANVAS
QUIZZES OR TESTS. Students who post CANVAS quiz or test answers on Piazza will be
penalized. It will be considered an honor violation. Please send an email to the instructor to
discuss private matters such as grades, medical excuses and DRC letters.

• SignUp: piazza.com/ufl/spring2014/sta2023
• Class Link: piazza.com/ufl/spring2014/sta2023/home

16. School Closures

• If classes at the University of Florida are canceled, the course will be suspended until
the university re-opens. The University will announce this closure on the University of
Florida homepage. Any announcements about the course will be posted at the course
website.

17. Course Policies

Privacy Policies: Student records are confidential. Only information designated “UF directory
information” may be released without your written consent. UF views each student as the
primary contact for all communication. If your parents contact me about your grade, attendance
or other information that is not “UF directory information”, I will ask them to contact you.

Email
Email relating to information about the class should be sent to the instructor at
mmeece@stat.ufl.edu. Your message will be answered within one working day, in most cases.
However, we ask you to please refer to this Syllabus and the course website to try to find the
answers for yourself. Questions regarding the material covered and homework problems should
be asked on the Piazza board. Questions about the quiz should be sent to your instructor and it
should include the quiz number, attempt number and question number.

Instructor's Honor Code

We the members of the University of Florida community, pledge to hold ourselves and our peers
to the highest standards of honesty and integrity.

Academic Dishonesty
We adhere to the University of Florida rules and guidelines for handling instances of academic
dishonesty. Please refer to the Office for Student Services for detailed information about the
current policies.

Students with Disabilities

Students who require special accommodations in class or during exams should follow the
procedures outlined by the Disability Resources Program (http://www.dso.ufl.edu/drc/ ) Please
send the course coordinator (Megan Mocko) your letter of accommodations as soon as you
receive the information. I must be emailed the form 7 days before the exam date for
accommodations to be arranged.

Grading
Grades will be changed only when an error has been made; negotiation is not appropriate.

Incomplete
Incomplete grades are only assigned when extraordinary circumstances (such as an accident, or
extended hospitalization), arising after the date for dropping the course, prevent the student from
completing the course requirements. Having a failing grade in the course is not a valid reason
for requesting an Incomplete.

18. Where to Get Help for this course:

• During Virtual Office Hours and Live Review Sessions
• Piazza in Canvas
• Via Emails to the instructor at mmeece@stat.ufl.edu

19. How to do well in the course

• Keep up with the lessons. Set a schedule for yourself and stick with it.
• Visit the course website regularly, to read announcements and take the online quizzes.
• Do well on the lesson quizzes, cumulative quizzes, projects and homework.
• Use the help function in MyStatLab to help you work out homework problems.
 • Visit the online office hours and review sessions regularly to get help from the TA and
your instructor. Our job is to clarify any questions that you may have, and to help you
understand the material and learn to do the problems.
• Get to know other students in the class and get together regularly to work on homework
problems, and to study for quizzes and exams. Please remember to be professional in
your conversations. Please respect each other and refrain from profanity.

• Prepare carefully for exams by going over the lectures, doing your homework and
practice questions, studying your quizzes and reading the book. Pay special attention to
the understanding of concepts and ideas behind the formulas.

20. How to get the most out of the online course

• Set aside time each week to complete the lessons
• You should watch and read the lessons on a regular schedule
• Complete the lessons and then do homework assignment
• Actively involve yourself in the lesson. Be inquisitive. Work out the lesson quizzes and
activities. Learning is not a spectator sport. Jump in and work on the problems.
• Watch the lecture videos and complete the lessons in a low disruption environment. In
addition, to watching the lecture, you should not be also texting, instant messaging,
emailing, reading a website, watching TV, etc. Your attention should be focused on the
lesson.
• I have carefully considered what needs to be discussed in the lessons. Make sure that you
are paying attention to all of it.

21. Problems
Each online distance learning program has a process for, and will make every attempt to resolve,
student complaints within its academic and administrative departments at the program level. See
http://distance.ufl.edu/student-complaints for more details.

• Please contact the instructor first via email at mmeece AT ufl.edu first.
• If necessary after that, please contact the chair of the Statistics department at 392-1941.

22. Instructor Course/Evaluations

Students are expected to provide feedback on the quality of instruction in this course based on
10 criteria. These evaluations are conduced online at https://evaluations.ufl.edu/ Evaluations are
typically open during the last two or three weeks of the semester, but students will be given
specific times when they are open. Summary results of these assessments are available to
students at https://evaluations.ufl.edu/results .