QUEENSBOROUGH COMMUNITY COLLEGE
MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTER SCIENCE DEPARTMENT
COURSE OUTLINE
MA-336 D24 COMPUTER ASSISTED STATISTICS
This is a Writing Intensive course
Welcome to Computer Assisted Statistics, MAD-336!
Instructor: Dr. Kostas Stroumbakis
Office Hours: Room S-241 Tues-Thurs 9:10-10:00 or by appointment
Email: kstroumbakis@qcc.cuny.edu Phone: 718-281-5153 (email works best!)
Primary Text: Introductory Statistics from OpenStax College,
https://openstaxcollege.org/textbooks/introductory-statistics
This is a free e-textbook. A print version is available at a low cost from www.openstaxcollege.org I
recommend that you download the entire .pdf so that you always have access to your book.
Secondary Text (Optional): Statistics, by Freedman, Pisani, & Purves, 4th Edition, Published by Norton
Graphing Calculator: https://www.desmos.com/calculator
Graded Work:
Three 50-minute exams
45%
Writing assignments
20%
Meaningful class
5%
participation
Final
30%
Attendance will be recorded daily. Any student exceeding the maximum absences allowed by QCC
(excused or otherwise) will be withdrawn. Missing a double period counts as two absences.
Writing Intensive (WI)
This course has a WI designation. You will be required to provide written responses (10-12 pages in total) to
various questions. Most assignments will consist of brief responses - a couple of paragraphs or less.
Assignments will be graded based on the following criteria, whenever they apply.
 Correctness, Clarity, & Concision
 Completeness –cover or mention all major points of an issue as well as notable exceptions
 Appropriate use of terminology --not using the statistics vocabulary hinders your understanding and
communication of the concepts
 Assignments are not graded for grammar or syntax. However, your work should not have errors that
could have been detected by simple proofreading or by a word processor.
You may consult books, the internet, the writing center, or any other source, but what you submit must be
in your words.
Students benefit most from the Campus Writing Center. Contact them for individualized in-person or online
sessions. You may also walk in during announced times. http://www3.qcc.cuny.edu/isswebt/ISSmain.aspx
I look forward to working with you!
Best regards,
Kostas Stroumbakis
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More Course Information
Pre-requisite: MA-119 or MA-114, or satisfactory score on the Mathematics Placement Test, Level II.
Course Description: This course is an introduction to statistics and the use of a professional statistical
software package. Topics include: descriptive statistics; probability; binomial and normal distributions;
sampling; confidence intervals and tests of hypotheses.
Curricula for which the course is required/recommended: A.S. Degree Programs in Liberal Arts and
Sciences (Science and Mathematics), Education Science and Health Sciences
General Education Objectives: Use analytical reasoning skills to identify issues or problems and evaluate
evidence in order to make informed decisions; reason quantitatively and mathematically as required in
their fields of interest and in everyday life; integrate knowledge and skills in their program of study; use
information management and technology skills effectively for academic research and lifelong learning.
Course Objectives/ Expected Student Learning Outcomes: Students will learn to (1) think critically about
data, (2) select and use graphical and numerical summaries, (3) apply standard statistical inference
procedures, and (4) draw conclusions from such analyses.
Academic Integrity: Academic honesty is taken extremely seriously and is expected of all students. All
assignments must be the original work of the student (and partners or group, if applicable). All questions or
concerns regarding ethical conduct should be brought to the course instructor. “It is the official policy of
the College that all acts or attempted acts that are violations of academic integrity be reported to the Office
of Student Affairs (OSA). At the faculty member’s discretion and with the concurrence of the student or
students involved, some cases, though reported to the OSA, may be resolved within the confines of the
course and department. The instructor has the authority to adjust the offender’s grades as deemed
appropriate, including assigning an F to the assignment or exercise or, in more serious cases, an F to the
student for the entire course.” (Taken from the QCC Academic Integrity Policy, 2/14/2005.)
NOTE: Any student who feels that he/she may need an accommodation based upon the impact of a
disability should contact the instructor privately to discuss his/her specific needs. Please contact the office of
Services for Students with Disabilities in Science Building, room 132 (718 631 6257) to coordinate
reasonable accommodations for students with documented disabilities.
Tentative Topic Outline
PART I: Variables, data, populations, sampling
Descriptive Statistics: Graphical Display; Numerical Description
Normal Distributions
Correlation and Regression
PART II: PROBABILITY Basic Concepts; Conditional Probability; Multiplication & Addition Rules;
Contingency tables; Expected Value; Central Limit Theorem;
Discrete Probability Distributions: Binomial Distributions; Normal Approximation to Binomial
Distribution
PART III: STATISTICAL INFERENCE Confidence Intervals & Hypothesis Testing for the mean and proportion,
using large and small samples
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