Survey of Statistics for Beginners

Dr. Robert Hayden

Aim of Course:

To provide an easy overview of statistics and statistical terminology through a series of practical applications. Once you've completed this course you'll be able to summarize data and interpret reports and newspaper accounts that use statistics and probability. You'll use simulation and resampling to fully grasp the difficult concept of "statistical significance."

This course can also serve as an alternative preliminary course to "Introduction to Statistics 1," instead of "Introduction to Statistics for Beginners" (which concentrates more on the foundations of where data come from -- surveys, observational studies, experiments).

Who Should Take This Course:

Anyone who encounters statistics in their work. Also, anyone who has taken (or is now taking) a standard introductory statistics sequence and needs either a different angle on the subject or a brief refresher. This first course in statistics requires no prior training in the subject. The only mathematics you need is arithmetic.

Course Program:

The course is structured as follows

The Instructor:

Dr. Robert Hayden has been teaching statistics since 1982, and is a recognized authority on the teaching of introductory statistics. He has published articles on this subject in The American Statistician, the MAA Notes series, and elsewhere. He has received a national award from high school statistics teachers for his online guidance to AP Statistics teachers, something he has been doing since 1996 on the AP Statistics listserv. Dr. Hayden has also had careers in mechanical engineering and mathematics education, with publications that have included high school mathematics textbooks, articles on the thermopysical properties of aerospace alloys, articles on training high school mathematics teachers to teach statistics, and more.

Organization of the Course:

The course takes place over the internet, at statistics.com. 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 is scheduled to take place over 3 weeks, and 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 and work through exercises. Discussion among participants is encouraged. The instructor will provide answers and comments.

Credit:

This course offers continuing education units (CEU's). For those successfully completing the course (generally this means marks of 50% or better on the homework), 3.75 CEU's and a certificate will be issued by statistics.com, upon request.

Dates:

Aug. 7 - Aug. 28, 2009
Nov. 27 - Dec. 18, 2009
Click here to be notified of future course offerings.

Participants gain access to the online materials on the first day of the course, and typically spend about 15 hours per week (at their convenience). You retain full access to course materials, including discussion board, for two weeks after the course closing date.

Level:

Novice

Prerequisite:

No statistical background is required. You should have access to a pair of dice.

Course Text:

The text is Statistics: Making Sense of Data, by Stout, Marden and Travers. It will be provided in electronic form.

Software:

Students should have access to a software package that can perform basic statistical analysis. A variety of affordable options are available--Click here for our general advice about the suitability of various popular software packages, and here for links to obtain downloads.

Registration:

Register Online - $349
Register Online (academic) - $279 (you must be affiliated with a college, university or high school)

Add $50 service fee if you require a prior invoice, or if you need to submit a purchase order or voucher, pay by wire transfer or EFT, or refund and reprocess a prior payment. Please use this printed registration form, for these and other special orders.

Note: Courses may fill up at any time and registrations are processed in the order in which they are received. Your registration will be confirmed for the first available course date, unless you specify otherwise.

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