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Introduction to Statistics

Purpose of Course  showclose

In this course, we will look at the properties behind the basic concepts of probability and statistics and focus on applications of statistical knowledge.  We will learn how statistics and probability work together.  The subject of statistics involves the study of methods for collecting, summarizing, and interpreting data.  Statistics formalizes the process of making decisions—and this course is designed to help you cultivate statistic literacy so that you can use this knowledge to make better decisions.  Note that this course has applications in sciences, economics, computer science, finance, psychology, sociology, criminology, and many other fields. Every day, we read articles and reports in print or online.  After finishing this course, you should be comfortable asking yourself whether the articles make sense.  You will be able to extract information from the articles and display that information effectively.  You will also be able to understand the basics of how to draw statistical conclusions. This course will begin with descriptive statistics and the foundation of statistics.  You will then learn about probability and random distributions, the latter of which enables us to work with several aspects of random events and their applications.  Finally, we will examine a number of ways to investigate the relationships between various characteristics of data.  By the end of this course, you should have a grasp on what statistics represent, how to use them to organize and display data, and how to test the data to make effective conclusions.

Learning Outcomes  showclose

Upon successful completion of the course, the student will be able to:

  • Define the meaning of descriptive statistics and statistical inference.
  • Distinguish between a population and a sample.
  • Explain the purpose of measures of location, variability, and skewness.
  • Calculate probabilities.
  • Explain the difference between how probabilities are computed for discrete and continuous random variables.
  • Recognize and understand discrete probability distribution functions, in general.
  • Identify confidence intervals for means and proportions.
  • Explain how the central limit theorem applies in inference.
  • Calculate and interpret confidence intervals for one population average and one population proportion.
  • Differentiate between Type I and Type II errors.
  • Conduct and interpret hypothesis tests.
  • Compute regression equations for data.
  • Use regression equations to make predictions.
  • Conduct and interpret ANOVA (Analysis of Variance).

Course Requirements  showclose

In order to take this course, you must:

√    Have access to a computer

√    Have continuous broadband internet access

√    Have the ability/permission to install plug-ins or software (e.g. Adobe Reader of Flash)

√    Have the ability to download and save files and documents to a computer

√    Have the ability to open Microsoft files and documents (.doc, .ppt, .xls, etc.)

√    Be competent in the English language

√    Access to a calculator.

√    Have read the Saylor Student Handbook.

Preliminary Information

  • Course Resources

    You may either proceed through the resource boxes below to encounter distinct chapters and videos as they should be read and viewed in the context of the course, or you may click to download all course materials now.

    Course Videos (zipped mp4's, 1.6 Gb)
    Course Pack (PDF, 16.6 Mb)

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