STAT470W Spring 2002
                                  Problem Solving and Communications in Applied Statistics
                                                                    Syllabus


 
 
Instructor:                                   Office Hours:
    KB Boomer, M.S.
    323C Thomas Building
    865-3134
    boomer@stat.psu.edu
Office Hours
   Wednesdays 1:30-3:30
    Tuesdays,Thursdays 2:30 - 3:30
***You are required to attend office hours at least once every two weeks
 

Class meeting times:                      Tuesdays and Thursdays 1:00-2:15 in 111 Thomas
Required Reading:                           Journal articles
Additional Required Material:   One three-ring binder to serve as research journal
 
Course Objectives:
The goal of this course is to improve skills that will enable you to work effectively as a practicing statistician.These include both written and oral skills.As this is a Writing Across the Curriculum course, the quality of your writing and your improvement over the semester will be significant components of your final grade.
By attending class and doing the assigned work on this course, you will learn how to:
(1)     Recognize types and stages of an investigation;
(2)     Identify appropriate EDA and inference methods;
(3)     Identify typical problems and solutions used for each type and stage of investigation;
(4)     Communicate statistical information effectively in words, writing, tables and figures;
(5)     Use the Internet as a reference tool.
 
Course Components:
     (1)     Lectures
               i)     Statistical consulting
               ii)    Types and stages of research
               iii)     Exploration of EDA
               iv)     Inference methodologies
     (2)     Links with the Statistical Consulting Center (SCC)
               i)       Essays based on text readings, applied to former client files
               ii)      Assist STAT580 students in Short-Term consulting projects
                       (i)     Attend both information gathering and recommendation meetings
                       (ii)    Prepare written report
                       (iii)   Prepare oral presentation to the class
               iii)    Semester project - long term consulting
     (3)     Improvement of skills
              i)      Writing (with written feedback on all assignments)
              ii)      Oral presentations (with written feedback)
             iii)      Problem solving
             iv)      Computer skills
 
Class Participation and Deadlines:
Learning how to be a practicing statistician is an active learning process that cannot be replaced by reading material.Class attendance and participation is essential in this process.In each class you will be marked for attendance and participation.
Timing is critical in this course.Your essays, research journal and project papers are to be completed by class time on the specified date.You will lose 10% of your points for each day that the assignment is late, beginning at the conclusion of class.
 
Grading of Written Work:
Essays will be graded on a scale of 1 to 25, in the following manner:
    • 5pt for answering the question and strength of argument;
    • 5pts for correct interpretation of data/results;
    • 5pts for clarity and conciseness of writing;
    • 5pts for grammar, spelling;
    • 5pts for overall professionalism.
Course Schedule (subject to change):

 
Tuesdays
Thursdays
1/8Introduction
Avoiding Pitfalls
1/10Introduce Long-term projects
Types of Studies
Due: Student Info Forms
Computer account applications
1/15Consulting and Client Meetings
Due: Journals
1/17Design I: Diagram of a Study
Due: Writing#1: Challenges in Design
1/22Design II: Role of Randomization
Read for today:
Royall, ?Ethics and Statistics in Randomized Clinical
Trials?; Pearce, ?Experimental Design?
Due: Journals
1/24Group Discussion of Client research questions
For today: Five-minute summary of your project
Due: Writing #2: Role of Randomization
1/29 Exploratory Data Analysis (EDA)
Due: Journals
1/31EDA: Interpreting Graphs
Due: EDA #1
2/5Technical Writing
For today: bring copies of previously submitted essays
Due: Journals
2/7EDA 
Due: EDA #2
2/12 Group Presentation of EDA with Discussion
For today: Ten-minute presentation on your project
Due: Journals
2/14 Group Presentation of EDA with Discussion
For today: Ten-minute presentation on your project
Due: Writing #3: How EDA can be used
2/19 What type of analysis?
Due: Journals
2/21Residual Analysis
Due: Writing #4
2/26 Analysis of Survey Data
Due: Journals
3/1Logistic Regression
Due: EDA Report
3/5 Spring Break
3/7 Spring Break
3/12Technical Writing
For today: bring copies of previously submitted essays
3/14
3/19Group presentations of Methods
For today: Ten-minute presentation on your project
Due: Journals
3/21Group presentations of Methods
For today: Ten-minute presentation on your project
3/26
Due: Journals
3/28Client File Review
Due: Inference Report
4/2Sampling I
Due: Journals
4/5Undergraduate Poster Exhibit: 
NO CLASS TODAY
Due: Peer Reviews
4/9Sampling II 
Due: Peer review
4/11Sampling III
Due: EDA #3
4/17Short term presentations
Due: Final long-term consulting report
4/19Presentations
4/24Presentations
4/26Presentations
Due: Short-term consulting report



Point Values for each Assignment:

ASSIGNMENT
POINTS
TOTAL POINTS
% OF TOTAL
Class attendance and participation

50

50

8.33
Writing assignments 
125
20.83
due 1/17
25
due 1/24
25
due 2/14
25
due 2/21
25
due 4/19
25
Short-term client
50
8.33
Written report 
25
Oral presentation 
25
EDA Homework
75
12.5
#1 (due 1/31)
25
#2 (due 2/7)
25
#3 (due 4/11)
25
Class presentations
75
12.5
1/24
25
2/12 & 2/14
25
3/19 & 3/21
25
Semester Project (assignments cumulative)
225
37.5
Weekly
Journals (hand in Tuesdays)
25
Jan 29
Proposal & Research Qs
25
Mar 1
EDA Report
25
Mar 28
Inference results
50
Apr 5
Peer review
25
Apr 17
Final (revised)
50
Apr 19-26
Oral presentation 
25
Total:
600
100%