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Cardinal Stritch University is a learning community in which the elements of scholarship and learning -- discovery, application, integration, and teaching -- are embraced by faculty, staff, and students. Stritch graduates are critical thinkers, ethical decision makers, and life-long learners. Our mission is to transform lives. We do this through value-centered education. This is our business. |
Basic statistical methods will be discussed and practiced. Topics include displaying and describing distributions, measures of center and spread, correlation and linear regression, sampling and sampling distributions, the Normal distribution and the Central Limit Theorem, confidence intervals for proportions and means, testing hypotheses for proportions and means, and comparing two proportions and two means.
Mt 120 Applied Statistics Weekly Course Assignments.
Graduates of Cardinal Stritch University are critical thinkers, ethical decision makers, and life-long learners. Each course that a student takes contributes to these goals in some way. In this course, there are both content objectives and program objectives.
The student will learn to use basic statistical methods to organize and study sets of data. By the end of this course, the student will be able to
In addition to the Content Objectives listed above, the department of Mathematics & Computer Science has Program Outcomes that students become problem-solvers, effective communicators, users of appropriate technology, and team players. In particular, through participating in the assigned activities of this course, the student will learn to:
Cardinal Stritch University is a Catholic institution of higher education, founded and sponsored by the Congregation of the Sisters of Saint Francis of Assissi. While neither Saint Francis nor Saint Clare actually taught mathematics (or any other subject) in an established university, their lives do offer for us a model of cooperation, respect for diversity and inclusivity, and reverence for creation that we strive to reflect throughout the university community. The cooperative learning environment of this classroom teaches one aspect of creating a caring community. As demonstrated in the life and work of Florence Nightengale, statistics itself can be a tool for recognizing important human needs and for taking responsible action in our world. Throughout the semester, the instructor will invite you to find and work with data sets related to issues of interest and importance to you as well as to professionals in the fields represented by the various majors of students enrolled in this section of Applied Statistics. You will be invited to look at what various data sets tell you about people, our natural environment, and all of creation.
Back to TOCCalculators and computers are legitimate tools for doing mathematics. One of the goals of the Department of Mathematics & Computer Science is that our students develop a facility with various forms of technology and learn to use these effectively to explore and solve problems.
Throughout the semester, students will be given opportunities to use electronic communication tools (such as email and a graphical web browser). Weekly class assignments will be posted on the internet. The instructor will send e-messages to students with important class announcements as well as some comments and hints on homework exercises. Some homework assignments are to be submitted via eamil.
EXCEL has a statistical software component used in businesses and universities, which will be integrated into this course. EXCEL will be used to simpify computations for problems with large data sets in descriptive and inferential statistics. It is absolutely essential to understand the concepts and statistical techniques before using EXCEL. (If you don't understand what you want to learn from a given data set, any computer software will enable you to become even more thoroughly confused very quickly.) Solutions to some problems won't require EXCEL.
The software has been installed on the computers in the Mac and PC labs (BH 35, BH 37, and CH 31-A). Familiarity with EXCEL in solving problems, especially the regression analysis will be a great asset to you both during school (for example, for courses in the social sciences and business) and in graduate school and the business environment after you graduate from Stritch.
An electronic calculator with at least an x to the y power function may be used to solve problems for the homework and examinations.
Back to TOCSee the Weekly Course Assignments for an outline of the sequence of topics and content to be covered in this course.
Back to TOCTo be successful in this course, the student must be proficient in arithmetic and basic algebra. The student should have taken at least one year of high school algebra or successfully completed Mt 095. The first Benchmark Test will give the student to demonstrate these prerequisite skills. See the instructor is you have any concerns about your mathematical preparation for this course.
Back to TOCStudents will do much of the work of this course in cooperative learning groups. These groups will work together on some homework problems as well as on in-class problems.
The objective of group work in this course is primarily to engage the students in thinking more deeply about important statistical issues. Even though a lot of the work of the course is done in small groups, students are expected to learn to solve problems on their own. Working with colleagues in this class and talking about problems in small groups are strategies for developing an understanding of a problem situations from several points of view. Learning theory research has shown that cooperative learning leads to deeper understanding and longer retention of material that is studied.
Working well in a group is an important skill. Some students enjoy the group work more than others, and all will benefit from further developing this skill. Most of our graduates are employed in workplace settings where they are expected to function as a member of a project team. Many of our graduates tell us that the skill they developed by working in cooperative learning groups is very beneficial in the workplace.
Back to TOCThe faculty of Cardinal Stritch University are committed to developing writing and speaking skills for all students across all disciplines. Students will have opportunities in every class session to speak with peers informally in small-group and full-class discussions. Any written work that is turned in -- graded or ungraded homework assignments, tests, papers, and projects -- is to be written in standard English using complete sentences. Throughout the semester, students will receive feedback from the instructor (and from their peers) which is intended to assist in developing good speaking and writing skills.
Back to TOCIn this course, benchmark tests give the student an opportunity to demonstrate fluency with basic vocabulary and computational strategies. In-class tests give the student an opportunity to demonstrate problem-solving skills and the ability to apply statistical strategies appropriately in various application settings.
Regular attendance is expected. Class discussion is dynamic, and hands-on computer activities are designed to stimulate discussion among students working in small groups. Getting someone's notes is a poor substitute for being present and involved in class discussion. However, if you must miss a class, it is your responsibility to find out what you missed.
Problem solving is not a spectator sport. During most class periods there will be time for large and/or small group discussions about selected problems. It is important to learn to ask helpful questions and to listen constructively to each other. Constructive participation sometimes means allowing others time and space to think about the problem.
Homework assignments will include reading the text, checking the library and other sources for information beyond that given in the text, and doing problems from each chapter. From time to time, there may be (unannounced) quizzes on the reading assignments.
Students are expected to participate in class activities. This will include taking part in class discussion, and in small-group work on problems. At the end of each class period, I will ask you to fill out a Class Participation form. I will use these forms to check attendance, respond to your self evaluation, and give you a score for class participation.
If you must miss a class for any reason (excused or unexcused absence), your participation score for that day will be recorded as 0. You may make up for missed classes by turning in written evidence that you have done some work to make up missed lab/class activities. This make up work must be turned in within two class periods of the missed classes.
There will be about six graded homework assignments, each contributing about 5% to your final course grade. Some of these assignments are to be done in your groups, and others are to be done on your own. The instructor will make it clear whether you are to work alone or in a group on each assignment. Due dates will be clearly given for each assignment. Assignments turned in late will be penalized.
A study guide for each test will be available about one week before the scheduled test date.
Ordinarily, I do not give make-up tests; exceptions to this policy will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
There will be two benchmark tests in this course. These are offered outside of regular class meetings. Each student should make an appointment with the instructor to take the benchmark test during the scheduled window-of-opportunity.
This benchmark will cover concepts and skills which are prerequisite for this course. The focus will be on the basic arithmetic and algebra skills. The study guide for this benchmark will be available by January 24.
This benchmark, given near the end of the course, will cover basic computational strategies that are emphasized throughout the course. The study guide for this benchmark will be available about April 29.
Procedures for Benchmark Tests:
To pass the benchmark test, a student must get nine or ten of ten problems completely correct; there will be no partial credits. If a student passes on the first attempt, the score will be recorded as 100%.
If a student does not pass a benchmark test on the first attempt, he/she may demonstrate that that he/she has done some additional practice, and make an appointment with the instructor to try the test up to two more times.
If a student passes a benchmark test on the first or second re-test, the score will be recorded as the average of the scores made on each attempt.
If a student has not passed a benchmark after two re-tests or by the specified date, the score will be recorded as 0%.
Note: Each student's midterm grade will be based on one benchmark, two or three graded homeworks, one in-class test, and half the semester of participation. This represents 30 - 35% of the final course grade. Midterm is March 14, and the last day to withdraw from spring semester courses is April 4. If you have concerns about your progress or ability to keep up with course assignments, please feel free to discuss these with the instructor.
Inherent in the mission of Cardinal Stritch College is the strong belief in the principle of academic integrity. Students who cheat violate their own integrity and the integrity of the College by claiming credit for work they have not done and knowledge they do not possess. All students are expected to recognize and to abide by the policy on academic integrity found in the Student Handbook. Because you will be asked to do a lot of work in collaboration with your colleagues (i.e., your classmates), whenever I give you a take-home assignment or test on which I expect you to work on your own, I will make this very explicit.
If you have any special needs for alternative instruction and/or evaluation procedures, please feel free to discuss these needs with me so that appropriate arrangements can be made.
As a matter of courtesy, students are expected to turn off cell phones and pagers during class. If extraordinary circumstances require an exception to this policy, the student is expected to discuss this with the instructor before class begins.
Back to TOCMy office is located in CH 34, just across the hall from the classroom where this course meets. I will be on-campus and regularly available for students most weekdays. If you wish to make an appointment with me, you may sign up on the sheets which are posted on the in the hallway just outside the door of my office. The best way to contact me is via email, which I check regularly (several times a day) both while I am on campus and from home.
If you need to reach me between classes: