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Fort Campbell  

Math 1530 - Spring II 2012

Ellen Smyth

Course Information

What Can this Course Do for Me?

This course will give me:

  1. At least two items for my job-seeking portfolio – gorgeous mind maps and a comprehensive statistical research project – demonstrating to employers my work ethic and the quality of my work.
  2. Life-long learning and study skills I can apply continually to get the best grades, land top jobs, and move quickly up the ladder.
  3. Opportunities for developing leadership and interpersonal skills in a team environment, winning the heart of almost any employer.
  4. Practical experience with computer-based technologies, increasingly essential for me to compete in today’s marketplace
  5. Problem-solving and critical thinking abilities that employers consider among the most important skills needed to succeed in the workplace.
  6. An understanding of statistics and research that will allow me to critically assess and understand the world of data around me.

Source for what employers want:  Are They Really Ready to Work? Employers’ Perspectives on the Basic Knowledge and Applied Skills of New Entrants to the 21st Century U.S. Workforce (September 2006), pg. 9 and 42-43, The Conference Board, Inc., the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, Corporate Voices for Working Families, and the Society for Human Resource Management.

Course Description:

In this class, I will learn all about data:  how to design data studies, how to collect data, and what to do with the data when I have it.  I will learn how to represent a set of possibly thousands of data values as one single number (e.g., mean, median, mode, range, standard deviation) so that others can have an instant idea about my data.  I will learn to create tables, charts and graphs to give instant visuals of my data.  I will learn how to make estimates and guesses for data I don't fully know, where I will survey only a few and yet make conclusions about many.  I will also learn to analyze two different sets of data (e.g., age and height of children) to prove whether or not they are associated. 

Course Objectives:

Upon completion of this course, I will be able to:

  1. Understand what statistics is (Chapter 1),
  2. Describe how data should be gathered (Chapter 4) and presented (Chapter 2),
  3. Comprehend, calculate and apply something called regression models and correlation analysis to decide if two variables are associated with each other (Chapter 3),
  4. Grasp and compute some basic probabilities (Chapter 5),
  5. Understand what probability and sampling distributions are and know how to apply them (Chapters 6 and 7),
  6. Calculate and analyze confidence intervals, which estimate data we don't know using the small amount of data we do know (Chapter 8), and
  7. Evaluate and interpret studies using hypothesis testing, where we can use the small data we do know to prove our guesses about the big data we don't know (Chapter 9).

Prerequisites and Co-requisites:

Algebra I, Algebra II and Geometry or the equivalent

Textbooks, Supplementary Materials, Hardware and Software Requirements

Required Textbook:

Statistics:  The Art and Science of Learning from Data, 2nd edition, by Alan Agresti & Christine Franklin.  Pearson/Addison Wesley.  The textbook is available either:

  1. Directly from CourseCompass/MyMathLab for $80 (see below for Course ID), which does not include a hard copy of the book but does include an electronic (online) copy of the book and CourseCompass access.  This also does not include the Minitab Statistical Software; however, I can use the lab computers for the Minitab projects, download a free 30-day trial of Minitab, or purchase six-month access to Minitab for $29.99.

  2. From the Austin Peay Bookstore for $200-250, which includes the hard copy of the book, CourseCompass access, and a Student Edition of Minitab Statistical Software.

Required Supplementary Materials:
  • Minitab Statistical Software (may use lab licenses on lab computers or free trial)  Note:  Minitab isn't compatible with Macs, only PCs.  If I do not have access and cannot get access to a PC with Minitab, I should contact my instructor for alternate arrangements immediately.
  • MyMathLab in CourseCompass (Course ID = smyth79048)
  • TI-83 or TI-84 calculator, which I can borrow for free from APSU at FC!!!!
  • Ear buds or headphones if I do not have access to watch and listen to online videos at home

Hardware and Software Requirements:

I am required to have extensive access to a computer with the following:

  1. High speed internet connection,
  2. Adobe Reader,
  3. Adobe Flash Player,
  4. Java,
  5. Apple QuickTime Player
  6. TestGen Plugin, and
  7. The ability to install additional software or plug-ins, which our APSU at FC Building lab already has.

E-Section Lab Materials:

If I need to be in the lab portion of the course because of mathematical deficiencies, then I need to contact James Sanders or the SLA (Supplemental Learning Assistance) leader for additional materials and arrangements.  The e-section is actually a separate course that I get as a bonus for a tiny additional fee.  I should treat that as a separate course in terms of the hours required and studying.

The time and place for this lab appear in my schedule. These labs are part of the Tennessee Board of Regents approved learning support program. I will be given a list of lab requirements on the first day that I meet my lab. Failure to attend the lab or to meet the lab requirements may result in a grade of FA for the course.
 

Instructor Information

Ellen Smyth
Instructor
Mathematics Department
Austin Peay State University at Ft Campbell
P.O. Box 4626
Clarksville, TN  37044
APSU at FC Building 203, Room 106
Phone:  (931) 221-1443
Fax:  (931) 221-6354
Email:  smythe@apsu.edu
Website:  apsu.edu/smythe
 Office Hours:
Monday & Wednesday    8-11
Tuesday & Thursday By Appointment

Assessment and Grading

My grade will be based on the activities outlined below.  The paper homework assignment link in CourseCompass and D2L will give me a list of the specific problems, reviews, and mind mapping assignments.  I can consult the schedule below for specific deadline dates.  My grades will follow the standard, ten point distribution in this course.

Activity

Percentage

Class Activities Participation (3+)

5

Online CourseCompass Homework (10)

10

Paper Homework (2)

15

CourseCompass (9) Quizzes

10

Data & Statistics Group Projects (3)

15

Midterm Exam

15

Final Exam

30

Total

100

Assignment Due Dates

Day Date Assignment Due
Thursday Mar 15 Orientation HW, Chapter 1*, Pre-Project Report Due
Wednesday Mar 21 Chapter 2*
Sunday Mar 25 Chapter 3*
Wednesday Mar 28 Chapter 4*
Friday Mar 30 Project 1 & Peer Reviews Due
Sunday Apr 1 Chapter 5*
Wednesday & Thursday Apr 4 & 5 Midterm Exam, Paper Homework (from Ch 1-5), Mind Maps (from 1.1 to 5.2, inclusive), & Review Collected
Wednesday Apr 11 Chapter 6*
Sunday Apr 15 Chapter 7*
Tuesday Apr 17 Project 2 & Peer Reviews Due
Sunday Apr 22 Chapter 8*
Thursday Apr 26 Chapter 9*
Sunday Apr 29 Project 3 & Peer Reviews Due
Wednesday & Thursday May 2 & 3 Final Exam, Paper Homework (Ch 6-9), Mind Maps, & Review Collected

*For each chapter due date, the online homework and online quiz are due.  Before taking the online quiz, I must first obtain 80% or more on the online homework.  The paper homework for each chapter should also be completed before each quiz but will not be collected until the exams.
 

Assignments

Throughout the course, you will have:

  1. Online CourseCompass Homework - Homework assignments covering each chapter plus an orientation should be completed through MyMathLab in CourseCompass.  I must achieve at least 80% on each homework assignment to be allowed to take that chapter's quiz.
  2. Online CourseCompass Quizzes - A CourseCompass quiz for each chapter will be given.  The CourseCompass quiz questions will most closely resemble questions in the online homework. Quizzes are open book and open class notes but not open neighbor. Quizzes are expected to be the solo work of the student taking the quiz.
  3. Paper Homework, Collected Twice - The assigned paper homework (including textbook problems and midterm and final reviews) will be collected for a grade at the midterm and final exams.
  4. Data & Statistics Group Projects - With my group, I will be acting as real-life junior statistician by experiencing the process of a real world statistical project from start to finish.  The overarching project is divided among three smaller projects:  one on data gathering and two on data reporting and analyses using Minitab.  (Similar to Excel, Minitab is a statistical software.) 
  5. Midterm and Final Exams - My midterm exam will be covering Chapters 1 through 5, and the comprehensive final exam will be covering Chapters 1 through 9.

Course Ground Rules
I am responsible for learning the technical aspects of this course, including how to navigate Desire2Learn, CourseCompass, and Minitab - asking questions and seeking help as needed.  I am expected to address technical problems immediately. 
 
Due dates for all assignments can be found in this syllabus and in CourseCompass. I am expected to complete online and paper homework, projects, and quizzes on time.

Since this course is much more difficult than typical courses, my dedication is extremely important and will tremendously influence my grade. I expect to dedicate at least 10 to 15 hours a week to this course outside of class in order to have a decent chance at passing the course.  The majority of students who do not dedicate close to ten hours outside class each week either drop or fail.  The majority of students who do spend 10 to 15 hours each week studying sincerely, honestly, and with undivided attention earn Bs and Cs.  If I do earn an A in this course, I am all sorts of awesome!

All work must be completed by me. If I turn in anything that is not mine, I risk failing the course and being removed from the university, according to university policies.

Expected Course Conduct

In order to be successful in this course:

  1. Be respectful,
  2. Make a conscious effort to avoid disrupting my classmates by being on time and remaining seated and as quiet as possible when not addressing the class,
  3. If a cell phone rings during class, we'll assume the caller wants to speak to the entire class, so we will answer the call together. 
  4. During the two exams, cell phones and class notes of any kind in any form are completely not allowed.
  5. University Policy:  Minors under the age of 18 are not permitted in the classroom unless they are enrolled in the class.

Students with Disabilities

Austin Peay State University abides by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which stipulates that no student shall be denied the benefits of an education "solely by reason of a handicap." Disabilities covered by law include, but are not limited to, learning disabilities and hearing, sight, or mobility impairments. If I have a documented disability that may have some impact on my work in this class and for which I may require reasonable accommodations, I should immediately communicate with the instructor and with Disabilities Services in Clement 140, 221-6230 or 221-6278 (V/TTY), so that such reasonable accommodations may be arranged.

Syllabus Changes

The instructor reserves the right to make changes as necessary to this syllabus. If changes are necessitated during the term of the course, the instructor will immediately notify me of such changes in class, in D2L, or by email.