MA336 Assessment Follow Up Fall 2015
The following list of learning outcomes and textbook alternatives were recommended and discussed with the
faculty.
Learning outcomes for descriptive statistics
Overarching goal:
Use graphs, tables and numerical measures to determine important characteristics of the underlying
dataset.
Graphs
Students will be able to:
1. Summarize a histogram and a boxplot, and compare two groups based on their graphs. (Additional graphs to
be discussed at the instructor’s discretion)
2. Construct a histogram and boxplot
3. Given a histogram or boxplot:
a. Determine the distribution’s shape center, and spread.
b. Estimate the number of individuals in a particular range.
c. Propose an explanation for the distribution of the data. Conversely, given a description of a variable,
predict the shape of the histogram
d. Identify outliers
e. Identify misleading graphs
Tables
Students will be able to:
1. Construct a frequency distribution and a relative frequency distribution.
2. Determine the number of individuals in a particular range or category and the percentage of individuals in a
particular range or category
Numerical measures
1. Students will be able to: (using technology but also by hand if given appropriate formulas)
2. Compute: mean, median, percentile, SD, IQR, and weighted mean
3. Estimate the mean, median and SD of grouped data
4. Use the empirical rule to estimate the percentage of data about the mean
5.
a. Describe the effect of outliers on the mean, median, SD
i. Determine whether the median or the mean is more appropriate as a measure of central tendency
b. Explain how a smaller SD makes the mean a more reliable measure of central tendency
c. Use the SD for comparing two scores from different groups
6. Use Chebychev’s rule (at instructor’s discretion)
Studies & Sampling
Students will be able to:
1. Compare & Contrast Observational and Experimental Studies
2. Identify advantages and disadvantages of sampling methods: simple random sample, stratified random
sample, convenience sample (additional methods to be discussed at instructor’s discretion)
3. Identify sources of bias: undercoverage, leading questions, social desirability (additional sources to be
discussed at the instructor’s discretion)
MA336 Assessment Follow Up Fall 2015
Textbooks
Below are textbooks we recommend for consideration. We recommend coverage of material be guided by
course objectives and learning outcomes. As such, it is unlikely that any textbook will cover exactly the desired
objectives and to the desired breadth and depth. The books listed below do a good job at this coverage and at
balancing conceptual understanding and procedural knowledge. We think the current textbook is not as well
suited. We find the space allocated to using formulas is more than we would prefer and the space allocated to
explaining concepts less than we would prefer.
We recommend including at least two options in the syllabus.
1) Discovering Statistics by Dan Larose
http://macmillanhighered.com/Catalog/product/discoveringstatistics-thirdedition-larose
2) Statistics by Freedman, Pisani, & Purve
http://books.wwnorton.com/books/Statistics/
3) Introductory Statistics by OpenStax (opensource)
http://openstaxcollege.org/textbooks/introductory-statistics
http://openstaxcollege.org/about
4) Seeing Through Statistics, by Jessica M. Utts
http://www.cengage.com/search/productOverview.do?Ntt=93983870316377623217942991801660191
407&N=16&Ntk=P_EPI
5) Statistics: From Data to Decision by Watkins, Scheaffer, & Cobb
http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-EHEP001584.html
6) Statistics: The Art and Science of Learning from Data, by Alan Agresti & Christine Franklin
http://www.pearsonhighered.com/educator/product/Statistics-The-Art-and-Science-of-Learning-fromData-3E/9780321755940.page