University of Maryland School of Public Health
HLTH 300 – Biostatistics for Public Health Practice Semester: Fall 2015 Classroom and Time: SPH 1312 Tuesdays and Thursdays 12:30-­‐1:45 Instructor: Elizabeth Seaman, MHS Office: 1224 SPH, Cubicle Q Phone: (301) 405-­‐0056 (Shared Office Phone -­‐ Ask for Elizabeth) Email: eseaman@umd.edu Course Email: umdbiostat@gmail.com (Please do not message through Canvas) Office Hours: 10am-­‐12noon Tuesday; 11am-­‐12noon Thursday; Other times by appointment TA: Amanda Strausser umdbiostat@gmail.com Office Hours: By appointment Office: 1224 SPH, Cubicle A Course Description: An examination of biostatistics concepts and procedures as they relate to contemporary issues in public health. Focus on applications, hands-­‐on-­‐experience, and interpretations of statistical findings in public health research. Through this course, students will gain familiarity with an introduction to statistics and statistical tests. The scope of the course will cover: Organizing and Presenting Data, Measures of Central Tendency, Measures of Variability, Probability & the Normal Curve; t-­‐tests; 95% Confidence Intervals; ANOVA, Chi-­‐Square; Correlation; Regression; Logistic Regression and an overview of Biostatistics in the “real word.” Course Pre-­‐ and Co-­‐requisites: This course is required as part of the Professional Preparation Requirement for the Bachelor of Science degree in Community Health. Restriction: Must be in Community Health program. Also offered as: EPIB300. Credit only granted for: EPIB300 or HLTH300. Required: Must have completed or be concurrently enrolled in HLTH200. Course Learning Objectives: Upon completing this course, the student will be able to: 1. Understand why biostatistics are important and identify real world examples of Biostatistics 2. Be conversant about statistical topics with statistical terminology and basic principles of statistics and probability 3. Iterate the difference between (and find examples of) descriptive statistics and inferential statistics 4. Possess a working knowledge of common statistical tests used in Public Health (95% Confidence Interval; ANOVA, Chi-­‐Square; Correlation; Regression; Logistic Regression) and how to interpret their results 5. Be able to identify appropriate statistical tests for different research questions and variables 6. Understand the difference between statistically significant and clinically significant results Program Competencies Addressed in this Course: The following competencies for the Bachelor of Science degree in Community Health are addressed in this course: 1. Apply statistics and research methods to accurately describe the distribution and examine the determinants of population health. 2. Apply statistics and research methods to community health program evaluations Required Texts and Other Readings: This course has one required textbook which can be rented or purchased at the Book Center or secondhand from any other retailer. You will not need the book’s online access codes. Required: Levin, Fox & Forde. (2014). Elementary Statistics in Social Research, 12th Edition. ISBN-­‐10: 0205845487; ISBN-­‐13: 9780205845484 Recommended: A number of additional readings from seminal texts will be posted online prior to respective sections. People learn statistics in different ways, so readings from other books may help you get a different perspective and a better understanding on a subject. One (or several) of these books may be of interest to you for future reference. Motulsky. (2013). Intuitive Biostatistics: A Nonmathematical Guide to Statistical Thinking. 3rd Edition. ISBN-­‐13: 978-­‐0199946648; ISBN-­‐10: 0199946647 Norman & Sreiner. (2014). Biostatistics: The Bare Essentials 4th Edition. ISBN-­‐13: 978-­‐1607951780; ISBN-­‐10: 1607951789 Salkind. (2010). Statistics for People Who (Think They) Hate Statistics. 4th edition. ISBN-­‐10: 1412979595 ISBN-­‐13: 978-­‐1412979597 Additional Materials Required: • Our course will use a Clicker system to check student understanding. You can buy a Clicker Response Device in the book store (or use one that you or a friend have already used for another class, it is NOT necessary to buy a new one). The Clicker system has recently been upgraded so if you have a smartphone or a tablet and would prefer to use that as your “Clicker” you can download an app. All students will be required to purchase access to Turning Account (https://store.turningtechnologies.com) so that the Clickers can work with the technology in SPH 1312. More information on Clickers and setting up your Account will be covered in the first week of class. • A calculator with basic functions Course Requirements: Learning statistics is an active process. Students are expected to show up to class prepared and ready to learn! Students should possess an understanding of basic mathematical operations and very basic algebra. There are a number of resources for students to help them, it is imperative if you feel like you are falling behind in course material that you make an appointment with the Instructor or TA or seek help at one of the tutoring centers on campus. Intermediate assignments like Homework, Quizzes and Tests are assigned to assess how comfortable students are with material and help teaching staff plan for what concepts may need more time to present. This course will be a laptop-­‐
free lecture hall. 2 HLTH 300, Fall/2015 Seaman Major Graded Assignments: Clicker Participation: Each day in class there will be at least 5 clicker questions. You will be given full points for answering each question, regardless of if your answer is the correct one or not. The Clickers are designed to help students and instructional staff gauge understanding. These points are to help encourage students to actively participate in class. Students will be able to check their Clicker Participation scores in Canvas and should speak with Instructional staff if they believe there is a problem with their Clicker and they are not getting credit for questions they answered. Homework Assignments: Students have 5 Homework assignments. Homework #1 has two parts – a survey will be submitted online and then a hard copy of the written portion will be due in class. A hard copy of homeworks 2,3,4 and 5 will be due at the beginning of the specified class period. Homework answer keys will be posted after class the day the homework is due, and homeworks will be graded and returned to students in a timely manner. Portfolio Assignments: As a part of this course you will develop an assignment that will be used as a part of your Final Program Portfolio. During HLTH 491 (internship semester) each student is responsible for the development of a “Final Program Portfolio”. The purpose of this portfolio is to show mastery of public health competencies. It may prove very useful as you seek employment or promotion after graduation. The portfolio assignment for this class will involve the real life application of statistical concepts. You will have an opportunity to revise your project based on feedback in this class before you turn it in to your portfolio. Please be sure to save this assignment and the Instructors’ feedback to final inclusion in your Final Program Portfolio. You may use a copy of your original work, the graded returned assignment or an edited version that incorporates grading comments. For more information regarding the Final Program Portfolio, please refer to the Undergraduate Program manual located on the Department of Behavioral and Community Health website. Quizzes: There are 4 short quizzes to assess students. Quizzes will be given at the beginning or end of lecture. Your lowest quiz score will be dropped, so that 3 quizzes will count towards your final grade. Tests: There are 2 intermediate tests to assess student understanding. Students will be provided with formula sheets. These tests will take place during course time on the specified date. Students will be provided with a formula sheet and will need to provide their own calculators. Students will not be able to share each other’s calculators during the exam or use a cellphone as a calculator. Final Exam: The final exam is cumulative and will be at the appointed day and time set by the Registrar during the semester. Students will be provided with a formula sheet and will need to provide their own calculators. The final exam will take place on Tuesday May 19th from 1:30-­‐
3:30pm in SPH 1312. 3 HLTH 300, Fall/2015 Seaman Course Policies: Email – The Official University Correspondence: Verify your email address by going to www.my.umd.edu. All enrolled students are provided access to the University’s email system and an email account. All official University email communication will be sent to this email address (or an alternate address if provided by the student). Email has been adopted as the primary means for sending official communications to students, so email must be checked on a regular basis. Academic advisors, faculty, and campus administrative offices use email to communicate important and time-­‐sensitive notices. Students are responsible for keeping their email address up to date or for redirecting or forwarding email to another address. Failure to check email, errors in forwarding email, and returned email (from “full mailbox” or “unknown user” errors for example), will not excuse a student from missing University announcement, messages, deadlines, etc. Email addresses can be quickly and easily updated at www.my.umd.edu or in-­‐person at the Student Service Counter on the first floor of the Mitchell Building. For technical support for University email: www.helpdesk.umd.edu or call 301-­‐405-­‐1400. Students should email the course email: umdbiostat@gmail.com with any questions instead of using Canvas messaging. Course email will be checked regularly. The TA and Instructor will both be checking this email. Absence Policy: In accordance with University policy if you are absent for a single (1) lecture due to illness or some form of personal or family emergency, this absence will be considered “excused” and the instructor will accept a note from you attesting to the date of the illness/incident, along with an acknowledgement that the information is true. Whenever feasible, you should try to contact the instructor in advance. Multiple or prolonged absences, and absences that prevent attendance at a major scheduled grading event (like an exam or test) will require written documentation from an appropriate health care provider/organization. Please contact the instructor as soon as possible to discuss the missed class. Late work and Missed Exams / Assignments: For homework assignments, you must hand the assignment in class at the beginning of the class it is due. Late homework turned in after the beginning of the specified class will be deducted 10 points per day. Please email the course gmail, umdbiostat@gmail.com, to set up a time to turn in late homework assignments. Missed Exams You should notify teaching staff of any conflicts you have with scheduled quizzes, tests and exams as soon as possible and before the assignment, if possible. If an emergency situation 4 HLTH 300, Fall/2015 Seaman arises and you are unable to make a scheduled quiz, test or exam please contact the instructor or TA as soon as you can. Course Evaluations The University, the School of Public Health, and the Department of Behavioral and Community Health are committed to the use of student course evaluations for improving the student experience, course and curriculum delivery, and faculty instruction. Your evaluations help instructors improve their courses; help deans and department chairs decide on merit pay for faculty, renewal of contracts, and support tenure and promotion decisions; and help current and future students decide on classes. The system (www.CourseEvalUM.umd.edu) will open late in the fall semester. Copyright Class lectures, homework assignments, tests and other materials are copyrighted. These materials may not be reproduced for anything other than personal use without the explicit written permission. Changes to Syllabus Changes may be made to the syllabus at any time due to missed classes for weather or progress through material. Students will be notified of changes as soon as possible. Available Support Services: There are many resources available in our school and department to ensure this class is a positive experience. Learning Assistance Service, 2202 Shoemaker Building, 301-­‐314-­‐7693. Learning Assistance Services offers Academic Success Workshops that may help you in this course and in others. Additionally, the Undergraduate Center for Academic Success and Achievement (SPH 0222) has a number of resources that you may wish to explore. If you need any accommodations, please notify teaching staff and we will work with Learning Assistance Service to ensure you are supported and have access to appropriate resources. At several points in the semester, the TA will host a “Canvas Check-­‐In Section.” This will be a review session of course material and sample problems. These are available to support your learning. Grading Procedures: 5% Clicker Participation (=Total Number of Questions Answered/Total Number of Questions Asked, adjusted for excused absences) 25% Homework Assignments (5 Assignments, due throughout semester, 5% each) 10% Portfolio Assignment 15% Quizzes (There are 4 scheduled quizzes, we will drop the lowest one, 3 will count, 5% each) 30% Tests (2, 15% Each) 15% Final Exam Final Grade Distribution A+ 100 – 97.0 A 96.9 – 93.0 5 HLTH 300, Fall/2015 Seaman A-­‐ 92.9 – 90.0 B+ 89.9 – 87.0 B 86.9 – 83.0 B-­‐ 82.9 – 80.0 C+ 79.9 – 77.0 C 76.9 – 73.0 C-­‐ 72.9 – 70.0 D+ 69.9 – 67.0 D 66.9 – 63.0 D-­‐ 62.9 – 60.0 F <60.0 **Grades on assignments will not be changed. Grades will not be rounded. Course Outline / Course Calendar: Course Schedule Summary Session Date Topic # 1 Tues 9/1 Introduction & Why we use Statistics # 2 Thurs 9/3 Organizing Data: Distributions, Proportions, Percentages, Ratios and Rates # 3 Tues 9/8 Presenting Data: Graphs & Cross-­‐Tabulations # 4 # 5 # 6 Thurs 9/10 Tues 9/15 Thurs 9/17 # 7 # 8 Tues 9/22 Thurs 9/24 # 9 # 10 # 11 # 12 # 13 # 14 # 15 Tues 9/29 Thurs 10/1 Tues 10/6 Thurs 10/8 Tues 10/13 Thurs 10/15 Tues 10/20 # 16 # 17 # 18 Thurs 10/22 Tues 10/27 Thurs 10/29 6 Assignments Measures of Central Tendency I Measures of Central Tendency II Quiz 1 Measures of Variability: Variance and Standard Deviation Basic Probability and Introduction to the Normal Curve The Normal Distribution: Z-­‐scores and Finding Probability under the Normal Curve Sampling Methods & Errors; Review for Test 1 TEST 1 T-­‐Tests and 95% Confidence Intervals I T-­‐Tests and 95% Confidence Intervals II & Hypothesis Testing ANOVA ANOVA Quiz 2 Chi-­‐Square Chi-­‐Square Correlation Quiz 3 Correlation HW1 due (Survey Online, Written portion due in class); Need to have clicker in class HW 2 due in class HW 3 due in class HLTH 300, Fall/2015 Seaman # 19 # 20 # 21 # 22 # 23 # 24 # 25 -­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐ # 26 # 27 # 28 # 29 # 30 Tues 11/3 Thurs 11/5 Tues 11/10 Thurs 11/12 Tues 11/17 Thurs 11/19 Thurs 11/24 Tues 11/26 Thurs 12/1 APHA: Guest Lecturer Correlation; Review for Test 2 TEST 2 Regression Analyses I Regression Analyses II Logistic Regression I Logistic Regression II Class Cancelled for University Thanksgiving Recess Quiz 4 Statistics in the Real World I – Picking the right test, designing Data Analysis Plans for Research Questions Tues 12/3 Statistics in the Real World II – Applications to Reading and Disseminating Science Thurs 12/8 Statistics in the Real World III – Overview of next steps; Introduction to Programs Thurs 12/10 Wrapping up course material & Review for Final Exam Friday 12/18 FINAL EXAM -­‐ 1:30-­‐3:30pm in SPH 1312. HW 4 due in class HW 5 due in class Portfolio Due Session Outline Session 1 9/1 Introduction & Why we use Statistics Learning Objectives for Session [Competencies 1&2] - Students will be able to describe the field of biostatistics - Students will be able to define statistics vocabulary - Students will be able to understand the stages of research and name/describe the 3 levels of measurement **Recommended Reading: Chapter 1 from Salkind posed on Canvas. Assignments – HW1 due 9/3 (Survey to be completed online; hard copy of written portion due before class on 9/3) Session 2 & Session 3 9/3 and 9/8 Organizing and Presenting Data Learning Objectives for Session [Competencies 1&2] - Students will understand different ways that scientists organize data (frequencies, proportions, percentages, ratios, rates) - Students will understand different ways that scientists graphically present data - Students will be able to select which graphic presentation of data is appropriate for a given scenario Readings: Chapters 1 and 2 in Textbook 7 HLTH 300, Fall/2015 Seaman **Recommended Reading: pg.52 from Salkind posed on Canvas. Session 4 & Session 5 9/10 & 9/15 Measures of Central Tendency Learning Objectives for Session [Competencies 1&2] - Students will be able to describe and calculate a mean - Students will be able to describe and calculate a mode - Students will be able to describe and calculate a median - Students will understand the differences in these 3 measures and when the use of each would be appropriate Readings: Chapter 3 in Textbook **Recommended Reading: pg.16-­‐25 from Norman & Sreiner posed on Canvas. Session 6 9/17 Quiz 1 Measures of Variability Learning Objectives for Session [Competencies 1&2] - Students will be able to describe and calculate range & interquartile range - Students will be able to describe and calculate variance - Students will be able to describe and calculate standard deviation - Students will understand the differences in these 3 measures and when the use of each would be appropriate Readings: Chapter 4 in Textbook Session 7 & 8 9/22 & 9/24 Probability & The Normal Distribution Learning Objectives for Session [Competencies 1&2] - Students will understand the normal distribution and be able to draw a graphic representation - Students will be able to describe and calculate Z-­‐Scores - Students will be able to match z-­‐scores to corresponding probabilities Readings: Chapter 5 in Textbook **Recommended Reading: pg.93-­‐105 from Motulsky and pg. 141-­‐160 from Salkind posed on Canvas. Assignments – Hard copy of HW2 due before class on 9/24 Session 9 9/29 Sampling Methods & Review for Test 1 Learning Objectives for Session [Competencies 1&2] - Students will understand and be able to describe different sampling methods that social scientists use - Students will be able to describe sampling error - Students will be prepared for Test 1 8 HLTH 300, Fall/2015 Seaman Readings: Chapter 6 in Textbook Session 10 10/1 TEST 1 Session 11 & 12 10/6 & 10/8 T-­‐Tests, 95% Confidence Intervals & Hypothesis Testing Learning Objectives for Session [Competencies 1&2] - Students will understand and describe confidence intervals - Students will be able to calculate a confidence interval - Students will be able to write null & alternative hypotheses - Students will be able to execute and interpret t-­‐tests Readings: Chapter 6 & 7 in Textbook **Recommended Reading: pg. 127-­‐141; 189-­‐203; 204-­‐218 from Salkind posed on Canvas. Session 13 & 14 10/13 & 10/15 ANOVA Learning Objectives for Session [Competencies 1&2] - Students will understand and describe ANOVA and distinguish between a One-­‐Way ANOVA and a Two-­‐Way ANOVA - Students will be able to compare and contrast ANOVA to other tests and select when an ANOVA would be appropriate - Students will be able to calculate and interpret an ANOVA Readings: Chapter 8 in Textbook Assignments – Hard copy of HW3 due before class on 10/15 Session 15&16 10/20 & 10/22 Quiz 2 in class on 10/20 Chi-­‐Square Learning Objectives for Session [Competencies 1&2] - Students will understand when it is appropriate to use a One-­‐Way Chi Square and a Two-­‐Way Chi Square - Students will be able to calculate and interpret Chi-­‐Square tests Readings: Chapter 9 in Textbook **Recommended Reading: pg. 285-­‐291 from Salkind posed on Canvas. Session 17 & Session 18 10/27 & 10/29 Quiz 3 in class on 10/29 Correlation Learning Objectives for Session [Competencies 1&2] - Students will understand what a correlation measures and how is is calculated - Students will be able to calculate correlations - Students will be able to interpret the strength and direction of correlations 9 HLTH 300, Fall/2015 Seaman Students will be comfortable assessing scatter plots Readings: Chapter 10 in Textbook Session 19 11/3 APHA: Guest Lecturer Session 20 11/5 Finishing up Correlation; Review for Test 2 Learning Objectives for Session [Competencies 1&2] - Students will understand what a correlation measures and how it is calculated - Students will be able to calculate correlations - Students will be able to interpret the strength and direction of correlations - Students will be comfortable assessing scatter plots - Students will be prepared for Test 2 Readings: Chapter 10 in Textbook Session 21 11/10 TEST 2 Session 22 & 23 11/12 & 11/17 Regression Analyses Learning Objectives for Session [Competencies 1&2] - Students will understand regression and be able to describe linear regression - Students will be able to interpret linear regression results - Students will be able to describe when a linear regression would be appropriate Readings: Chapter 11 in Textbook **Recommended Reading: pg. 267-­‐281 from Salkind posed on Canvas. Assignments – Hard copy of HW4 due before class on 11/17 Session 24& 25 11/19 & 11/24 Logistic Regression Analyses Learning Objectives for Session [Competencies 1&2] - Students will understand what a logistic regression is and when a logistic regression would be appropriate - Students will be able to compare and contrast linear regression and logistic regression - Students will comfortable interpreting logistic regressions Readings: Chapter 11 in Textbook **Recommended Reading: pg. 268-­‐271 from Motulsky posted on Canvas. 11/26 Class Cancelled for Thanksgiving Recess Session 26, 27 & 28 12/1, 12/3 & 12/8 Quiz 4 in class on 12/1 -
10 HLTH 300, Fall/2015 Seaman Statistics in the Real World Learning Objectives for Session [Competencies 1&2] - Students will explore how to interpret journal articles and critique statistical methods - Students will be able to select the right statistical test for a given scenario - Students will be able to design a data analysis plan around a research question Journal articles will be assigned as readings and posted on Canvas Assignments – Hard copy of HW5 due before class on 12/3 Session 29 12/10 Wrapping up Material; Review for Final Exam Statistics in the Real World Learning Objectives for Session [Competencies 1&2] - Students will explore how to use statistics and social math to successfully and truthfully disseminate research - Students will understand next steps for them as public health professionals - Students will get an overview of the major statistical programs and information about further study (SPSS, STATA, SAS, R) - Students will be prepared for the final exam Assignments – Hard copy of Portfolio due at beginning of class Session 30 12/18 Final Exam; 1:30-­‐3:30pm in SPH 1312 Critical university policies: Religious Observances: The University System of Maryland policy provides that students should not be penalized because of observances of their religious beliefs; students shall be given an opportunity, whenever feasible, to make up within a reasonable time any academic assignment that is missed due to individual participation in religious observances. It is the student’s responsibility to inform the instructor in advance of any intended absences for religious observance. Special Accommodations / Disability Support Services: If you have a documented disability and wish to discuss academic accommodations for test taking or other needs, you will need documentation from Disability Support Service (301-­‐314-­‐
7682). If you are ill or encountering personal difficulties, please let the instructor know as soon as possible. You can also contact Learning Assistance Services (301-­‐314-­‐7693) and/or the Counseling Center (301-­‐314-­‐7651) for assistance. Academic Integrity: The University's code of academic integrity is designed to ensure that the principle of academic honesty is upheld. Any of the following acts, when committed by a student, constitutes academic dishonesty: • CHEATING: intentionally using or attempting to use unauthorized materials, information, or study aids in an academic exercise. 11 HLTH 300, Fall/2015 Seaman •
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FABRICATION: intentional and unauthorized falsification or invention of any information or citation in an academic exercise. FACILITATING ACADEMIC DISHONESTY: intentionally or knowingly helping or attempting to help another to violate any provision of this code. PLAGIARISM: intentionally or knowingly representing the words or ideas of another as one's own in any academic exercise. For more information see: http://www.shc.umd.edu/code.html. The Honor Pledge is a statement undergraduate and graduate students should be asked to write by hand and sign on examinations, papers, or other academic assignments. The Pledge reads: I pledge on my honor that I have not given or received any unauthorized assistance on this assignment/examination. The University of Maryland, College Park has a nationally recognized Code of Academic Integrity, administered by the Student Honor Council. This Code sets standards for academic integrity at Maryland for all undergraduate and graduate students. As a student you are responsible for upholding these standards for this course. It is very important for you to be aware of the consequences of cheating, fabrication, facilitation, and plagiarism. For more information on the Code of Academic Integrity or the Student Honor Council, please visit http://www.shc.umd.edu. Inclement Weather / University Closings: In the event that the University is closed for an emergency or extended period of time, the instructor will communicate to students regarding schedule adjustments, including rescheduling of examinations and assignments due to inclement weather and campus emergencies. Official closures and delays are announced on the campus website (http://www.umd.edu) and snow phone line (301-­‐405-­‐SNOW), as well as local radio and TV stations. 12 HLTH 300, Fall/2015 Seaman