Syllabus, grading policies, office hours, and general information
Logistics
Readings
The primary text is Statistics (3rd edition) by Freedman, Pisani, and Purves, W. W. Norton & Company, Inc.
Computing
We will use the statistical software package JMP-IN during the labs. You can purchase JMP-IN from the Duke book store. It is also available on all public PCs across campus.
Calculator
You need a basic calculator for exams, quizzes, and homework. But you do not need a graphical calculator or one that has advanced statistical functions, and questions will be worded to give no significant advantage to those who have such.
Some advice for success in Statistics 101
DO MANY PROBLEMS FROM THE TEXTBOOK!!!
The best way to learn statistics, or any quantitative subject, is to work problems. Although you won't have to turn in problems from the book, working these at home on a regular schedule will significantly improve your understanding of the material. Also, the quizzes and exams (discussed below) are based on the concepts reviewed by the problems in the text, so a solid understanding of these problems increases the chance that you will earn a high grade in the course.
Most sections in the text are followed by a set of exercises. We recommend working these problems as you are reading. There are also review exercises at the end of most chapters. We recommend doing these a few days after reading the chapter to consolidate your understanding. Answers to the exercises are in the back of the book, and answers to review problems are available from TAs in the Statistical Education and Consulting Center.
Students who succeed in Statistics 101 typically put in at least 6 hours of work per week outside of the classroom. You should set up a realistic study schedule in which you spread your work over the week. It is a poor idea to rely upon cramming the night before an exam. There is a useful handout describing strategies for studying for quantitative courses on the web site for Duke's Academic Skills Instructional Program (at the site, select "General Academic Skills handouts" and then "Problem-solving courses"). It's packed with good tips, especially for those who don't have much experience in studying for quantitative courses.
We also strongly encourage you to form a study group and work problems together. Evidence shows that students who work in groups in quantitative courses learn more and enjoy the course more than those who work alone (see the studies by Richard Light at Harvard University).
You may find that you want more help than can be provided in office hours and help labs. If so, we recommend that you obtain a statistics tutor from the Peer Tutoring Program (PTP). This is a free service.
Finally, visit the TAs and instructor when you get stuck or even
when you figure something out and want to share your
victory. Think of us as allies in your effort to learn
statistics.
Graded work
Graded work for the course will consist of quizzes, lab work, two midterms, and a final exam. Your final grade will be determined as follows:
| Final Exam | 30 % |
| Midterm Exam 1 | 20 % |
| Midterm Exam 2 | 20 % |
| Quizzes |
20 % |
| Lab Work |
10 % |
Excused absence from an exam requires documentation of
a medical or family emergency. Missed quizzes or lab reports
will not be excused except in exceptional circumstances (e.g., an
athlete who must miss multiple classes may be excused by prior
arrangement for specific days, but undocumented minor illness is not
excusable). Prior
approval from the instructor is needed for all but emergency
situations, and even then email notification is needed at the first
reasonable time.
Each exam, quiz, or lab will receive a letter grade. An 'A+' corresponds to a score of 4.0, an 'A' corresponds to 3.7, an 'A-' is a 3.3, a 'B+' is a 3.0, and so forth. The final grade in the course is determined by the weighted average (as per the table above) of these scores. Breakpoints for grades occur at the halfway points. For example, the lowest possible average that gives an 'A-' for the year is 3.15.
Descriptions of graded work
Quizzes:
In many lectures, you will receive a few problems to complete in class, covering material from the current and previous lectures. The problems are similar in spirit to the Exercises and Review Problems in the textbook. These quizzes provide a measuring stick for what you know and do not know before the exams. They also reward you for doing practice problems in the text and understanding the material. The quiz component of your final grade is based upon the 15 highest quiz marks that you receive.
Lab assignments:
Each week, there are data analysis problems to be completed in
lab. Labs provide hands-on experience in analyzing data under the
guidance of the TAs. The labs teach you how to apply the skills
discussed in lectures and readings.
You are graded on lab reports that must be turned in by the end of the assigned lab period. Late lab reports will not be accepted. The lab component of your final grade is based upon the 8 highest lab marks that you receive.
Labs should be completed in your assigned lab section, unless you are given permission by the instructor or a TA to complete the lab in another section. This is necessary because space in the labs is at a premium. In some cases you will be permitted to begin the lab before it is due, but you may not work in 01 Old Chemistry during other class sections; we need the space.Exams:
Web
link to instructions for Midterm Exam 1 on probability,
exploratory data analysis, and study design.
Web link to instructions for Midterm Exam 2 on statistical
inference.
Web
link to instructions for the Final Exam, which covers the entire
semester.
Academic honesty
You are expected to abide by Duke's Community Standard for all work for this course. Violations of the Standard will be reported to the Dean of Students for adjudication; the minimum penalty for cheating is failure in this course. Ignorance of what constitutes academic dishonesty is not a justifiable excuse for violations.
For in-class
quizzes and exams, you are required to work alone and for only the
specified time period. For labs, you are allowed and encouraged
to help each other, but each person must complete the lab report on
their own.
Procedures if you suspect your work has been graded incorrectly
Every effort will be made to mark your work accurately. We are on your side, and want you to receive every point you have worked to earn. However, sometimes grading mistakes happen. If you believe that an error has been made on an in-class problem or exam, return the paper to the instructor within two weeks, stating your claim in writing.
The following claims will be considered for re-grading:
(i) points are not totaled correctly;
(ii) the grader did not see a correct answer that is on
your paper;
(iii) your answer is the same as the correct answer, but in a
different form (e.g., you wrote a correct answer as 1/3 and the grader
was looking for .333);
(iv) your answer to a free response question is essentially
correct but stated slightly differently than the grader's
interpretation.
The following claims will not be considered for re-grading:
(v) arguments about the number of points lost;
(vi) arguments about question wording.
Considering re-grades takes up valuable time and resources that TAs
and the instructor would rather spend helping you understand
material. Please be considerate and only bring claims of type (i),
(ii), (iii), or (iv) to our attention.