Eli Goldwyn

Syllabus (207)

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Math 207, Spring 2016          

SYLLABUS

Instructor:                  Eli Goldwyn
Office Location:         MECC 265
Office Hours:            click “HOME” link above
Email:                          eli.goldwyn@trincoll.edu (please include “MATH 207” in the subject line!!!)

Class Meeting Time:    TR 9:25-10:40           room: McCook 303

Textbooks:

  • Statistics 13th ed. by McClave and Sincich, with MyStatmcclaveLab online course.
    • Instructions for creating MyStatLab account (if you don’t use the book store you may need to purchase MyStatLab separately).
    • If you are having trouble with MyStatLab check your browser settings, cookie and pop-up windows need to be enabled.
  • Investigating Statistical Concept, Applications, and Methods, by Beth Chance and Allan Rossman. Click here to purchase the $5 pdf version  (with both R and Minitab).

Weekly TA Sessions:

  • TBA

Course Description: An introductory course in statistics emphasizing modern techniques of data analysis: exploratory data analysis and graphical methods; random variables; probability distribution;  hypothesis testing, and confidence intervals; introduction to linear regression and least squares error.

Click here for a TED talk by Prof. Arthur Benjamin about why non-mathematician/engineers/scientists/economists should learn statistics instead of calculus (I took a class from Prof. Benjamin when I was an undergraduate)

Grading:

  • Attendance/Participation                                                    5%
  • Investigations                                                                         5%
  • HW (paper HW and online HW)                                        20%
  • Tests (2 midterms) (3/2, 4/18)                               20% each (40%)
  • Final Exam (cumulative) (5/10- 9:00 am)                       30%

Homework:

  • Paper HW will be graded on both the mathematical/statistical content and on the exposition, where appropriate (the correct answer may not be enough). I encourage you to work together, but you must submit your own work. These problems will be posted on the course website and will be turned in before class If your HW is multiple pages, staple pages together. If you use spiral notebook paper, remove fringes (you will lose points if you fail to do this — I know it’s annoying but otherwise grading the HW becomes impossible)!
  • StatLab-online HW uses the online program StatLab. Work is submitted through this program and is due by midnight on the due date.
  • Note: While all HW can be done open book/notes/internet and with classmates, if you need any of those resources to complete a problem, then you don’t really understand it. Be sure to practice some problems without any assistance- as if they are exam problems.

Exams: There will be two regular exams and a final exam. Make up exams are given only in the case of a serious medical problem or emergency documented by the Dean of Students office. Written documentation any such situation will be required. Advanced notice must be given if possible.

  • Exam Regrade Policy – If you think your exam was misgraded (I mis-added your points, I marked you wrong when your answer was correct, or you think you deserve more partial credit), you can return your exam to me with a letter (less than 1 page – can be handwritten neatly or printed out and signed in pen) describing why you deserve more points. You have one week from after I return the exams to submit this letter to me. Be sure to make this letter convincing.  Note: you can only do this one time per exam, so make sure you go through your entire exam BEFORE completing the above process.

Investigations: The investigations are found in the $5 pdf by Chance and Rossman.

  • Investigations will be worked on during class (see class schedule) in groups of 2-3 students.
    • Each group needs to bring at least 1 laptop/tablet and at least 1 printed out copy of the investigation.
  • Each group will turn in 1 copy of their completed Investigation
  • Investigations are due by the following class (though you will likely finish the Investigation during class and can turn it in right then).

Specific Classroom Rules:

  • You are expected to arrive for class on time and prepared, having completed any required reading and/or homework.
  • For the days where we are doing the investigations, I expect you to:
    • Read the introductory paragraph about that investigation before class starts
    • Find a group (2-3 students) where at least one person has a laptop/tablet, and at least one person has a printed off copy of the investigation
  • Cell phone use is for emergencies only! Please make sure the ringer is off!

Study Hints:

  • Come to class (and ask questions if you don’t understand).
  • Read the book BEFORE class.
  • Help each other (explaining a concept is a great way to understand it).
  • Attend my office hours and/or TA sessions, and visit the Q-center.
  • Review your class notes (I recommend doing this the same day).
  • Practice some HW or examples w/o friends or the book
  • Be patient! It’s okay if you don’t understand a concept the first time you see it.
  • VOX.com tips for “studying smarter”
  • The rule of thumb is ~2 hours of work outside of class for every hour of class

 

You are responsible for your own learning. As your instructor, I view my role as providing you with contexts and opportunities that facilitate the learning process. Please call on me to help you with this learning in whatever ways I can.

  • Click here for a cool TEDx video (“Being a fantastic educator: a lesson from my niece”) about teaching that generally sums up my teaching philosophy (by coincidence the speaker is my college roommate’s younger brother).

Class Outline

  • Chapter 1: Intro to Statistics and Statistical Thinking
  • Chapter 2: Methods & Figures for Describing Sets of Data
  • Chapter 3: Probability
  • Chapter 4: Discrete Random Variables
  • Chapter 5: Continuous Random Variables
  • Chapter 6: Sampling Distributions
  • Chapter 7: Statistical Inference-Confidence Intervals
  • Chapter 8: Statistical Inference-Hypothesis Testing
  • Chapter 9: 2-population Statistical Inference  (skip)
  • Chapter 10: Analysis of Variance (skip)
  • Chapter 11: Linear Regression

Students with Academic Accommodations: Trinity College complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.  If you have a documented disability and require academic accommodations, please present your accommodations letter during my office hours within the first two weeks of the semester. If you do not have a letter, but have questions about applying for academic accommodations, please contact Lori Clapis, Coordinator of Accommodation Resources, at 860-297-4025 or Lori.Clapis@trincoll.edu.

Academic Honesty: Academic integrity is an important component of intellectual life and I treat cases of academic dishonesty very seriously. You are expected to uphold the principles in the Student Integrity Contract, to read and abide by the College policies on intellectual honesty in the Student Handbook, and to abide by any specific policies I establish. You will receive these policies in writing. If you have any questions you should bring them to me; when in doubt err on the side of caution and avoid even the appearance of academic dishonesty. The minimum penalty for academic dishonesty is a 0 on the given assignment. All cases of academic dishonesty will be referred to the Academic Honor Council.