Philosophy

This course and this textbook are centered on the idea that you will better understand and retain important statistical concepts if you build your own knowledge and practice using it, rather than by memorizing and regurgitating a set of facts. In order to actively construct knowledge in statistics, you must:

• Engage in the material and think carefully about it; there are rarely rote, black and white solutions in statistics.

• Attend class Complete online lectures, participate in class, and complete pre-class preparations.

• Become skillful at using R, a software package for exploring, modeling, and making decisions with data. You’ll have opportunities to use R inside and outside of class.

• Expect small amounts of daily homework, decent-sized weekly homework sets, and longer projects which allow you to pull your knowledge together.

Computing

This course will use R extensively. Course datasets and code are easily available on the R server which can be accessed by the link on Moodle. Supplemental materials will be provided on Moodle for learning to use R. Further instructions will be provided in class.

Learning R is necessary to do statistics. There is a learning curve and you will make mistakes, it just happens (and still happens to me). It is important that you take a breath, step back, and remember to seek help to resolve your issue. Come to my office hours, attend SI sessions, ask friends for help, post to our computing issues thread, and ask me questions in class. Past students have found learning R to be ultimately very useful and even fun. R is freely downloadable for both Mac and PC at https://cran.r-project.org/, and it’s available on a St. Olaf server!

I understand that everyone’s computer and internet situation is drastically different now. Access to the internet, sharing devices with family, video conferencing quality, and your schedule may affect your ability to complete assignments. Please know that I get this and am willing to work with you individually on completing the content. You just need to let me know!

Grades

Your course grade will be determined as follows:

College wide grading benchmarks can be found at: http://catalog.stolaf.edu/academic-regulations-procedures/grades/

All assignments and quizzes will be due each week by 11:59 PM Monday night. This is Central MN time. If you are in a different time zone, I will allow a couple hours cushion. The best advice I can give is to just not wait until Sundat night to submit everything.

Homework

There will be weekly homework assignments. Homework assignments are designed to give you practice applying new statistical concepts to new data contexts. Homework will be drawn from the exercises at the end of each chapter as well as additional questions. The homework assignments are long, so you should work through them as we go along. Many of the problems require computation. Code snippets in these cases will usually be provided.

• You are encouraged to discuss problems together, but each person must hand in their own work.

• You must show your work for full credit. Homework will be graded in large part for completeness, with some specific answers spot checked.

• Homework is due by 11:59 PM each Monday night. Late homework assignments will be accepted within reason (24 hrs) for the first offense, not accepted afterwards. (Contact me if the Monday deadline is simply impossible for you). This includes late assignments due to technical issues. Plan ahead. The lowest 2 homework scores will be dropped.

• I expect that you will start soon after receiving the assignment. The assignments are definitely not designed to be one-night jobs.

• Homework is completed using RMarkdown and you are required to upload both the RMarkdown (.Rmd) file and knitted pdf file to Moodle.

• There will be 1-2 “Independent Homework” assignments in which you must sign an Honor Code pledge that you worked alone. This is to encourage everyone to develop their own skill set for analyzing data with R.

Quizzes and Independent Homework

We will have several Moodle quizzes in between exams. You will have limited time to complete these quizzes and are expected to work alone. You may use notes, slides, textbook, and other materials for the quizzes. I will drop the lowest 2 quiz scores.

Class Preparation and Participation

We are online each in our own homes, but I still expect you to participate in this class! There are online forums on Moodle to ask and answer questions, I will have virtual office hours you can attend, and I will even try to set up some times for us to get together online and socialize if needed. Check your email and Moodle often to see more ways to participate in class.

Classroom behavior

Be sure to help out around the house, clean the dishes, do some laundry, make your bed. I have some great recipes for dinners or muffins if you want to make a little treat for your family. Wash your hands and limit your exposure to people outside your own home (I don’t care if they’re friends or family in another home that don’t feel sick, don’t do it unless it’s necessary!!)

Exams

There is no second midterm and I am still hoping to have the final exam. I plan to make it online through Moodle (unless I can find a better option in the meantime).

Project Data Analysis Reports

There will no longer be a group project for this course. Instead, I will ask you to complete 2 Data Analysis Reports. In short, I will provide several data set options to choose from. Your job will be to create your own research questions and use the data to write a 2-3 page data analysis report about your research question.

You will be allowed to work in small groups (2-3) if you choose. All reports will be peer-evaluated by another student/group. During the last week of the semester, we will have some sort of virtual presentation or “poster session”. More details will be posted later. For now my planned schedule is:

• First DAR due Sunday April 26

• Second DAR due week of May 4 - 8

• DAR virtual posters/presentations May 11 - 13

Supplemental Instruction

I believe there will still be SI sessions. I don’t know what those will look like yet so stay tuned. Alden will probably be sending information soon.

Note about Disabilities

I have the ability to automatically allow more time on quizzes and tests for those who have accommodations. I will also work with DAC to ensure everything is properly accessible. If you have accommodations, please let me know what I can do to help make this class better online.

I am committed to supporting the learning of all students in my class. If you have already registered with Disability and Access (DAC) and have your letter of accommodations, please meet with me as soon as possible to discuss, plan, and implement your accommodations in the course. If you have or think you have a disability (learning, sensory, physical, chronic health, mental health or attention), please contact Disability and Access staff at 507-786-3288 or by visiting wp.stolaf.edu/academic-support/dac.

Statement of Inclusivity

In keeping with St. Olaf College’s mission statement, this class strives to be an inclusive learning community, respecting those of differing backgrounds and beliefs. As a community, we aim to be respectful to all citizens in this class, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, gender or sexual Orientation.

I am committed to making course content accessible to all students. If English is not your first language and this causes you concern about the course, please speak with me.

Note about Academic Integrity

Plagiarism, the unacknowledged appropriation of another person’s words or ideas, is a serious academic offense. It is imperative that you hand in work that is your own, and that cites or gives credit to others whenever you draw from their work. Please see St. Olaf’s statements on academic integrity and plagiarism at: https://wp.stolaf.edu/thebook/academic/integrity/. See also the description of St. Olaf’s honor system at: https://wp.stolaf.edu/honorcouncil/

St. Olaf’s Academic Integrity Policy, including the Honor System, is an integral part of your academic experience. I consider any violation of this code to be extremely serious and will handle each case appropriately. Here are some guidelines for this class. They do not cover all eventualities so if you have any doubts about a course of action you can ask me.

• Homework assignments may be done in collaboration with other students (this is highly encouraged). However, the final product must written by you, in your own words, unless group assignments have been specifically allowed.

• In no event can you copy answers from another student, a website, solutions manuals, or elsewhere.

• When you sign your pledge on an exam that you have “neither given nor received assistance, and seen no dishonest work” I treat your signature as your solemn pledge that all your actions have been honorable. For example, if we have a take-home exam, you are assuring me that you shared no information with others, that you did not solicit or receive help from anyone besides me, etc.

• Don’t treat the honor code lightly; if you’re in doubt about a possible violation, ask me.