Statistics for Social Sciences

Latest Course Offering: Spring 2011, Term 3
Course Time: Tuesday and Thursday, 5:45 – 8:00
Location: Krumm 24
Contact: tomschenkjr at gmail dot com

Instructional Resources

  1. Textbook: Understanding Statistics in Behavioral Sciences by Robert R. Pagano, 9th Edition, Wadsworth Publishing: 2008 ISBN-13: 978-0495596523
  2. Data: Census @ Schools, Data and Story Library, Classroom Survey of Basic Data (SPSS Version), CensusAtSchools (website), Right to Work
  3. Blogs: See Statistical Modeling, Social Science Statistics, Observational Epidemiology
  4. Other materials will be distributed via the course website: www.tomschenkjr.net.

Grading

All assignments will be scored on a 100 percent scale. The final grade, Y, will be derived using the following formula:

Y = 0.35 * F + 0.5 * A +  0.15 * P

where,

F = Final
A = Average of assignments
P = Participation
C = Company score

Final: The final will explicitly be cumulative, although the emphasis will be slightly more on the latter third of the class.

Assignments: Assignments will be given throughout the semester through the course website. Assignments will vary in size from a few questions, to larger assignments that may resemble class projects.

Participation: Students are expected to regularly participate in classes and, if not in class, in out-of-class communication with the professor. Lack of participation and irregular attendance will be especially noticed if the student is struggling in class. The professor will warmly reward struggling students who seek help through email and questions.

Final Course Score

A = 90-100%
B = 80-89%
C = 70-79%
D = 60-69%
F = < 60%

Reading List

11 Jan: Review of the syllabus and introduction

Scientific Method

***Chp. 1 – Pagano

Basic Mathematical Concepts and Measurement Concepts

***Chp. 2 – Pagano

**KhanAcademy lecture on means (and notation)

13 Jan: Central Tendency and Variability

***Chp. 3 – Pagano
***Chp. 4 – Pagano
**Anatomy of a Standard Deviation
**KhanAcademy lecture on variance
**KhanAcademy lecture on standard deviation

18 Jan: Normal and Standard Normal Curves (a.k.a. bell curve)

***Chp. 5 – Pagano
***KhanAcademy lecture on Normal Distribution Curve
Data: CensusAtSchools

20 Jan: NO CLASS

25 Jan: Correlation

***Chp. 6 – Pagano

27 Jan: Linear Regression

***Right-to-Work Law, Wikipedia.org

***Two major labor bills reappear at the Capitol, Jason Clayworth, Des Moines Register Blog, February 4, 2010.

1 Feb: Multiple Regression

3 Feb: TBA

8 Feb: Correlation

***Chp. 6 – Pagano

10 Feb: Linear Regression: Coefficients

***Chp. 7 – Pagano

15 Feb: Linear Regression: Standard Errors

***Right-to-Work LawWikipedia.org

***Two major labor bills reappear at the Capitol, Jason Clayworth, Des Moines Register Blog, February 4, 2010.

Data: Unions and State Labor Law

17 Feb: Multiple Regression

***Chp. 7 – Pagano

22 Feb: TBA

24 Feb: TBA

1 Mar: TBA

3 Mar: Take Home Final

Missed Exams and Assignments

Assignments will be due at the beginning of class every Tuesday and tests will be given on the days denoted below. Late assignments will be penalized 40 percent. Students must notify the professor of an upcoming absence. Students will be allowed to make up exams ONLY when the professor received prior notification for the inability to complete the exams. In extreme cases where prior notification is impossible, the student must provide written documentation—not by the student—explaining the absence. Students who miss a test for an unexcused absence will receive a zero.

Attendance

Students will be expected to attend every class. Irregular attendance will be reflected in participation and company exercise scores. Those who already anticipate missing two or more classes are encouraged to enroll at another time.

Academic Integrity

Grand View University is dedicated to the development of the whole person and is committed to truth, excellence, and ethical values. Personal integrity and academic honesty in all aspects of the University experience are the responsibility of each faculty member, staff member, and student.

A student has an obligation to do work that is his or her own and reflects his or her learning and quest for academic knowledge. Dishonesty and cheating are not acceptable behaviors. Examples include helping others during exams, writing papers for others, falsifying data/records, copying other students’ work, taking work directly from the Internet or any printed source and claiming it as one’s own, and downloading/purchasing papers on-line. Students who cheat, could risk severe penalties, which may include failure of the assignment, failure of the course, or expulsion from the University.

“As a member of the Grand View University community, and in accordance with the mission of the University and its Lutheran identity, I agree to appreciate and respect the dignity and worth of each individual. I will honor and promote a community of open interaction, personal integrity, active and intellectual engagement, and academic honesty with students, faculty, and staff.”

Accelerated Courses

Grand View offers courses in accelerated or alternative delivery formats. They cover the same subject content and require the same or comparable assignments that are associated with a traditional fourteen week course.

Accommodation

Grand View University prohibits unlawful discrimination and encourages full participation by all students within the university community. When a student requires any instructional or other accommodation to optimize participation and/or performance in this course, it is the responsibility of the student to contact both the instructor and the Director of Academic Enrichment and Disability Coordinator and apply for any requested accommodation. The director is Dr. Kristine Owens and she can be reached at 515/263-2971.

Class Attendance

The Federal Government requires that students receiving financial aid attend classes. Students, who are identified by the instructor as not attending classes, will be reported to the Registrar’s Office. Students who fail to return to classes may lose all or a portion of their financial aid.

Classroom Conduct

Students should conduct themselves as responsible members of the University community respecting the rights of others. Any student behavior interfering with the professor’s ability to teach and/or the student’s ability to learn constitutes a violation of the Code of Student Conduct found in the Grand View Catalog. The professor may ask the student to leave the classroom and that student will be subject to disciplinary sanctions.

University E-Mail Account

It is essential that all students check their Grand View University e-mail account or set their account to forward to a preferred e-mail address.

Students may set-up an e-mail auto forward from the myView web site. Click on the “Manage and Update Personal Information” link and then select “set myView Mail Forwarding Address” under the “Links for You” section.

Appeal of Final Undergraduate Course Grade or Faculty Member’s Final Academic Disciplinary Action

Students who wish to appeal a final course grade or other academic disciplinary action of an instructor must complete at least section I.A. of the Academic Appeal Form on-line within fourteen calendar days after the published due date for the final grade submission of the academic term in which the issue of disagreement occurred. Visit site below to complete first part of the form. https://secure/grandview.edu/gradeappealform.html

This form must be submitted electronically to the Office of the Provost. Nursing Students appealing a grade in a nursing course must follow the Nursing Division procedures.

Homework

  1. Homework #1 – Due Tuesday, January 18 by 5:45p.

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