Cuesta College Math 247

CRN 74677 TR 9-10:50 am

Online Fall Statistics 2020 Welcome Letter

*This course begins on Tuesday August 18^th and course materials/resources will be posted on the course canvas site by Monday August 17^th.  Be sure to attend the first introduction Zoom class scheduled for 10 am on August 18^th!

Greetings Students!

Welcome to the fall online version of introductory statistics here at Cuesta College. I look forward to instructing you through this online course introducing the fascinating world of statistics!  Although originally intended to be a face to face class, this will be a fully online course this fall due to the COVID 19 pandemic.  There is a wealth of “statistical information” online that we will adopt and make use of that will supplement our lectures, text, and software for this class.  This course will be very interactive online, and I will work with each of you through our Canvas course platform while providing an engaging and interesting online course which not only fulfills your GE/transfer requirements, but also provides you with a solid foundation in introductory principles of statistics I hope you continue to explore beyond this course!  Please read the important information below concerning this class and be sure to read through the syllabus, which will be available on our Canvas course site, our online learning platform for this Cuesta class, at the start of our fall session!

Instructor:  Michelle Kaul      

Contact Information:  The way to contact me is through email.  On weekdays, I typically respond back within 24 hours.  On occasion or on weekends, it may take longer depending on the volume I need to respond to.  If I do not respond immediately and it is urgent, please send another email to be sure I know it is pressing or that your information did not get lost in the black hole of emails.  Email is set up in Canvas so you can easily contact me through our course site.  Please use your Cuesta email since this is your online identity for this course.   In an emergency, you can also contact our division assistant by phone, 805 546 3231.  Please do not contact me through the campus phone system since I do use the office phone.  Since this is an online course during a pandemic, there will be no face to face meets/office hours.  We will hold office hours through Zoom (ConferZoom on Canvas menu), which will have meet times set up each week.  Be sure to attend the first class zoom meet on 8/18 at 10 am!

             Email:   mkaul@cuesta.edu

 Office Hours:  Zoom Thursdays 11-12, end of class Zoom meets, and  by appointment  using Zoom.

Online Course Access/ Personal Website:  Cuesta Course Canvas Site and www.kaulspace.comLinks to an external site.

            Zoom Class Meet Times:  T 10 -10:50

Prerequisite: Math 127 or 128 or 126 B or equivalent with a grade C or better.  Transfer CSU/UC

 Required Materials/Course Requirements:

Textbook: Introductory Statistics, 3^rd Edition, by Gould, Wong, and Ryan, ISBN-13:978-    0135188927, ISBN-10:013518892X (available through Cuesta bookstore with price matching guarantee).

 Note:  ebooks are permissible and textbooks can also be rented instead on Amazon or Chegg for lower prices.  You do not need any software or access codes.

StatCrunch Statistical Software:  Available for $15 for the year online.

Calculator:  A scientific calculator is required (online versions will suffice).

 Computer and Web Access:  Please visit the Cuesta distance education website (link below) to review all computer requirements for online classes.

 Canvas:  Access required and provided by Cuesta when registered with this class.

 Scanning App:  Students will be required to scan some documents, convert them to pdf format, and upload them into their Canvas assignments to be graded.  There are many free scanning apps such as AdobeScan, Genius Scan, Cam Scanner, Pages, and more!  I  will list these and others on our course Canvas site.

Computer Access/Resources/Info:

• This online learning for this course will be facilitated using the “Web-based Learning Management System”, Canvas, which will be used to access class resources such as files, lectures, videos, assignments, homework/projects, web resources, simulations, class discussions, take quizzes/exams, submit assignments, check your grades, and chat with the instructor and other students.  Additional information will be provided for you on the Canvas site for this course.
• You must use your official Cuesta College email address, yourID@my.cuesta.edu, for online interactionswhich is given to you by the college when you register for this course.
• Instructions for accessing Canvas courses and general online distance learning information can be found here: http://www.cuesta.edu/student/aboutacad/distance/index.htmlLinks to an external site.
• Recommended browsers for this online course are Firefox or Chrome. Please review the browser requirements and minimum computer specifications in the link provided above.
• For any technical issues related to accessing Cuesta's Canvas Site, please email: support@my.cuesta.edu.  Also, you can contact the Canvas Support Hotline at (877) 921-7680 or click on the help button on the Canvas Navigation to report a problem. 

Online Instruction Delivery:

            The instruction for this course will be a mix of zoom lectures/interactions, videos, power points presentations (some with audio lecture), online problem solving, statistical software usage, and general discussion board topics, all of which can be accessed under modules (set up for each week) and pages for individual topics  in Canvas   Chapter homework from the text will also be assigned to reinforce and practice course material.  Quiz/exam material will be based on homework assigned, all stemming from lecture/course content.  Also, we will make use of the discussion board on Canvas to interact as a class and do some group work during zoom meets (TBA).  This is great platforms to use for questions/answers pertaining to class material! 

Course Description:

This course will teach you techniques for analyzing data, for making inferences based on your analysis, and for determining the reliability of your inferences.  It will also make you aware of some of the pitfalls and misuses of statistical analysis.  The topics we will cover include:  Descriptive statistics, Probability, Probability distribution, Sampling distributions, Point and interval estimations, Tests of hypothesis, Chi-Square Analysis for Goodness of Fit, Analysis of variance, and Linear Regression.  For the official course description and course outline of record please go to http://www.curricunet.com/Cuesta/search/course/Links to an external site. 

Student Learning Outcomes:

At the end of this course students will be able to

1. Calculate summary measures including point and interval estimators of population parameters and interpret them.
2. Calculate probabilities for various experiments including experiments where counting formulas are required.
3. Describe sampling variability and how it applies to a real-world estimation problem.
4. Perform a hypothesis test to answer a specific research question and interpret the results.
5. Calculate and interpret measures of association between two variables.

Course Assignments/Grading:

            Quizzes:  200 points (40 points each, 5 total)

            Homework/Assignments/Projects:  100 points

            Participation/Discussions:  20 points

            Final Exam:  80 points

   = Course Total Points:  400 points

Note:  Assignment Descriptions will be discussed and available on the course syllabus first day of class 

Grading Scheme: (based on percentage, for example, 340 points out of 400 = 85% = B)

                        A [90, ), B [80,90), C [70, 80), D [60, 70), F (-, 60) 

Important Dates:  Final Exam 12/15 (Cuesta Finals Schedule) 

Important Online Course Expectations:

 Online classes require just as much work, if not more, than in person classes.  It is important that you keep up with assignments, spend at least the recommended minimum time outside of class time, which for 4 credit hours in a week for summer is 4 x 2 =8 hours.

As an online student you will be responsible for:

• Checking your email regularly for any information regarding this class.
• Checking and reading class announcements made through Canvas for important information/updates/changes.
• Keeping up with the weekly modules.
• Keeping up with online scheduled assignments and quizzes.
• Keeping up with new lecture, course material, and class posts (new material will be posted on a regular basis). It is important you do not fall behind on the material in a quick paced summer course!
• Making sure you upload and submit assignments that are accessible/legible to me (pdf format for most).
• Turn in assignments in a timely manner and prepare to have enough time to upload/download material.
• Communicate – contact me with any questions/concerns about the course with me!

Drop and Withdraw Policy:

Since participation is important in this course, students must continually participate in order to stay in the class.  Students who continually turn in assignments late, or who miss a significant number of assignments will be dropped if this occurs before the "W" date. If you decide to withdraw, use the link below to follow the college protocol:

https://www.cuesta.edu/student/studentservices/admrreg/arpolicies/dropcourse.htmlLinks to an external site.

 General Cuesta Policies:

You are required to interact in this online course in a professional manner.  We will adhere to college policy in all matters of conduct.  Academic honesty is upheld and cheating/copying work from other students will not be tolerated and can result in a F.  Please refer to the guidelines and policies listed in the college student handbook, http://academic.cuesta.edu/handbook/Links to an external site. .

 Students with Disabilities:

If you have or believe you have a disability that could affect your learning or participation in this course, please contact me and contact DSPS at 805 546–3148 as soon as possible. They will provide any necessary accommodations and notify me of how best to work with your needs.  This course is designed to be ADA compliant and any adjustments to better accommodate you can be made.  DSPS information can be found at the DSPS websiteLinks to an external site.

 Special Notes:

It is my goal to see that you succeed in this course.  Please reach out to me regarding any questions/concerns you have about this course – communication is key in successfully completing online courses.   Also, please take note of the final exam date and make sure that it does not conflict with any other classes you are taking.  If there is an exam conflict or if for some extreme reason you cannot make this date, contact me within the first two weeks of class to make arrangements.  Otherwise, the final exam date will not be changed and cannot be made-up.