- Name: Jiali Lin
- Office: Hutcheson 403K
- Email: jiali@vt.edu
- Office Hours: By appointment
- Time: MW 2:30 P.M – 3:45 P.M
- Location: SEITZ 300
- Course Materials:
- I. Textbook: The Practice of Statistics in the Life Sciences, 3rd Edition by Brigitte Baldi and David S. Moore.
- II. Calculator: A scientific calculator with statistical functions will be needed. TI-83, TI-83 Plus, TI-84, or TI-84 Plus calculators are preferred. These calculators may be used on exams but the memory must be cleared before each exam. Cell phone calculators will not be permitted on exams.
- III. Supplementary Materials: In conjunction with the textbook, three additional resources will be used.
- Canvas – Announcements, assignments & solutions, lecture notes & slides, practice exams, etc.
- Textbook CD – Contains datasets used throughout the semester.
- R – Statistical software packages for data analysis. (Free and open source software)
| Lecture | Topic |
|---|---|
| Lecture 1 | Picturing Distribution with Graphs |
| Lecture 2 | Describing Distributions with Numbers |
| Lecture 3 | Scatterplots and Correlation |
| Lecture 4 | Regression |
| Lecture 5 | Two-Way Tables |
| Lecture 6 | Samples and Observational Studies |
| Lecture 7 | Designing Experiments |
| Lecture 8 | Introducing Probability |
| Lecture 9 | General Rules of Probability |
| Lecture 10 | The Normal Distributions |
| Lecture 11 | Discrete Probability Distributions |
| Lecture 12 | Sampling Distributions |
| Lecture 13 | Introduction to Inference |
| Lecture 14 | Inference in Practice |
| Lecture 15 | Inference about a Population Mean |
| Lecture 16 | Comparing Two Means |
The student’s grade will be based on homework, two exams, a final exam and quizzes. Each category will receive the following weights:
- Homework: 30%
- Exam 1: 20%
- Exam 2: 20%
- Final Exam: 30%
- Quizzes: 10% (Extra Credits)
The anticipated grading scale will be:
F < 60.0 ≤ D- < 62.5 ≤ D < 66.5 ≤ D+ < 70.0 ≤ C- < 72.5 ≤ C < 76.5 ≤ C+ < 80.0 ≤ B- < 82.5 ≤ B < 86.5 ≤ B+ < 90.0 ≤ A
Homework will be assigned on a regular basis and posted on Scholar. Posted and due dates will exactly follow the schedule unless changes are announced in class. Some assignments will require the use of R (Using R is not mandatory. Excel is acceptable). If you find that you are struggling with the homework, you should seek help from either the instructor or the teaching assistants.
Some guidelines for homework are as follows:
- Homework must be turned in at the beginning of the class on the due day. Late homework will not be accepted, no exceptions.
- Students will lose fewer points for doing a problem incorrectly while trying than a student who skips the problem. Try all problems!!!
- Students are encouraged to work together on the homework, but every student must turn in their own homework assignment. Copying other students’ work is a violation of the Honor Code.
- Homework must be shown in detail and compiled in the correct order to receive full credit and R must be used where appropriate. Also, it is expected to be neat and clear.
- Staple multiple pages together when needed.
- Please remember to put (print not sign) your name on it! If I don't know whose work it is, I can't give you a grade.
- All problems on some homework sets may not be graded. You are responsible for checking your answers with posted solutions on Scholar.
- The solutions found on Scholar are the level of work expected for the class.
- From the day the homework grades are posted, you have one week to dispute the grade – you are welcomed writing to me directly.
Attendance is key to success. The material that we cover in one class often provides the background for the next class. For this reason, it is highly recommended that you attend all classes. If you must miss class, it is your responsibility to get the information and/or assignments that were missed before returning to class.
Although there is no formal attendance policy, there will be unannounced attendance quizzes from time to time. They will be on any material covered to date, including assigned reading. The quizzes will be counted as bonus points added to your final grade.
There will be two regular exams throughout the semester plus a final exam. I will give you at least one week’s notice prior to giving an exam. The exams are closed-book and closed-notes. There are no make-up exams unless I receive a letter from the dean of your college indicating you have an approved reason for missing the scheduled exam date. Tentative dates are as follows:
- Exam 1 - Wednesday, Feb. 21th
- Exam 2 - Monday, April. 09th
The final exam is comprehensive, close-book and close-notes. The final will be from 10:05 – 12:05 P.M. on MAY 09.
Students with university documented needs for accommodation will have complete support. Please notify the instructor immediately (preferably within the first two weeks of the semester) if this is necessary.
The Virginia Tech Honor Code will be strictly enforced in this course. All graded assignments must be composed of your own work. More information about the Honor Code may be found at www.honorsystem.vt.edu.
All policies in this syllabus are subject to adjustment as the class progresses. In such instances, I will provide you with sufficient notice.