Introduction to Statistics 1: Sampling and Inference

Feb 3 course is FULL
Click here for information on introductory course bundles.

To provide an introduction to statistical inference for a single variable. Once you have completed this course you will be able to apply statistically valid designs to basic studies, and test hypotheses regarding proportions and means.

Anyone who encounters statistics in their work, and anyone who needs introductory statistics for further study.

Introduction to Statistics 1: Sampling and Inference

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Introduction to Statistics 1: Sampling and Inference

To provide an introduction to statistical inference for a single variable. Once you have completed this course you will be able to apply statistically valid designs to basic studies, and test hypotheses regarding proportions and means.

Note: This is the second of a four-course sequence in Introductory Statistics.

Teaching statistics, especially AP statistics? The summer session of this course is especially suited to AP stats teachers who need to tune up their statistical skills.

1.  Introduction to Statistics for Beginners, or Survey of Statistics for Beginners, or their equivalent.

2.  Familiarity with the required software - read the "Software" section below.  Use of these software packages is covered in Introduction to Statistics for Beginners.

If you are unclear as to whether you have mastered the prerequisites listed in #1, test yourself with these placement exams here.

SESSION 1:  Sampling and Sampling Distributions

• Sample surveys
• Point estimates
• Sampling distributions for means and proportions
• Resampling
• Formula equivalents to resampling

SESSION 2: Confidence Intervals for Proportions and Means

• Confidence intervals for means
• Confidence intervals for proportions
• Confidence intervals for differences

SESSION 3: Hypothesis Tests

• Confidence intervals vs. hypothesis tests
• Paired comparisons
• Departure from expectation
  • Chi-squared test
• Null and alternative hypotheses
• One-tail, two-tail tests

This course takes place over the internet, at statistics.com for 3 weeks. During each course week, you participate at times of your own choosing - there are no set times when you must be online. Course participants will be given access to a private discussion board. In class discussions led by the instructor, you can post questions, seek clarification, and interact with your fellow students and the instructor.

The course typically requires 15 hours per week. At the beginning of each week, you receive the relevant material, in addition to answers to exercises from the previous session. During the week, you are expected to go over the course materials, work through exercises, and submit answers. Discussion among participants is encouraged. The instructor will provide answers and comments, and at the end of the week, you will receive individual feedback on your homework answers.

1. You may be interested only in learning the material presented, and not be concerned with grades or a record of completion.
2. You may be enrolled in PASS (Program in Advanced Statistical Studies) that requires demonstration of proficiency in the subject, in which case your work will be assessed for a grade.
3. You may require a "Record of Course Completion," along with professional development credit in the form of Continuing Education Units (CEU's).  For those successfully completing the course, 3.75 CEU's and a record of course completion will be issued by The Institute, upon request.

All reading materials will be provided online in PDF or other electronic format.

In this course, software is needed for statistical analysis and simple resampling/simulation operations. We recommend one of these 3 options:

1. Excel and Box Sampler
2. Excel and Resampling Stats for Excel
3. StatCrunch

Excel: you will need to have some facility with using formulas in Excel. If you don't, please review this tutorial before the course starts.

Box Sampler: this is a free add-in for Excel, designed as a visual teaching and learning tool for doing resampling simulations. Runs only on Windows.

Resampling Stats for Excel: this is a commercial add-in for Excel, designed as a practitioner's tool for doing resampling simulations. A free license is available to all course participants, while they are enrolled in the statistics.com sequence of introductory statistics courses. Runs only on Windows.

StatCrunch: this is a very affordable web-based statistical software program, which also has simulation and resampling capabilities. Runs over the web, so can be used with both Windows and Mac. Resampling is not as intuitive as with Box Sampler and Resampling Stats for Excel.

For a comprehensive listing of these and other programs, click here.

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