Ocean County College
Professor's Syllabus
Professor's Name: Mr. Michael Pezzimenti
Course Title and Number: MATH 156 – Elementary Statistics
Catalog Description: An introductory level course for non-mathematics majors who need or desire a working knowledge of statistics. This course
is oriented towards all fields in which statistics finds applications. Topics include: summarizing data, probability, normal and binomial distributions,
hypothesis testing, confidence intervals and correlation. This is a writing intensive course in which students write essays totaling 1200 word
(minimum). Students’ essays must be maintained in a folder and may be used for college assessment purposes. Each faculty member will provide
a rubric for scoring student essays and information about the impact of the graded writing on the final course grade.
Semester: Spring, 2011
Office Location: Russell 109
Phone Number: (732) 255-0400 X2304
E-Mail Address: mpezzimenti@ocean.edu or michael_pezzimenti@occ.mailcruiser.com
Office Hours: M,Th 1:20-2:30; T, Fr 9:30-10:45
Other Meeting Times: To arrange a meeting with your instructor in addition to the regularly scheduled office hours, please contact your
instructor directly or contact the Department of Mathematics (Phone: (732) 255-0368/ Email ___________).
Required Text and other Materials: Stat Basics by F. Selcen Kilinc, first edition. Besides the text, a graphing calculator is strongly recommended.,
preferably a TI83 or TI84.
Course Learning Outcomes/Objectives (from the Official Course Description): Students who successfully complete this course will be able to:
a.
Develop the student’s use of basic statistical tools needed to
summarize and analyze data from real problems.
b.
Develop the student’s awareness of the use of statistics in
experimental procedures and decision making.
c.
Recognize sampling methods and levels of data.
d.
Explain statistical terms.
e.
Interpret descriptive statistics.
f.
Illustrate statistical information using appropriate graphs.
g.
Apply appropriate probability formulas.
h.
Compare different probability distributions.
i.
Construct confidence intervals.
j.
Perform appropriate hypothesis tests.
k.
Apply correlation and regression analysis to bi-variable data.
General Education Goals Addressed in the Course (from the Official Course Description):
Independent Thinking and Problem Solving
Exams: Exam grades represent the most significant part of your final grade. We will have 3 exams. No make-up exams will be provided for
unexcused absences. A doctor’s note is required for medical absences. Make-up exams will be more difficult than the exam taken by the class.
Homework: Homework is due at the next class. Late homework will not be accepted.
Quizzes: Take home quizzes will be due at the beginning of next class. Late quizzes will not be accepted.
Writing Across the Curriculum: Introduction to Statistics is an OCC Writing Across the Curriculum course. As such, it is a writing intensive course.
As noted, writing assignments represent a significant fraction of your grade. We will likely have 2 major writing assignments. Writing assignments
are expected to be submitted on time. Late assignments are subject to a full letter grade penalty.
Official Withdrawal: A withdrawal from the class requires the completion of an OCC Drop/Add Form before the official withdrawal deadline.
Attendance Policy: If you must miss a class, it is your responsibility to make up the missed work. Homework assignments will be posted on Ocean
Cruiser. 3 absences before the withdrawal deadline may result in an automatic withdrawal. Arriving late and/or leaving early without permission will
be considered ½ of an absence. After 3 absences, each subsequent absence will result in a 1 point deduction from your final average.
Grading scale: (i.e., A = 90 - 100)
The letter grades used in this class and their approximate numerical equivalents are listed below.
A
Excellent (>90)
B+
Very Good (86-89)
B
Good
(80-85)
C+
Above Average (76-79)
C
Average (70-75)
D
(60-69)
F
Failure (<60)
Course Outline:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
i.
j.
k.
Descriptive Statistics
Common Statistical Measures: Measures of Central Tendency, Measures of Variability, Some Measures of an Individual in a
Population – z scores and percentile ranks
Frequency Tables and Graphs
Probability
The Binomial Distribution
The Normal Distribution
Approximation of the Binomial Distribution by Use of the Normal Distribution
Hypothesis Testing: One and Two Sample Test of Percent in Binomial Experiments: Statistical Hypotheses, Statistical Errors Type I & II, Decision Rules, Hypothesis Testing Procedures
Hypothesis Testing with Sample Means: Large and Small One and
Two Sample Tests
Confidence Intervals
Correlation and Regression
Statement of Plagiarism: Cheating will not be tolerated. If caught, disciplinary action will be taken as defined by College Policy #5180.
Students should refer to the student handbook and review Policy #5180. Consider defining plagiarism.
Statement about Civility: See www.ocean.edu/civility.htm
. Some particular points of concern are:
 Disruptive Behavior will not be tolerated and may lead to disciplinary action
 No eating is allowed in class
 No cell phones or music headphones
 Getting up and leaving class
Evaluation of student: Your final grade will be computed as follows:
Exam average – 70%
Homework – 10%
Writing Assignments – 20%
Campus Resources and Services: Tutoring is available [a] in the Writing Center for writing assignments in all subject areas, not just
English courses, and [b] in the Mathematics Tutoring Center. Tutoring information for all other subjects can be found on the Tutoring
page on the college website. In addition, Study Strategy Seminars are scheduled each week and are posted on the college website under
“Academics.” More information on college services can be found by using the A-Z index on the college website (for example, under “T”
for Tutoring or under “S” for Study Strategy Seminars).
Statement of Accommodation: If there is any student in this class who has special needs because of learning disabilities or other kinds of
disabilities, please feel free to come and discuss this with me or a staff member in the Center for Academic Excellence.
Disclaimer: Individual faculty members may make reasonable changes to this course outline exclusive of course requirements, course
calendar, and grading procedures.
All individuals should not assume that anything received, sent, or stored in this course or in any course is private. Students’ written
work, assignments, and test results may be used anonymously for college assessment purposes. Course content, support materials, and
communications (including chats, discussions, emails, and any other forms of communication) may be used for quality assurance
purposes by authorized college administrators.
Important Notes
Ocean Cruiser is the official email communication for students at OCC (firstname_lastname@occ.mailcruiser.com)
Failure to pay for this course may result in your being dropped for non-payment.