INTRODUCTION TO STATISTICS IN
CRIMINOLOGY AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE
CCJS 200 - Spring Semester 2012
Tuesdays and Thursdays
12:30 – 1:45 in 1400 Marie Mount Hall
Professor:
Laura Dugan
Office Hours: Tuesdays 2pm-5pm & Thursdays 11am-12pm*
2220G Lefrak Hall Phone: 301-405-4070
ldugan@umd.edu
Teaching Assistants
Jackie Campbell
Office Hours: Tuesdays 11am-12:30pm* & Fridays 11am-12:30pm
Discussion Sections 0102, 0104, 0106
0101 Taliaferro Hall Phone: 301-405-8043
jcamp2@umd.edu
Zach Rowan
Office Hours: Tuesdays 11am-12:15pm* & Fridays 10am-11am, 1pm - 2pm
Discussion Sections 0101, 0103, 0105
0101 Taliaferro Hall Phone: 301-405-8043
zrowan@umd.edu
*On exam days, these hours will be canceled see explanation under Policy for HelpSeeking for Examinations.
Course Description
This course is an introduction to descriptive and inferential statistics. As an
introductory course the expectation is that we will cover a number of statistical
procedures without going into the level of depth needed to conduct serious research,
therefore you will need to supplement this class with one or more subsequent statistics
courses. Our goal is to provide a basic foundation for descriptive and inferential
statistics for you to build upon later. In sum, we want to put some statistical “tools” in
your toolbox with the understanding that you will likely need and want more tools later.
After this course, however, you will be able to do and read about common statistical
procedures as well as create and understand statistical analysis as it applies to problems
in the area of criminology and criminal justice. We will use statistical procedures to
study problems and answer questions where these problems and questions pertain to
crime and the criminal justice system.
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Course Prerequisites
It is expected that you have taken and passed MATH 111 or higher or its
equivalent (Introduction to Probability) as well as CCJS 100 or CCJS 105 (Introduction
to Criminal Justice or Introduction to Criminology). You will also need a calculator and
some proficiency in using a calculator (it does not have to be, and probably should not
be, a graphing calculator but one with square and square root keys would be very
helpful).
Course Textbook
Required Course Text
Ronet Bachman and Ray Paternoster
2008 Statistics for Criminology and Criminal Justice (3nd Edition). McGrawHill Publishing.
Course Work
The best way to learn how to do statistical procedures is to practice, practice, and then
practice some more. Only for the rare person is statistical analysis something that can be
picked-up easily and without effort. I strongly encourage you to read the assigned
chapters ahead of class, and you should answer each of the questions at the back of the
chapter after you have read it. The answers to the chapter problems are provided for you
in your book, but only look at them after you have solved or attempted to solve the
problem on your own. In addition, you should attend your assigned discussion group
that meets weekly. In this discussion group your TA will be answering questions you
may have from the lecture and going over problems and the interpretation of problems
that were covered in class during the previous week.
Course Grading
The ultimate goal of this class is for you to do well on the exams. In particular, doing
well on the final exam will demonstrate to us that you understand the material in the
course. The final is cumulative and is worth 25% of your grade. In order to do well on
the exams, it will be extremely important that you keep up with the weekly reading,
practices homework, and quiz assignments. In addition to the homework and quizzes,
there will be four examinations throughout the semester that will last the length of the
class. Each of the exams are problem solving exams where you will have to calculate
statistics using formulas and interpret their meaning in order to solve the problem. I
will provide you with a formula sheet to refer to for each exam so there is no need to
memorize formulas. The final exam is scheduled for Thursday, May 17th from 1:303:30pm.
Grading Breakdown:
Quizzes
15%
Exam 1
15%
Exam 2
15%
Exam 3
Exam 4
Final Exam
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15%
15%
25%
Final course grades will be assigned according to the following scale:
A+ = 96.5% - 100%
C+ = 76.5% - 79.49%
A = 92.5% - 96.49%
C = 72.5% - 76.49%
A- = 89.5% - 92.49%
C- = 69.5% - 72.49%
B+ = 86.5% - 89.49%
D+ = 66.5% - 69.49%
B = 82.5% - 86.49%
D = 62.5% - 66.49%
B- = 79.5% - 82.49%
D- = 59.5% - 62.49%
F = Any grade < 59.5%
Students near grade divisions (e.g. 89.4%) may have their grade adjusted upward (but
not downward) for effort in the course and participation in the discussion groups.
Policy on Examinations
Exams must be taken on the assigned day that it is scheduled unless you have
given me a valid, written doctor’s excuse and you must make arrangements either with
me or with your teaching assistant within three days to make up the missed exam. A
phone call to me or one of the teaching assistants after the exam saying that you missed
it is not a valid excuse. A health center honor statement is not valid either unless the
note is from a doctor or is a copy of your medical record that confirms you were or will
be physically/mentally unable to take the exam.
Policy on Help-Seeking for Examinations
In order to encourage students to be more active in discussions and to be more
prepared for the exams, all questions pertaining to the exam must be asked in-person
or via email before 5pm the day before the exam. If we get your question before that
time, you will receive an answer from one of us before the exam. This means that if
your exam is on a Tuesday, you must have contacted Dr. Dugan, Zach, or Jackie before
5pm on Monday. This also means that Tuesday morning office hours will be canceled
on the day of the exam. Similarly, if your exam is on a Thursday, we must receive your
question before 5pm on Wednesday; and Thursday morning office hours will be
canceled.
Policy on Quizzes
You have a weekly quiz on the readings available through ELMS (Enterprise
Learning Management System, described below). The quiz questions are taken
verbatim from the text and are designed to encourage you to keep up with the reading.
Each chapter has its own quiz. You are allowed 5 minutes to take each quiz, and you
can take each quiz twice. The questions are chosen randomly from a question bank, so
you will not get the same questions the second time around. Quizzes will be due on
Tuesdays, unless otherwise notified on ELMS. Quizzes will be available to take for
48 hours, and will close at 12:30pm on the day they are due. You may use your book
for the quizzes but you may not collaborate with anyone else while taking the quiz.
Your lowest quiz grade will be dropped when calculating your final grade. Please print
a copy of your submitted quiz for your own records, and as proof of completion in the
event that an error occurs with the ELMS scoring.
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Staying in Touch With the Class With ELMS
The course uses a web-based tool called ELMS to provide you with easy and
anytime access to all information and notices about the class. In order to access this
class information you must first be registered for the class. Once registered you use
your LDAP ID and password to log onto the website. This website will contain a wealth
of information about the class such as a copy of this syllabus, practice exams, and extraproblems. This web site also will contain important class announcements. You can also
access your grades (but not those of others) through ELMS once they are posted. WE
WOULD STRONGLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO ACCESS THE CLASS WEB
SITE ON A REGULAR BASIS. The site address is: http://elms.umd.edu.
There is an online tutorial to help you or if you need additional assistance please do not
hesitate to ask your discussion group leader for help.
Math Assistance
We expect that many of you might not think you are good at math (though you
are very likely “good enough”). If you think you are shaky at math then read and work
on the math review in Appendix A of your text book. You can also get help from the
university through its “Math Success Program”. Visit the Math Success Center online
at:
http://www.resnet.umd.edu/programs/math_success/
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
Academic dishonesty of any form will absolutely NOT be tolerated. 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. The Student
Honor Council proposed and the University Senate approved an Honor Pledge. The
University Honor Pledge reads:
“I pledge on my honor that I have not given or received any unauthorized
assistance on this assignment/examination.”
Students will be asked to write the University approved Honor Pledge on each exam.
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DISABILITY SUPPORT
I will make every effort to accommodate students who are registered with the
Disability Support Services (DSS) Office and who provide me with a University of
Maryland DSS Accommodation form which has been updated for the Spring 2012
semester. This form must be presented to me no later than February 16, 2012. I am
unable to accommodate students who are not registered with DSS or who do not provide
me with documentation that has not been reviewed by DSS after February 16, 2012.
DSS students who are requesting to take their exams at the DSS Center need to provide
me with a testing form for each exam that must be turned in to me no later than 1 week
prior to each exam. The student is expected to take the exam at the same time as the rest
of the class.
RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCES
If you are unable to take the any exams due to a religious observance, you will
need to discuss this with me by February 16, 2012.
CLASSROOM CODE OF CONDUCT
The success of this class is dependent not only on my abilities and talents as an
instructor to communicate new and complicated ideas, but also on our ability as a class
to work together to create an environment conducive to learning. As a Department and
University, we expect the faculty and students to be prepared for class and to be actively
engaged in the classroom activities. Unfortunately, disruptive behaviors in the
classroom cheat other students out of their opportunity to learn. The University of
Maryland’s Code of Academic Integrity defines classroom disruption as “behavior a
reasonable person would view as substantially or repeatedly interfering with the conduct
of a class.” Examples would include coming late to class, repeatedly leaving and
entering the classroom without authorization, making loud or distracting noises, and
persisting in speaking without being recognized. As the instructor of this class, I also
find the following distracting: reading outside material, sleeping, and loud side
conversations with your neighbor. Also forbidden are: text messaging and using
laptops for non-academic functions (IM, e-mail, Facebook, surfing, etc.). I also request
that you turn cell phones/pagers on silent during class.
Students are expected to treat each other with respect. Disruptive behavior of
any kind will not be tolerated. Students who are unable to show civility with one
another, the teaching assistants, or me will be subject to referral to the Office of Student
Conduct or to Campus Police. You are expected to adhere to the Code of Student
Conduct.
COURSE EVALUATION
Your feedback about this course and how I have done is very important to me.
Completing a course evaluation is also part of what it means to be a member of the
UMD academic community. At the end of the semester I very much would like you to
fill out the online course evaluation. CourseEvalUM will be open for you to complete
your course evaluation. You can go directly to the website
(www.courseevalum.umd.edu) to complete your evaluation starting in late April.
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WARNING!!!
This will be a very difficult class for many of you. It is particularly
important, therefore, that you not wait until the exam to do the readings. It is
critical that you keep up with the readings and do the problems at the back of each
chapter in addition to your homework. If you find yourself struggling or falling
behind, let me or your discussion group leaders know and we will do everything we
can to help you. But it is important that you do this early rather than late, it is
much, much too difficult to catch up! It is also important that you attend the
discussion group meetings because it is here where you will get practice in working
the problems covered in class.
COURSE SCHEDULE
DAY
DATE TOPIC
READING
ASSIGNMENT
Thursday
1/26
Introduction, Sampling, Key Statistical
Terms and Levels of Measurement
Chapter 1
Tuesday
1/31
Data Distributions, Simple Descriptions of
Data
Chapter 2
Thursday
2/2
Graphical Presentations of Data
Chapter 3
Tuesday
2/7
Measures of Central Tendency
Chapter 4
Thursday
2/9
Measures of Central Tendency
Chapter 4
Tuesday
2/14
Measures of Dispersion
Chapter 5
Thursday
2/16
Measures of Dispersion
Chapter 5
Tuesday
2/21
Thursday
2/23
Probability Theory
Chapter 6
Tuesday
2/28
Probability Theory & Hypothesis Testing
Chapter 6
Thursday
3/1
Point Estimation
Chapter 7
Tuesday
3/6
Confidence Intervals
Chapter 7
Thursday
3/8
One Population Mean Tests
Chapter 8
Tuesday
3/13
One Population Proportion Tests
Chapter 8
Thursday 3/15
FIRST EXAMINATION
SECOND EXAMINATION
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Tuesday
3/20
No Class – Spring Break
Thursday
3/22
No Class – Spring Break
Tuesday
3/27
Hypothesis Tests with Categorical Data I
Chapter 9
Thursday
3/29
Hypothesis Tests with Categorical Data II
Chapter 9
Tuesday
4/3
Two Population Hypothesis Tests
Part I – Independent Samples
Chapter 10
Thursday
4/5
Two Population Hypothesis Tests
Part I – Independent Samples
Chapter 10
Tuesday
4/10
Thursday
4/12
Two Population Hypothesis Tests
Part II – Dependent or Matched Samples
Chapter 10
Tuesday
4/17
Two Population Hypothesis Tests
Part III – Proportions Tests
Chapter 10
Thursday
4/19
Three or More Populations Tests:
Analysis of Variance
Chapter 11
Tuesday
4/24
Three or More Populations Tests:
Analysis of Variance
Chapter 11
Thursday 4/26
THIRD EXAMINATION
FOURTH EXAMINATION
Tuesday
5/1
Correlation, Ordinary Least Squares
(OLS) Regression
Chapter 12
Thursday
5/3
OLS Regression
Chapter 12
Tuesday
5/8
Multivariate Regression
Chapter 13
Thursday
5/10
Multivariate Regression Part II
Thursday 5/17
FINAL EXAMINATION FROM 1:30-3:30 PM IN THIS
ROOM
This is an approximate schedule and will likely change. However, the exams will
always be on the date that is marked above, and will cover the new material since the
previous exam. The final exam will cover all of the material in the course.
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