Survey of Statistics for Beginners

Dr. John Verzani

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:

John Verzani is member of the faculty at the College of Staten Island of the City University of New York, and the author of the course text Using R for Introductory Statistics. His research interests and publications are in the area of superprocesses.

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 10-15 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. 1 - Aug. 22, 2008
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 10-15 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:

Excel based illustrative tools (Windows only) will also be provided. (These tools will enhance your course experience with illustrative simulations. If you do not have a Windows computer you can still take the course; you will be missing supplementary material that constitutes about 10% of the course - non computer simulations can be substituted in some cases.)

If you will be installing course software on a computer owned by someone else (your school or employer) you may wish to start the process well in advance of the course start date in case you need permissions or have to wait for installation by someone other than yourself. Here are some tips on doing this.

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.