SW 244 Syllabus

Course Description

Reading the newspaper, perusing consumer reports, and analyzing political data are all activities in which we engage on a daily basis. People who want to persuade us, or attract our dollars use statistics to help us make up our minds.

This course will teach students the basic concepts of statistics. As a group, we will investigate topics in descriptive statistics, correlation, normal distributions, probability, sampling distributions and hypothesis testing. By the end of this course, students will able to complete a statistical analysis of datasets using Microsoft Excel as the primary tool. We will also devote considerable time to discussing how statistics are used and abused.

Course Learning Goals

After completing this course, you will be able to:

Understands the terminology of statistics.
Can organize data into frequency distributions.
Can use measures of central tendency and variability to describe frequency distributions.
Understands the concept of correlation and can use it describe the relationship between two variables.
Can use sample populations to statistically describe specific tendencies of whole populations.
Can use statistics to think critically.
Can use basic statistical functions of Microsoft Excel to solve statistics problems.

Course Competencies

In this course, you will develop the following competencies:

Competence	Competence Statement and Facets
H3X	Can use descriptive statistics to analyze the impact of social institutions on human development. Identifies a social institution and describes it's characteristics. Articulates statistical criteria for analyzing the impact of this institution on human development. Uses descriptive statistics to analyze the impact of this institution.
S2X	Can use mathematics or statistics to describe the patterns and processes of everyday life. Knows basic mathematical or statistical theory. Uses this theory to describe or define patterns or processes in everyday life.
S3X	Can use statistical data to support at least two different perspectives on a social issue. Uses statistics to describe a local, regional or global social concern Identifies how statistics can be used to understand this social concern from at least two different perspectives.
FX	Can use statistics to describe and analyze a problem or issue related to (insert a topic related to the student's Focus Area). Uses descriptive statistics to describe an issue related to the student's focus area. Can gather appropriate data. Can use descriptive statistics to analyze collected data.

Course Resources

To buy your books, go to http://depaul-loop.bncollege.com.

Required Textbook and MyStatLab access

Statistical Reasoning for Everyday Life (Looseleaf) (Custom Package) 4th edition
Bennett, Jeff
Pearson/ Addison Wesley
ISBN-10: 1-269-90719-0
ISBN-13: 978-1-269-90719-4

Note: To be sure you purchase the correct access code for your section of MyStatLab, you must either buy the new textbook at http://depaul-loop.bncollege.com or purchase MyStatLab access separately at https://go.depaul.edu/MyLabsPlus.

Temporary Access to MyStatLab

Access MyMathLab at https://go.depaul.edu/MyLabsPlus. Use your Campus Connect username and password to login. You'll be directed to the MyStatLab website for this course. You can get temporary access for 21 days free of charge by clicking on Course Home/Temporary access.

Additional Resources:

Statistics for the Utterly Confused
Jaisingh
Mcgraw Hill
ISBN 0-07-135005-5

This book covers the mathematics covered in this class in more detail than the required text. It is relatively inexpensive. It is recommended for students who want to learn how to work more with a calculator.

Course Grading Scale

A = 95 to 100	A- = 91 to 94	B+ = 88 to 90
B = 85 to 87	B- = 81 to 84	C+ = 77 to 80
C = 73 to 76	C- = 69 to 72	D+ = 65 to 68
D = 61 to 64	F = 60 or below	INC

Please note: Grades lower than a C- do not earn credit or competence in the School for New Learning.

Course Structure

This course consists of 6 modules. Module 1 is one week and Modules 2 through 6 are two weeks.

To see course due dates, click on the Checklist link on the top navigation bar. This page contains module-specific checklists and due dates for the work due in the course.

The following table outlines the course:

Week, Module # and Title	Readings	Assignments
Week 1, Module 1: Introduction to Statistics	Texbook Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 Video: Arthur Benjamin: Teach statistics before calculus!	1.1 Class Introductions Discussion 1.2 Module 1 Quiz
Week 2, Module 2: Descriptive Statistics	Texbook Chapter 3 and Chapter 4	2.1 Where Did These Numbers Come From Discusson 2.2 Module 2 Quiz 2.3 Descriptive Statistics I Excel Project
Week 3, Module 3: Probable vs. Possible	Texbook Chapter 5 and Chapter 6	3.1 Global Population and Decline Discussion (Group) 3.2 Module 3 Quiz 3.3 Descriptive Statistics I Excel Project 3.4 Final Project Proposal
Week 4, Module 4: Correlation and Causation	Texbook Chapter 7	4.1 Module 4 Quiz 4.2 Are the Rich Getting Richer Discussion (pts. 1 & 2) 4.3 Excel Project Correlation
Week 5, Module 5:Sampling & Hypothesis Testing	Texbook Chapter 8 and Chapter 9	5.1 Module 5 Quiz 5.2 Global Warming Data Discussion 5.3 Excel Project Report Writing
Week 6, Module 6: The Final Project		6.1 Final Project 6.2 Course Wrap-up Discussion

Assessment of Learning

Assignment Type	Assessment of Learning
Discussion	Points will be assigned to each assignment. Points will be earned based on a standard rubric for discussion assignments provided below.
Quizzes	Each multiple choice quiz will have 20 questions for 100 points.
Excel Projects	Each project has a set number of points associated with each section of the project. The points are detailed in the instructions and/or the answer form. Feedback will be provided when points are deducted.
Final Project	100 points. This paper is competence based. The Final Project Proposal/Worksheet provides details for development of the project.

Percentage Distribution of Assessments

Discussions	Quizzes	Excel Projects	Final Project
25% of Final Grade	25% of Final Grade	25% of Final Grade	25% of Final Grade (students must get a C or better to demonstrate competences S3X, H3X and/or FX)

Grading Policies and Practices

I expect your work to come in on time and I will attempt to return it to you in a timely manner. Your grade will be lowered by 10 percent each week that it is late, starting the day after the assignment is due. For example, if an Excel project is worth 100 points and it is 1 week late, the highest grade you can get is 90; if it is 2 weeks late the highest grade will be 80, and so on.

Discussion assignments cannot be completed after a due date. No participation in a discussion assignment during the scheduled module will result in a 0 score for a assignment. No extensions will be granted.

Pace yourself in this class. There is much to do and I expect that you will be able to stay current with the assignments.

General Assessment Criteria for All Writing Assignments

Keep in mind that writing assignments are expected to conform to basic college-level standards of mechanics and presentation. This is the rubric I will use to assess your writing assignments:

An excellent (A) essay will:

Offer a unique or particularly insightful response to the assignment or competence
Contain a clear purpose, a compelling introduction, a nuanced thesis or main idea and a thoughtful conclusion
Recognize and thoughtfully address complexities
Contain strongly supportive details, a judicious sense of evidence
Be logically developed and quite well organized
Use a style and tone appropriate to the purpose and audience
Smoothly integrate correct citations for any words, facts or ideas from a source using either MLA or APA parenthetic citation
Show sophisticated sentence variety and paragraph development
Be virtually free of grammar and usage errors.

A strong (B) essay will:

Respond to the assignment or competence in depth
Contain a clear purpose, a strong introduction, a thoughtful thesis or main idea and an effective conclusion
Recognize and address complexities
Contain supportive details, a good sense of evidence
Be logically developed and well–organized
Use a style and tone appropriate to the purpose and audience
Include correct citations for any words, facts or ideas from a source using either MLA or APA parenthetic citation
Offer adequate sentence variety and paragraph development
Be virtually free of grammar and usage errors
Lack the verbal skills, organizational strength and insight of an "excellent" essay.

A satisfactory (C) essay will:

Respond to the assignment or competence, demonstrating solid conceptual understanding
Contain a clear purpose, thesis or main idea, introduction and conclusion that all work together
Recognize complexities
Contain sufficient details and other evidence to support claims
Display competence in logical development and organization, although essay may exhibit occasional organizational or argumentative weaknesses
Use a style and tone appropriate to the purpose and audience, although there may be minor lapses in either
Include generally correct citations for any words, facts or ideas from a source using either MLA or APA parenthetic citation, although there may be minor mistakes in formatting
Display general control of sentence variety and paragraph development
May have a few grammar, word usage and mechanical errors, but they do not obscure the reader's understanding of the essay

A weak (D–failing) essay will do one or more of the following:

Fail to respond to or adequately grasp significant elements of the assignment or competence
Omit a clear purpose, introduction, thesis or main idea, or conclusion
Be too general or too specific
Lack sufficient support for claims
Contain trivial or frivolous points (or supporting material)
Have flaws in logic or organization
Fail to develop an appropriate tone
Fail to cite sources or have incorrect citations that do not clearly indicate borrowed material
Contain several flaws in style, grammar, or usage that may lead to confusion in meaning

A poor (F–failing) essay will do any one of the following:

Fail to respond to the assignment or competence
Be far too general or far too specific
Contain a vacuous or trivial argument or analysis
Have little controlling logic or organization
Fail to cite sources used in the essay
Have so many flaws in style, grammar, or usage that reading and comprehension are difficult

(This rubric for writing was taken from the SNL Writing Guide)

Consider visiting the Writing Center to discuss your assignments for this course or any others. You may schedule appointments (30 or 50 minutes) on an as–needed or weekly basis, scheduling up to 3 hours worth of appointments per week. Online services include Feedback–by–Email and IM conferencing (with or without a webcam). All writing center services are free.

Writing Center tutors are specially selected and trained graduate and undergraduate students who can help you at almost any stage of your writing. They will not do your work for you, but they can help you focus and develop your ideas, review your drafts, and polish your writing. They can answer questions about grammar, mechanics, different kinds of writing styles, and documentation formats. They also can answer questions and provide feedback online, through IM/webcam chats and email.

Obviously, the tutors won’t necessarily be familiar with every class or subject, but they are able to provide valuable help from the perspective of an interested and careful reader as well as a serious and experienced student-writer.

Schedule your appointments with enough time to think about and use the feedback you’ll receive. To schedule a Face-to-Face, Written Feedback by Email, or Online Appointment, visit www.depaul.edu/writing.

Discussion Forums

Discussion Forums are an important component of your online experience. This course contains discussion forums related to the topics you are studying each week. For requirements on your participation in the Discussion Forums, please see "Course Expectations" in the syllabus.

A Course Q & A discussion forum has also been established to manage necessary, ongoing social and administrative activities. This is where the management and administrative tasks of the course are conducted, and where you can ask 'process' questions and receive answers throughout the course. Please feel free to answer any question if you feel you know the answer; this sharing of information is valuable to other students.