Psyc 268 Syllabus Spring 2013

Statistics

Instructor:      Dr. John Vessey

Meets:             MWF 8:00-9:05am, BGC 130

Office:            BGC M252

Office Hours: MWF 9:15;10:15am,W 1:00-2:30pm, T Th 10:30-11:15

Office Phone: 752-5761

Email:             John.T.Vessey@wheaton.edu

Text:

Pagano, Understanding Statistics in the Behavioral Sciences 9^th Edition, Wadsworth

Course Goals:

The goal of this course is to introduce students to statistical concepts and probabilistic thinking.  Virtually all of scientific experimentation relies on statistical reasoning in one way or another, so it is vitally important for everyone engaged in a scientific discipline to have an understanding of the reasoning and methods employed in the analysis of data.

Calculators:

Throughout the course students will need a statistical calculator to complete problems and exams.  I have arranged for the bookstore to have a specific calculator (Texas Instruments TI-30xIIs) in stock for this class.  You should buy one along with the book.  If you already own a statistical calculator and are comfortable working the statistics functions, then you do not have to buy one.  But I will only be demonstrating how to use the TI-30xIIs in class.

Grading:

Grades will be assigned based on scores from Exams, Quizzes, and Exercises.  Exams 1 and 2 will each count for 15% of the grade, the final exam will count for 35%, Quizzes for 10%, and Exercises for 25%.  To pass this class, you will need to score at least 60% on the Final exam, and get at least 60% of the entire semester’s points.  I will use the usual 90,80,70,and 60% cutoffs for assigning grades.  I reserve the right to adjust final grades upwards if I so choose

Exams:

There will be 3 Exams. The first two will be in-class multiple choice exams, while the final will be a take home exam for which you will be given about a week to complete. You will be able to use your book, notes, and calculator for the Exams, but you will not be allowed to receive help from any other source or individual, whether they are in the class or not.  If you have any questions about the exam, you may direct them to me. 

You may take as much time as you would like to work on the final exam, but my intention is that it should take no more than 3 hours to complete.

Quizzes:

Quizzes will be given during the first part of class on most Fridays.  These will be short tests of material covered in the previous class periods.

There is a website with practice quizzes for each chapter in the book.  It will be in your best interest to take the quizzes once we complete each chapter, because the types of questions on the exams will be very similar. So, if you do well on the online quizzes, you should be fine for the exam.  But if you struggle with the online quizzes, you should not hesitate to make an appointment with me to go over that material.  Also, I will try to schedule voluntary help sessions throughout the semester that any student can attend.

Policy Regarding Make-up Exams, Quizzes, and Exercises:

Quizzes will be given at the beginning of the class period and students will be given a set amount of time to complete them (about 10 minutes or so).  If a student comes to class late, they will only have the remaining time to finish the quiz.  If a student arrives after the quiz time is over they will not be allowed to take that quiz.  Exercises may only be handed in at the beginning of the class session that they are due.

Class Attendance and Participation:

All students are encouraged to attend the lectures. Students are expected to have read the assigned text prior to the lecture. It is the student's responsibility to be aware of additional information covered in the lectures not found in the book as well as any changes in the syllabus announced in class. While participation in class discussion is not a part of the grading criteria, it is my experience that students who actively participate in class generally attain a greater understanding of the material and its relevance.

Plagiarism:

A definition of plagiarism may be found in the student’s handbook. Any student found to have committed plagiarism will receive a failing grade for the exercise/quiz/exam.

 Tentative Class Schedule: