STAT 112:
Introduction to Statistics

Fall 2003

Who Should Be Taking This Course? STAT 112 is a required course for students planning to enroll in the McIntire School of Commerce. If you want to take a statistics course only to satisfy the College's natural science requirement then you should consider taking STAT 110 rather than STAT 112. Students interested in the Minor in Statistics and Data Analysis should take either STAT 500 or APMA 312 or MATH 312. STAT 112 cannot be used to meet requirements for the mathematics major. The appropriate statistics course for mathematics majors is Math 312.

Prerequisites: The only prerequisite for STAT 112 is High School Algebra 2. However, some students may find it useful to take MATH 111 (Probability) before taking STAT 112. It is worth noting that entry to the Commerce School requires, in addition to STAT 112, either Math 111 or Math 121. So students opting for Math 111 would normally want to take that course before STAT 112.

Credit: 3 credits

Course Coordinator: Maria K. Pospieszalska (mkp5y@virginia.edu)
Office hours: WF 11:15 am - 12:30 pm, HAL 110

Course Instructors and Classrooms:

Course Objective: STAT 112 is an introduction to the use of statistics for the general college audience. Students learn how data are used to draw conclusions about populations and processes. The course addresses several main topics:

• Descriptive statistics provides language for discussing data. This involves graphic techniques (bar graphs, stem-and-leaf plots, histograms, regression lines) and elementary descriptive statistics (mean, median, standard deviation, correlation, regression coefficients, etc).
• Statistical experimental design is the art and science of producing reliable statistical data. The course discusses the principal causes for bias in the collection of data and in the design of experiments, as well as the techniques available to avoid bias. This analysis involves the concepts of bias, controls, randomization, variability, and statistical significance.
• Probability analyzes randomness. Its use in statistical analysis allows for the quantification of statistical significance, accuracy, and confidence. The key topics here are probability models, random variables, means, standard deviations, binomial and normal distributions, and normal approximations.
• Statistical inference involves the application of descriptive statistics and probability to the drawing of statistically significant conclusions about populations and processes. For example, using statistical tests and confidence intervals, statisticians can estimate population parameters precisely, and give measures of both the precision of the estimates and the confidence they have in these estimates. The topics of inference discussed include population means, frequency counts, and linear regression.

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The textbook for this course is Introduction to the Practice of Statistics, fourth ed., by D. Moore and G. McCabe, published by W. H. Freeman & Co. The course covers material from chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 10. See the course syllabus for more details. The text comes with a CD with additional material including extra chapters and additional examples and projects in the form of a browser.

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Minitab, a statistical computing package with a menu-driven interface, is used in the course. The Minitab program is available on Macs and PCs in all the ITC Public Computing labs throughout the University. Because of license restrictions, ITC does not provide copies of Minitab for use on private computers. Minitab can be downloaded for a 30-day free trial, rented for 5 months, or purchased from the e-academy's website at http://www.e-academy.com/minitab.

The following are helpful : Brief Minitab User Guide and Using Minitab: A Short Guide Via Examples.

The first guide is intended for quick reference. The second guide provides lots of details, including screenshots, and is very helpful for learning to use the package.

Computer Help Sessions: Optional weekly computer help sessions start on Monday, September 1st and are held according to the following schedule:

Data for Solving Problems Using Minitab: You can download data sets corresponding to various exercises and tables of the textbook by clicking on DATA. This data also appears on the CD that comes with the textbook.

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Each student of Stat 112 must be concurrently enrolled in one of 22 recitation sections. See the Course Offering Directory for details. Weekly recitation sections start on Wednesday, September 3rd.

Instructors:
Kuo-Chen Chan (kc8f@virginia.edu)
Nadya Filipova (nif2x@virginia.edu)
Thomas Gwise (teg7a@virginia.edu)
Jeesang Jung (jj9y@virginia.edu)
Craig O'Brien (cwo2d@virginia.edu)
Matthew Soukup (mjs5b@virginia.edu)
Kenneth Strazzeri (kcs6g@virginia.edu)

The recitation sections are an essential part of the course and your attendance at YOUR recitation section is expected. The instructors discuss the weekly assigned practice problems listed in the syllabus, answer your homework and course material questions, and conduct review in the week preceding an exam.

Do not hesitate to contact your recitation section's instructor any time you need help.

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Each week's homework assignment is collected on Wednesday of the following week at the BEGINNING OF THE CLASS (with the exception of homework assignment #13 that will be collected at the beginning of Monday's class, on December 1st). Refer to the syllabus for homework assignments. Each homework set is spot-graded for up to 10 points (up to 2 points for each of two randomly selected problems, and up to 6 points for overall effort).

Solutions to the homework problems are posted on the Toolkit Stat 112-1 and Stat 112-2 websites in Materials by 5:00 pm on the day the homework assignment was collected.

Homework Policy:

• UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES WILL LATE HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS BE ACCEPTED.
• Homework assignments are not pledged, and students are encouraged to collaborate with each other. However, the work you hand in should be based on your own understanding; in particular, blatant copying of another student's work is not permitted.
• Each homework assignment must begin with a clearly visible (at least 2" x 5") header centered at the very top of the first page. Refer to the Homework Header for details. There is a 1 point deduction for a homework assignment without the header.
• In order to get the maximum 2 points for a problem, the solution process must be written clearly, must follow the methods and formatting specified in the problem (if any), and result in a correct answer.
• You must use Minitab if the problem is marked with an astersk. Otherwise, you may not use any computer software. (The large data sets for the homework problems are on the CD-ROM that comes with the textbook in files PCDataSets/MINITAB/Ch../EX.._....MTP or TA.._....MTP. The CHEESE and CSDATA data are in the CD-ROM's Appendix folder.)
• Homework sheets MUST BE STAPLED together; removable paperclips or dog-ears are not sufficient. There is a 1 point deduction for a homework assignment that is not stapled.
• All parts of a solution to a problem, including Minitab results, must be stapled together in sequence (parts a, b, c, etc.). Solutions to the homework problems MUST BE stapled IN THE EXACT ORDER THAT THE PROBLEMS ARE LISTED in the homework assignment. Grade points lost because of a misplaced problem solution, or part of a problem solution, may not be recouped.

Homework Graders:

DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE WEEKEND TO START THE HOMEWORK PROBLEMS. After each Wednesday's class a sufficient part of the material will have been covered to work the next homework assignment, and you should begin. Please read the homework material and have your questions ready before you go to your recitation section or a computer help session. With the exception of the classes just before the exams, there will be NO DISCUSSION OF THE CURRENT HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT on Mondays.

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Every Friday, except in weeks 1,8,12,14 and 15, there is a short, ten-minute quiz held at the beginning of the class. Students taking the quiz are expected to stay in the classroom until the end of the session.

The Friday quizzes are based on material corresponding to the homework assignment turned in on the preceding Wednesday. Each quiz is composed of four, multiple-choice problems worth 2.5 points each.

Quiz Policy:

• The quizzes are closed-book, closed-notes, and formula sheets are not allowed.
• You may use a calculator, TI-83 or similar. Lap-top computers, etc., are not permitted. STUDENTS ARE NOT ALLOWED TO SHARE CALCULATORS. On your calculator you may perform only basic algebraic operations, calculations of sample mean, sample standard deviation, sample correlation, and parameters of least-squares regression lines. Otherwise you must use the tables provided by the quiz worksheet. Only results based on these tables are accepted.
• Students MAY NOT ASK QUESTIONS during the quizzes.
• THERE ARE NO MAKE-UP QUIZZES.

Quiz Graders:

The graded quizzes are returned in class on Fridays, seven days after they were collected. Unclaimed quizzes can be picked-up in the basement of Halsey Hall. For questions concerning your quiz grade please e-mail your quiz grader directly.

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There are two midterm exams and a final exam. Section 1 exams will be in WIL 402. Section 2 exams will be in WIL 301.

• Midterm Exam I: Thursday, October 16, 7:00 - 9:00 pm. Exam is based on all the material covered in weeks 1-7 (see syllabus ). It is composed of 25 multiple-choice questions worth 1 point each.
• Midterm Exam II: Thursday, November 13, 7:00 - 9:00 pm. Exam is based on all the material covered in weeks 8-11 (see syllabus ). It is composed of 25 multiple-choice questions worth 1 point each.
• Final Exam: Friday, December 12, 7:00 - 10:00 pm. Exam is be based on all the material covered throughout the course (see syllabus ). It is composed of 33 multiple-choice questions worth 1 point each.

Please mark the exam times on your calendar and DO NOT MAKE ANY PRIVATE PLANS FOR THAT TIME. In particular do not buy airplane tickets for these dates! A make-up exam can be given only if you have a conflict with another class/exam or you have at least three exams (including the Stat 112 exam) in 48 hours. Refer to the Make-up Exam Schedule for details.

How To Request a Make-up Exam?

• To request a make-up exam for Midterm Exam I or Midterm Exam II please complete the Make-up Midterm Exam Request Form and return it to the class instructor not later than the Friday preceding the exam.
• A MAKE-UP EXAM FOR THE FINAL EXAM MUST BE APPROVED BY YOUR DEAN. The procedure and deadline vary by school. In the School of Arts and Sciences the request must be submitted on a form provided by the Dean's Office, and the deadline is Monday, December 1st. DO NOT MISS YOUR DEADLINE! A copy of the Dean's approval must be turned in to your class instructor not later than Friday, December 5th.
  
  

Exam Policy:

• YOU MUST HAVE A PICTURE ID with you for the exams.
• You must use a #2 pencil on the bubble sheet; ONLY BUBBLE SHEETS ARE GRADED.
• All exams are closed-book and closed-notes.
• You are allowed to use one, 8.5"x 11" sheet of paper with your notes written on both sides. You may not have more than ONE sheet of notes at any exam. You may not borrow a note sheet from another student.
• You may not have any loose sheets, other than your one sheet of notes, on your desk during the exam. Please write your calculations on the blank sides of your exam boolet. Also, TABLES attached to your exam booklet MUST REMAIN STAPLED TO YOUR EXAM BOOKLET - DO NOT SEPARATE!
• You may use a calculator, TI-83 or similar. Lap-top computers, etc., are not permitted. STUDENTS ARE NOT ALLOWED TO SHARE CALCULATORS. On your calculator you may perform only basic algebraic operations, calculations of sample mean, sample standard deviation, sample correlation, and parameters of least-squares regression lines. Otherwise, you must use the tables attached to the exam booklet. Only results based on these tables are accepted.
• YOU MAY NOT ASK QUESTIONS during the exams.
• At the end of the exam session both the bubble sheet and the exam booklet with the attached tables must be turned in to the exam administrators and your picture ID must be presented.

How to Prepare for the Exams?

• Work systematically throughout the semester by attending all lectures and all of your recitation sections, turning in all homework assignments, and being well prepared for all quizzes.
• Focus on understanding the theory first, then how to apply it. It is not enough just to know how to apply a formula; you also need to understand when it is appropriate to use a given formula for a data set. Exam problems check both your knowledge of concepts and your computational skills.
• You need to master all textbook material as listed in the syllabus, and all lecture material.
• You need to understand and be able to solve all quiz problems, and all homework and practice problems as stated in the syllabus.
• Before an exam, see how well-prepared you are by doing a corresponding exam from the list of Spring 2003 Exams, posted on Toolkit in Materials.
• Optionally, you can also practice your skills by solving odd numbered Supplementary Exercises; answers are provided. Choose only those exercises that correspond to the material covered in the course.

Exam Return Procedure:

The midterm exam booklets (but not the bubble sheets) are returned in class on the Wednesday following the exam. Unclaimed exam booklets can be picked-up in HAL 110, WF 11:15 am - 12:30 pm. The final exam booklets are not returned. They are kept on file in the Department of Statistics.

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The Department of Mathematics operates the Math Tutoring Center which offers free help in mathematics/statistics for all UVA students.

The Department of Mathematics also maintains a list of private tutors.

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There are a total of 14 homework assignments and 10 quizzes. The best 20 (any combination) are used in determining the final grade.

All quizzes, homework assignments, and exams are given numerical scores that, at the end of the semester, are recalculated to percent scores according to the following method:

A letter grade for the course is assigned based on your total percent score. The following standard grading is used across all STAT 112 sections:

• If your total score is at least 90%, you will receive at least a grade of A-.
• If your total score is at least 80%, but less than 90%, you will receive a grade in the range of B- to B+.
• If your total score is at least 70%, but less than 80%, you will receive a grade in the range of C- to C+.
• If your total score is at least 60%, but less than 70%, you will receive a grade in the range of D- to D+.
• If your total score is less than 60%, you will receive an F.

The above grading policy is strictly enforced. NO CURVES ARE USED.

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