Instructor:
Class Meetings:
Office Hours
Office hours will be held:
You can find me in Hinkle Hall #111 (down the hallway on your left after passing through the main lobby).
You’re also welcome to setup a meeting time via Zoom at https://xavier.zoom.us/my/ryanmiller33 (Zoom password is given on Canvas) during office hours or any other time I’m available.
A first course in statistics, with an emphasis on applications and methods of particular relevance to the biological sciences. Topics include: random sampling procedures, experiments and observational studies, exploratory data analysis, correlation, bootstrapping and resampling methods, the normal distribution, confidence intervals hypothesis tests for proportions and means, chi-square tests, ANOVA. Problems and examples are drawn from fields such as bioinformatics, genetics, ecology, epidemiology, and public health.
This course will follow the textbook listed below. Homework problems will be assigned weekly from the text, readings are optional (though strongly encouraged).
This course intends to develop in students an ability to identify and understand patterns in data using visualizations and statistical methods. It will focus on developing a clear understanding of fundamental statistical techniques, proper interpretation of statistical results, and clear communication of these ideas in both written and oral formats.
Specific learning outcomes, with respect to the core curriculum at Xavier, include:
In the modern era, statisticians (along with most other scientific professionals) rely extensively on software in their day to day work. While the topics of this course are not focused on any particular software package, you can expect to routinely use Microsoft Excel and online web-applets to explore and analyze real data.
Homework - 20%
Homework is assigned weekly (with some exceptions during exam weeks) and is to be submitted electronically via Canvas no later than 11:59pm on the specified due-date.
Labs - 15%
Labs are collaborative activities intended to be completed during class in small groups. We typically will discuss lab questions as a class before the write-up is due. Therefore, lab write-ups are meant to keep you accountable for the material covered during labs. So if your group puts forth an earnest effort you can expect a high score, even if you don’t initially get every detail fully correct.
Group members that are non-cooperate or do not adequately contribute their group’s efforts may receive lower scores than the other group members.
Exams - 45% (in total)
All exams will be announced at least 14 calendar days in advance. Formulas will be provided as necessary, you may choose to bring your own calculator (not necessary).
Exam #1 and Exam #2 will be on-paper and closed-notes. Exam #3 will be computerized, open-notes, and will require you to use statistical software.
Final Project - 20% (in total)
Rather than a traditional final exam, this class has a comprehensive project where you will be expected to demonstrate your newly developed statistical prowess on an application of your choosing. Additional information will come towards the end of the semester. You will have the option to work alone or with a partner of your choosing on this project.
The following grade cutoffs will be used:
The course instructor reserves the right to adjust these thresholds downward, but not upward at the end of the semester.
In accordance with the values of Xavier University, students are expected to adhere to the following policies:
Students are expected to attend all scheduled lectures assigned to them. The instructor reserves the right to lower final course grades in response to repeated, unexcused absences. Good attendance means more than simply showing up to class, please practice proper etiquette including not being late, refraining from cell-phone use during class, respecting your classmates, and actively participating in class activities to your fullest capacity.
If personal circumstances prevent you from physically attending your in-person session, you may be able attend class via Zoom provided you communicate your situation in advance and receive instructor approval. Please note, this class is not designed to be attended remotely.
Students are expected to abide by the academic honesty code set forth by Xavier University. Any suspected violations will be reported and investigated.
In general, collaborate work on assignments (excluding exams) is encouraged in this course, but you are individually responsible for your submitted work. Copying solutions word-for-word from a classmate or any source without full disclosure is considered cheating. If you received substantial help, ideas, or inspiration from anywhere (classmates, online resources, etc.) I strongly encourage you to indicate this on your assignment (a simple statement like “I worked with Jack and Jill” is enough).
Late work may be accepted on a case-by-case basis up until the corresponding unit exam (see the course website for exam topics/dates). If approved, you must provide an email record of your late submission. This can be an email saying you uploaded the assignment late on Canvas, or an email containing the assignment as an attachment. The purpose of this policy is to ensure all accepted late work is counted towards your grade and does not end up being lost or overlooked. I’m generally very willing to accept late work so long as it’s still timely; however, late work will not accepted after the corresponding unit exam has passed unless you provide expressed written approval from a Xavier University administrator explaining your situation.
The Math Lab staffs tutors that are specifically intended to provide help 100-level mathematics courses, including this one. Please visit the Math Lab website for hours and additional information (such as when statistics tutors are available).
The Student Support Center has a wide variety of available resources that are not specific to this course but may be beneficial to your overall academic successful. For more information, visit the Student Success Center website.