Instructor: Dr. Paul Regier Time: Mon/Wed/Fri 11:15 am - 12:15 pm
Email: Place: Austin Hall 108
Office hours: paulregier.com/office hours

1 Course Description

This course is an introduction to statistical principles and probability, with applications in business, social and behavioral sciences. (3 hours)
Prerequisite: ACT mathematics score of 19 or higher, pass a USAO Level 1 Assessment (pre-algebra), or complete MATH 0103 (Basic Math Skills) with a grade of “RP.””

1.1 Required Materials

  1. Textbook: OpenIntro Statistics, 4th Edition – free on Canvas. Print copies are available on Amazon
  2. iClicker Student account ($15.99) - See Clickers and Class Engagement in Canvas for details for setting this up.
  3. Personal Computer or regular access to USAO computer lab. If you choose to use your own computer, please install the following software (free) before our first meeting or as soon as you can:

Note regarding RStudio software:

  • To work on labs and exam material out of class, you need to either have ‘R’ and RStudio installed on your personal computer OR arrange access to a computer with R and RStudio installed. (R and RStudio are installed on the 24-hour computer lab in the library.)
  • If you are unable to install ‘R’ and RStudio on your personal computer or find regular access to USAO lab computers with RStudio, there is a browser-based option for running RStudio called RStudio Cloud, which is free for up to 25 hours/month. After that you can pay costs $5/month. You may discuss this with me if you are considering this option.

1.2 Technical Skills Needed

  1. Ability to navigate and use learning management system (Canvas)
  2. Ability to access RStudio on your personal computer or USAO computers.
  3. Ability to access iClicker account during class. It is your responsibility to set up iClicker by the second class period.
  4. Ability to securely store and access files on cloud storage (such as OneDrive through your USAO account) during and after class. It is your responsibility to store files securely so you can access them in and out of class.

If you ever need help with Canvas, check out the help features, shown below:

1.3 Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

  1. Identify statistical terminologies, such as types of data and research designs.
  2. Organize, display, and interpret data visually using tables, graphs, and frequency distributions.
  3. Calculate and interpret measures of central tendency and variability, such as mean, median, mode, variance, standard deviation, and quartiles.
  4. Apply elementary laws and principles to compute probabilities from sample spaces, including the rule of complements, the general addition rule, and the independent event multiplication rule.
  5. Apply the binomial and normal distributions to compute probabilities in appropriate situations.
  6. Construct and interpret appropriate confidence intervals to estimate one population mean and population proportion.
  7. Construct and interpret appropriate confidence intervals to estimate the difference between two population means and the difference between two population proportions.
  8. Conduct and interpret appropriate hypothesis tests for a population mean and a population proportion.
  9. Conduct and interpret appropriate hypothesis tests for the difference between two population means and the difference between two population proportions.
  10. Conduct and interpret appropriate hypothesis tests for tests of linear regression.

2 Course Format

This course will meet IN-PERSON. In-person attendance is required. Attendance and participation will be graded via clicker questions. Only in special pre-arranged circumstances will attendance on Zoom be accommodated. (In these cases, please email me ASAP.)

3 Assessement

Course grades are made up of the following components:

Clicker Quizzes 5%
Online Quizzes 10%
Labs 15%
Online Assignments 20%
Exams 1 and 2 30%
Research Report 20%
Total 100%

After rounding final grade to the nearest percent:
\(A = 90-100\%, B = 80-89\%, C = 70-79\%, D = 60-69\%, F = \text{below } 60\%\)

3.1 Clicker Quizzes

Students will use personal response software (iClicker Reef) as an instructional tool, accessible via a browser on a computer, tablet, or smartphone. The clicker will provide information based on students’ responses to questions posed in class and will provide a form of class participation credit.

Please see Clickers & Class Engagement in Canvas for more instruction on setting up your iClicker account. At the end of the semester, points for approximately two classes worth of clicker scores will be dropped to account for unexpected absence or illness. If you are unable to participate in more than two days of class, please see the Clicker Credit Makeup assignment in Canvas.

3.2 Online Quizzes Reading

Daily quizzes will be assigned on Canvas. Reading quizzes for each section will be due prior to the class period in which we begin covering that section (see [Course Schedule]). Before taking each quiz, you should read the corresponding section in your textbook and/or watch the provided OpenIntro Statistics videos.

Late quizzes will incur a 10% penalty/day past due date.

3.3 Labs

Weekly lab assignments will be completed in RMarkdown and submitted on Canvas. Labs due by Friday 9 p.m.

  • In order to effectively learn in this class, staying on top of lab work and turning it in on time is essential. Late homework will incur a 10% penalty/day past due date.
  • Within two class periods following the lab due date, I will grade and provide feedback on Labs to help improve your skill and accuracy in conducting statistical analysis, as well as allow you to self-evaluate whether you are meeting key learning benchmarks. For me to do this consistently and effectively, Labs must be submitted to Canvas. (Labs or exams that are emailed to me will not be graded.)

The procedures for completing labs in RMarkdown will be covered during the first week of class. If you miss these classes, it is your responsibility to meet with a friend, SSC tutor, or with me during office hours to learn these procedures.

3.4 Online Homework

Online homework serves as a tool to help you study, practice, and test your understanding of the material as we cover it in class. Together with your active participation in class, giving adequate time to complete online assignments is the best way to prepare for exams.

Homework exercises are assigned each week. The online homework exercises are required and graded. However, for numeric responses, if you miss a question, it will show the answer, allowing you to self-diagnose your mistake; then you can try similar problems until you get the questions correct. You can also ask questions in the discussion board about any homework questions you have difficulty with. These exercises will allow you to explore and practice the material from the chapter. The exercises will be due at the end of the week.

Online homework questions are randomized, so you are encouraged to work together with your friends and classmates. If you get stuck on a homework question:

  • Ask your friends,
  • Post a question on the Homework Discussion Forum on Canvas,
  • Bring your question to the next class period, or
  • Email me (see [Correspondence Expectations]).

Online homework for a section is due at the end of each week, Friday at 9:00 p.m.. The online homework deadlines posted in Canvas are firm. The link to these assignments will actually close at 9:00 p.m. on the due date. Because of this, do not wait until Friday to start online homework. If something major comes up (a death in the family, hospitalization, etc.), email me as soon as possible and we can discuss alternative arrangements.

3.5 Exams

There will be two exams for this course: one midterm exam and a final exam. Exam dates are listed on the Canvas homepage. Please put these dates in your calendar and email me as soon as you find you may have an unavoidable or university-sanctioned conflict with any dates.

3.6 Statistical Report

During the semester, we will work writing a Statistical Report on a topic of your interest. Drafts of various sections will be due throughout the semester, with the final report due at the beginning finals week. More details forthcoming in class.

3.7 Discussions

Canvas discussion assignments will be periodically used to introduce or explore ideas not covered in class. Please follows Canvas for instructions and due dates.

4 Course Communication

Be aware and anticipate the following response times for the following types of correspondence:

  • Student –> Instructor: For emails to the instructor sent after 8 am on Monday but before noon on Friday, please allow 24 hours of response time. Messages left after midday Friday may take up to 72 hours. Holidays excluded. Messages sent via email generally will receive quicker responses than messages sent in Canvas.
  • Instructor –> Student: Students are expected to check and be aware of information sent via email and Canvas announcement posts regularly and respond if needed following the same guidelines described in the above item.
  • Student –> Student: When working with other students (e.g. homework or group projects), students are advised to exchange contact information of some sort, as well as check and read email/group messages regularly.

In all course communication with your instructor and classmates, please follow these net etiquette (netiquette) guidelines: 1

  1. Remember the Human: When communicating electronically, whether through email, instant message, discussion post, text, or some other method, practice the Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have others do unto you. Remember, your written words are read by real people, all deserving of respectful communication. Consider the tone of your emails and discussion posts before you press “send” or “submit.” Ask yourself, “Would I be okay with this if someone else had written it?”
  2. Make yourself look good: In all course communication with your instructor and classmates, be professional and polite. One of the great things about the virtual world is the lack of judgment associated with your physical appearance, the sound of your voice, or the clothes you wear. You will, however, be judged by the quality of your writing, so keep the following tips in mind:
    • Always check for capitalization, spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors.
    • Think about what you want to communicate and state it clearly.
    • Avoid slang and acronyms like ROTFL for “rolling on the floor laughing.”
    • Don’t use ALL CAPS for entire sentences or posts, which denote yelling at someone. Any form of attack or inappropriate response within any form of communication with other students or faculty is unacceptable and if done in a discussion post will be removed immediately accompanied by a warning.
    • Be pleasant and polite.
  3. Respect other people’s time and bandwidth: Electronic communication takes time: time to read and time in which to respond. Most people today lead busy lives, just like you do, and don’t have time to read or respond to frivolous emails or discussion posts. As a virtual world communicator, it is your responsibility to make sure that the time spent reading your words isn’t wasted. Make your written communication meaningful and to the point, without extraneous text or large attachments that may take forever to download.

5 Other Information

5.1 Canvas Help

For help with Canvas, check out the help features provided by Canvas, shown below:

5.2 Student Success Center (SSC)

The Student Success Center (SSC) offers FREE individual tutoring, hosted on the top floor of Nash Library! See the SSC website for hours and link for scheduling an appointment. It is very helpful to come to tutoring appointments with your specific questions or topics.

This and other useful resources are also provided in the “Student Resources” tab in Canvas.

5.3 AI Policy

While the use of the internet and AI is acceptable for brainstorming and generating ideas on a topic, keep in mind that AI-generated results and sources are often made up, and thus must be verified.

Moreover, it is cheating to submit any academic work that originates from another source as your own, including AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Bing, etc.

When the use of AI tools is explicitly permitted on an assignment, all content from AI tools used must be cited as such, following current AI citation styles appropriate to your discipline (MLA, APA, Chicago style).

5.4 Academic Dishonesty

Academic dishonesty in any form is a violation of the Academic Code of Conduct and will not be tolerated. There is a zero-tolerance policy in this course for any form of plagiarism, fabrication, cheating, forgery, or any other type of academic dishonesty. Violations will be addressed one-on-one with the instructor with a report submitted to the Academic Integrity Committee.

For more on the Academic Code of Conduct please see the USAO student handbook.

5.5 Accessibility Policy

The University’s accessibility policy is on page 15 of equity policy.

5.6 Disability Services

The University has a continuing commitment to providing accommodations for students with documented disabilities. The need for accommodations and the process for arranging them may be altered by safety protocols related to illness or injury. To fully participate in this class, those with disabilities who may need accommodation should contact Disability Services, as soon as possible. For this semester, please do this by emailing the Disability Services Office at .

5.7 Illness

Regular class attendance is necessary to achieve the course objectives. Thus, taking care of your health and avoiding unnecessary exposure to illness is an important part of your success.

However, if you do fall ill for any reason, your instructors want you to be able to rest. Please do not come to class if you are sick. If you are ill, simply email your instructor to let them know. Then, when you are well, contact and follow up with your instructor to make plans for making up missed work.

For absences related to contagious illnesses, please adhere to the following:

  • If you test positive or are evaluated by a healthcare provider for symptoms, please alert the University at who will follow up with you as necessary, and your instructors will be notified.
  • If you have been exposed to a contagious illness and/or have been notified to self-quarantine due to exposure, please notify the University at who will follow up with you as necessary, and your instructors will be notified.
  • Supporting documentation can be attached directly to the request form and should be from a student’s health care provider or Student Affairs, clearly indicating the dates of absences and the date the student can return to class.
  • If you are absent from class as a result of a contagious illness or quarantine, you are still responsible for completing all course requirements. Your instructor will work with you to make up the work. However, it is your responsibility to contact your instructor to make plans for making up missed work as soon as you are well. Do not wait until the end of the semester to make up missed work.

5.8 Important Dates

It is your responsibility to be aware of all dates listed in the USAO academic calendar.

5.9 Course Changes

The instructor reserves the right to make changes to this course as deemed mutually beneficial or necessary to all involved, with appropriate notification.

I encourage any feedback you have at any point during the semester. If you find any structural or content errors in any current course materials, let me know politely and respectfully via the Course Corrections discussion in Canvas, via email, or in person. If you do so, I will give 5 points extra credit (per correction) toward attendance and participation.

  1. Partially adapted from The Core Rules of Netiquette. Shea, V. (1994). Netiquette (Online ed., pp. 32-45). San Francisco: Albion Books.↩︎