Instructor: Dr. Paul Regier Time: Tue/Thu 3:00–4:30 p.m.
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 the 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 Assessment

Course grades are made up of the following components:

Component Weight
Clicker Quizzes 5%
Reading Quizzes 10%
Labs 15%
Online Homework 20%
Exams 1 and 2 30%
Statistical Report 20%
Total 100%

Final averages are rounded to the nearest whole percent (≥ 0.5 rounds up).
Grades: A = 90–100%, B = 80–89%, C = 70–79%, D = 60–69%, F = below 60%.

3.1 Clicker Quizzes

Students will use personal response software (iClicker Student) via a browser on a computer, tablet, or smartphone. Clicker responses support in-class learning and count as participation credit.

Students are responsible for setting up and purchasing the subscription ($15.99/semester). If you are unable to purchase a subscription, talk to me as soon as possible. For setup instructions, see Clickers & Class Engagement in Canvas.

At the end of the semester, the lowest two class days 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 Reading Quizzes

Reading quizzes will be assigned on Canvas and are due before the class period in which we begin a section (see [Course Schedule]). Before each quiz, read the corresponding textbook section and/or watch the OpenIntro Statistics videos.

Late quizzes incur a 10% penalty per day past the due date.

Included in your quiz score will be several canvas discussion assignments, used to introduce or explore ideas not covered in class. Please follows Canvas for instructions and due dates.

3.3 Labs

Weekly labs will be completed in R Markdown and submitted on Canvas. Labs are due Friday at 9:00 p.m.

  • Staying on top of lab work is essential. Late labs incur a 10% penalty per day past the due date.
  • Within two class periods after the due date, I will grade and provide feedback to help you improve your statistical analysis skills and self-assess progress toward course benchmarks. To receive feedback consistently, labs must be submitted on Canvas. (Labs or exams emailed to me will not be graded.)

Procedures for completing labs in R Markdown will be covered during the first week. If you miss these classes, it is your responsibility to learn the procedures from a classmate, an SSC tutor, or during my office hours.

3.4 Online Homework

Online homework helps you study, practice, and test your understanding. Assignments are required and graded.

Homework is assigned weekly and due Friday at 9:00 p.m. on Canvas. For numeric items, if you miss a question you will see the correct answer and can try similar problems to diagnose and correct misunderstandings. You are encouraged to collaborate:

  • Ask classmates,
  • Post questions on the Homework Discussion Forum in Canvas,
  • Bring questions to the next class,
  • Or email me (see [Correspondence Expectations]).

Deadlines are firm: Due to the way the Online Homework platform is set up, Online Homework assignments close at 9:00 p.m. on the due date. Please start early. If something major occurs (e.g., hospitalization, family emergency), email me as soon as possible to discuss alternatives.

3.5 Exams

There will be two exams in this course (combined 30%). Exam dates are posted on the Canvas homepage. Add them to your calendar now. Email me as soon as you discover an unavoidable or university-sanctioned conflict so we can discuss options.

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.

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 hrs response time. Messages left after midday Friday may take up to 72 hrs. 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.

  • Student –> Instructor: For emails to the instructor sent after 8 am on Monday but before noon on Friday, please allow 24 hrs response time. Messages left after midday Friday may take up to 72 hrs. 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 and 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 with 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 Office Hours

If you are struggling or falling behind in this course, it is your responsibility to come to office hours as soon as you realize this.

5.2 Illness

Regular class attendance is necessary in achieving 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, I want you to be able to rest. Please do not come to class if you are sick. If you are ill, please email me to let me know. Then, when you are well, contact me ASAP to make plans for making up missed work.

If you are absent, you are still responsible for all course requirements. I will work with you to make up work, but it is your responsibility to contact me as soon as you are well. Do not wait until the end of the semester to make up missed work.

5.3 Disability Services

The University is committed to providing accommodations for students with documented disabilities. To fully participate in this class, students who may need accommodation should contact Disability Services as soon as possible at .

5.4 Academic Dishonesty

Academic dishonesty of any kind will not be tolerated. This includes plagiarism, fabrication, cheating, unauthorized collaboration, copying code, or submitting work generated by AI tools as your own. All work must represent your own effort unless collaboration is explicitly allowed.

Violations of this policy will result in a grade of zero on the assignment and may be reported under the University’s Academic Code of Conduct. For more details, see the USAO student handbook.

5.5 Important Dates

Please also mark your calendar with all exam dates, as posted in the course schedule (see home Canvas page).

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

5.6 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 respectfully via the syllabus discussion in Canvas, via email, or in person. If you do so, I will give two points extra credit (per correction) toward Clicker Quizzes.

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