STAT 344– Probability & Statistics for Engineers/Scientists I Sections: -­‐001 & -­‐002 Credit hours: 3 Course Syllabus-­‐ Spring 2015 Administrative: Instructor: Robert Sims Office: Engineering Building Room 1724 Phone: (703) 993-­‐9110 E-­‐Mail: rsims@gmu.edu *Put “STAT 344 and section number” in Subject line Office Hours: Tuesday & Thursday 1:30 to 2:30; Friday 1:30 to 3:30 GTA: Magdalena Dwulit Office: Engineering Building Room 1716 E-­‐mail: mdwulit@gmu.edu Office Hours: TBD Classroom: Section 001: Sandbridge 107, MW 12:00-­‐1:15; Section 002: Robinson A111, MW 3:00-­‐4:15 Prerequisite: Math 114 or permission of the instructor (multivariate calculus). Text: Montgomery & Runger Applied Statistics & Probability for Engineers, 6th Ed., John Wiley & Sons, 2014. Software: Microsoft Office Excel and Minitab 17 at GMU lab, GTA office, or your PC/Mac (license is available at Patriot Computers). Wolfram|Alpha is used and accessed on-­‐line. Calculator: Simple or TI-­‐8x. No cell phones for tests or quizzes. Course Mgt: Blackboard(Bb) at http://courses.gmu.edu for registered students. WileyPLUS (WP), accessed from within Blackboard, contains the on-­‐line homework and the on-­‐line textbook. Registration requires an access code obtained from the GMU Bookstore or from Wiley. WP registrations are valid for one year. 1
Course Objectives: • To learn to communicate information contained in data. • To develop a discerning eye in evaluating the statistical presentations of others. • To learn probability and statistical principles, methods, and tools that will prove useful in later coursework and in work situations. • To learn how to use statistical tools, i.e., Minitab and Excel. Outline of Topics: Shown on the course Assignment Sheet. Since this is the 1st of the two-­‐
course statistics introduction series (Stat 354 is the follow-­‐up course), we will focus on the basic topics of probability and statistics in Chapters 1-­‐6 and 6-­‐10. The same textbook is used for the follow-­‐up course. Study Approach for Efficient Learning: 1. You should skim the assigned reading before class to familiarize yourself with the material and its organization. 2. The lectures will build your understanding of the concepts – not all topics will be included in the lectures and not all lecture topics are in the text. Lecture notes will be posted on Blackboard before class. 3. You should then study carefully the assigned reading after the lecture to increase understanding – working as many textbook examples yourself as possible. 4. Then take the chapter-­‐end WileyPLUS Reading Quiz (RQ), if due. 5. Then do the chapter-­‐end WileyPLUS homework assignment, if due. 6. Then complete the off-­‐line homework (A, B, etc.) when assigned. 7. Not following this study sequence is an invitation to course difficulty. The later topics in this course will be very difficult to understand if you do not master the basic concepts in the first few weeks. Be aware of the due dates. It is a good idea to form study/homework groups with other students. Class: 1. Attendance is required. This will count towards your homework grade, so be there! 2. Class participation is encouraged to help the overall class to better understand the material through student interaction. A lot of student/instructor interaction is expected. Certain topics, not in the textbook, will be covered in class and tested. Homework: There is both on-­‐line and off-­‐line homework as shown on the course Assignment Sheet. 1. The on-­‐line homework is administered via WileyPlus. a) Reading Quizzes consisting of simple T/F questions for which you get 1 attempt per question. These will count as 5% of your overall homework grade. Due dates can be found on the course Assignment Sheet posted on Blackboard (denoted RQ 1, RQ 2). 2
If you complete all the scheduled reading quizzes, your lowest one will be dropped. b) Homework Assignments in WileyPLUS consisting of numerical questions for which you will get 3 attempts to get the correct answer. These will count as 10% of your homework grade. Due dates are found on the course Assignment Sheet posted on Blackboard (denoted WP 1, WP 2). Data sets for Assignment problems may be electronically copied and pasted from the e-­‐book. Some questions change data sets between attempts and may be different from the textbook data sets. Numerical answers are sensitive to accuracy and significance. I advise using Excel and Minitab to organize the data, but you are welcome to use the software of your choice or even pencil and paper as long as you obtain and submit the correct answers. Your performance by attempt on the online questions is recorded on the WileyPLUS gradebook. Be aware of the due dates -­‐-­‐ late homework is penalized at 50%. 2. Off-­‐line homework will consist of graphical work and numeric examples not covered in WileyPLUS. These will count towards 10% of your homework grade. Due dates can once again be found on the course Assignment Sheet posted on Blackboard (denoted as OL A, OL B). Do your assignments in Minitab, Wolfram|Alpha, and/or Excel using the format shown on Blackboard. Answers must be shown to the proper level of accuracy. Manual work will not be accepted. Supporting work must be shown for credit, not just the answer. Be aware that the answers in the back of the book are not always correct or precise. Your beautifully formatted homework assignments are to be submitted on Bb by the due date – e-­‐mail submissions are not accepted. Late homework, without prior permission, will be penalized 50% if turned in within the week – later submissions will not be accepted. During the week following the due date, homework will be graded by our GTA with comments on Bb – no paper involved. The GTAs or instructor will provide detailed review of the homework solutions during his office hours if you would like to see any problems worked out. In addition to the assigned turn-­‐in problems, the conscientious student will work many additional problems from the textbook. Practice makes perfect. Quizzes and Exams: Quizzes 1 & 2, the Midterm, and Final will be closed book and closed notes, but you will be allowed to use a one-­‐page formula sheet and appropriate stat tables. They will be taken during the regularly scheduled class times using Scantron forms and may also contain short answer sections. There is no “extra credit” or forgiven grades – you are responsible for all of your work done (or left undone). If a quiz or exam is scheduled on a religious holiday that you observe, see your instructor to make alternative arrangements. If you have a disability that requires academic accommodation, contact the Office of Disability Services (993-­‐2474) for authorization. 3
Blackboard and Email: Blackboard: This course uses Blackboard found at mymason.gmu.edu. You should make sure you have access to the page for STAT 344 of your particular section because all course documents, assignments, and other important information will be distributed through this web page. Your Mason email user name is also your ID (e.g. the ID for jdoe@masonlive.gmu.edu would be jdoe). Your Mason email password is also your Blackboard password. You must first establish a Mason email account before you can access Blackboard. Please go to the URL above for more information about Blackboard. MasonLive/Email (GMU Email): Students are responsible for the content of university communications sent to their George Mason University email account and are required to activate their account and check it regularly. All communication from the university, college, school, and program will be sent to students solely through their Mason email account. [See https://masonlivelogin.gmu.edu]. For administrative or personal questions or issues, please email your instructor. Please type STAT 344 and your section number in the Subject area of the email and include your full name in your email. Students are expected to follow courteous Internet etiquette at all times. See http://www.albion.com/netiquette/corerules.html for more information regarding these expectations. Technology Requirements Hardware: You will need access to a Windows or Macintosh computer with at least 2 GB of RAM and to a fast and reliable broadband internet connection (e.g., cable, DSL). A larger screen is recommended for better visibility of course material. You will need speakers or headphones to hear recorded content and a headset with a microphone is recommended for the best experience. For the amount of Hard Disk Space required to take a distance education course, allow for the storage amount needed to install any additional software and space to store work that you will do for the course. If you are considering the purchase of a new computer, please go to http://compstore.gmu.edu/pdfs/TechGuide.pdf to see recommendations. Software: You will need a browser and operating system that are listed compatible or certified with the Blackboard version available on the MyMason Portal. See supported browsers and operating systems. Log in to MyMason to access your registered courses. Online courses typically use Acrobat Reader, Flash, Java, and Windows Media Player, QuickTime and/or Real Media Player. Your computer should be capable of running current versions of those applications. Also, make sure your computer is protected from viruses by downloading the latest version of Symantec Endpoint Protection/Anti-­‐Virus software for free at 4
http://antivirus.gmu.edu. Students owning Macs or Linux should be aware that some courses may use software that only runs on Windows. You can set up a Mac computer with Boot Camp or virtualization software so Windows will also run on it. Watch: http://support.apple.com/kb/VI54?viewlocale=en_US about using Windows on a Mac. Computers running Linux can also be configured with virtualization software or configured to dual boot with Windows. Note: If you are using an employer-­‐provided computer or corporate office for class attendance, please verify with your systems administrators that you will be able to install the necessary applications and that system or corporate firewalls do not block access to any sites or media types. You will also need Minitab 17, a statistical computing software program designed for students. We will use this program during class lectures and it is expected that you use this program to complete your offline Assignments. You may purchase a semester long license at Patriot Computers in the Johnson Center. Minitab is available on campus in Engineering Building Room 1506. University Policies: Students must follow the university policies. [See http://universitypolicy.gmu.edu].Responsible Use of Computing -­‐ Students must follow the university policy for Responsible Use of Computing. [See http://universitypolicy.gmu.edu/policies/responsible-­‐use-­‐of-­‐computing ]. University Calendar: Details regarding the current Academic Calendar. See http://registrar.gmu.edu/calendars/index.html]. Students with Disabilities: Students with disabilities who seek accommodations in a course must be registered with the George Mason University Office of Disability Services (ODS) and inform their instructor, in writing, at the beginning of the semester. See http://ods.gmu.edu. Student Services: University Libraries: University Libraries provides resources for distance students. See http://library.gmu.edu and http://infoguides.gmu.edu. Writing Center: The George Mason University Writing Center staff provides a variety of resources and services (e.g., tutoring, workshops, writing guides, handbooks) intended to support students as they work to construct and share knowledge through writing. [See http://writingcenter.gmu.edu]. You can now sign up for an Online Writing Lab (OWL) session just like you sign up for a face-­‐to-­‐face session in the Writing Center, which means YOU set the date and time of the appointment! Learn more about the Online Writing Lab (OWL). 5
Counseling and Psychological Services: The George Mason University Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) staff consists of professional counseling and clinical psychologists, social workers, and counselors who offer a wide range of services (e.g., individual and group counseling, workshops and outreach programs) to enhance students' personal experience and academic performance [See http://caps.gmu.edu]. Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA): The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA), also known as the "Buckley Amendment," is a federal law that gives protection to student educational records and provides students with certain rights. See http://registrar.gmu.edu/privacy. Academic Integrity: Students must be responsible for their own work, and students and faculty must take on the responsibility of dealing explicitly with violations. The tenet must be a foundation of our university culture. See http://academicintegrity.gmu.edu. Honor Code: Your instructor takes the GMU Honor Code very seriously and will enforce it. Other people’s work, including people from this semester and previous ones, with your name on it, is a violation. Grading Scheme: Homework 30% ` Attendance 0 ± 3% Quizzes (2) 20% Midterm Exam 20% Final Exam 30% Total 100% Your grades are posted on Blackboard and shown in WileyPLUS. You should audit the correct entry of your grades. No grade corrections will be made after the last week of the semester. Course letter grades are assigned as follows and are not curved: 90 – 100 points A 80 – 89 points B 70 – 79 points C 60 – 69 points D 0 – 59 points F 6