STAT 344 Probability & Statistics for Engineers/Scientists I Section: 004 Credit Hours: 3.00 Course Syllabus Spring 2016 Administrative Instructor: Office: Phone: E‐mail: Office Hours:
GTA: Office: E‐mail: Office Hours:
Dr. Ilhan M. Izmirli Engineering Building, Room 1723 (703) 993‐5168
[email protected] Tuesday 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm Friday 11:00 am – 1:00 pm
Glenn Hui Engineering Building, Room 1716
[email protected] TBA
Meeting Place: Meeting Time: First Meeting: Last Day of Classes: Reading Days: Final Exam:
MH D023 Tuesday/Thursday 4:30 pm – 5:45 pm January 19 Tuesday Monday May 2. Our last meeting will be on April 28, Thursday. Tuesday May 3 Tuesday May 10, 4:30 pm – 7:15 pm
Prerequisite: Text:
Math 114 or permission of the instructor (multivariate calculus). Montgomery D. C. and G. C. Runger. 2011. Applied Statistics & Probability for Engineers, 6th Ed., John Wiley & Sons. Software: Minitab 17 at GMU lab or your PC (license is available at Patriot Computers). Note that Minitab & Mac’s are incompatible without special software. Calculator: TI‐8x Course Management: Blackboard at http://courses.gmu.edu for registered students.
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Course Objectives After completing this course the student should be able to Report and discuss the information contained in data Describe, paraphrase, and evaluate in a discerning manner the statistical presentations of others Identify, select and apply probabilistic and statistical principles, methods, and tools that will prove useful in later coursework and in work situations Use technology (statistical software i.e., Minitab) to solve data analysis problems. Outline of Topics Shown on the Tentative Schedule. Since this is the first of the two‐course statistics introduction series (Stat 354 is the follow‐on course), we will focus on the basic topics of probability and statistics in Chapters 1 through 9. The same textbook is used for the follow‐on course. Study Approach You are to skim the assigned reading before class to familiarize yourself with the material and its organization. The lecture will build your understanding of difficult concepts – not all topics will be included in the lectures and not all lecture topics are in the text. Lecture notes will be posted on Blackboard before class. Then you are to study carefully the assigned reading after the lecture to increase understanding – working the textbook examples yourself with paper and pencil. Then do the homework. Not following this study sequence is an invitation to course difficulty. Be aware of the due dates. It is a good idea to form study/homework groups with other students. Class Class participation is encouraged to help the overall class to better understand the material through student interaction. A lot of student/instructor interaction is expected. Certain topics, not in the textbook, will be covered in class and tested. Homework Assignments The homework is shown on the Tentative Schedule posted on Blackboard. Do your assignments in Minitab, and present them in Word. Answers must be shown to the proper level of accuracy. Manual work will not be accepted. Supporting work must be shown for credit, not just the answer. Be aware that the answers in the back of the book are not always correct or precise. Your attractively formatted and printed homework assignments are to be handed in at the beginning of the first class of the week. Late homework, without prior permission, will be penalized 50% if turned in within the week – later submissions will not be accepted. If you must be absent, submit your homework on time via a classmate or by properly formatted email. Routine submission of homework by email will not be accepted – your instructor is not your printing service. During the week following the due date, homework (graded by the GTA) will be returned and homework solutions will be reviewed in class. In addition to the assigned turn‐ in problems, the conscientious student will work many additional problems. Practice makes perfect! Exams All exams will be closed book, closed notes, open formula sheet and tables. Your personally‐created formula sheet is intended to eliminate the need to memorize formulas, but may contain anything. Exam questions will be generally drawn from the textbook and will be similar to the homework questions. Therefore, in a theoretical sense, the student has a legal advance copy of the exams! There is no “extra 2
credit” or forgiven grades – you are responsible for all of your work done (or left undone). If an exam is scheduled on a religious holiday that you observe, see me to make alternative arrangements.
Technology Requirements Hardware You will need access to a Windows or Macintosh computer with at least 2 GB of RAM and to a fast and reliable broadband internet connection (e.g., cable, DSL). A larger screen is recommended for better visibility of course material. You will need speakers or headphones to hear recorded content and a headset with a microphone is recommended for the best experience. For the amount of Hard Disk Space required to take a distance education course consider and allow for the storage amount needed to install any additional software and space to store work that you will do for the course. If you are considering the purchase of a new computer, please go to http://compstore.gmu.edu/pdfs/TechGuide.pdf to see recommendations. Software You will need a browser and operating system that are listed compatible or certified with the Blackboard version available on the myMason Portal. See supported browsers and operating systems. Log in to myMason to access your registered courses. Online courses typically use Acrobat Reader, Flash, Java, and Windows Media Player, QuickTime and/or Real Media Player. Your computer should be capable of running current versions of those applications. Also, make sure your computer is protected from viruses by downloading the latest version of Symantec Endpoint Protection/Anti‐Virus software for free at http://antivirus.gmu.edu. Students owning Macs or Linux should be aware that some courses may use software that only runs on Windows. You can set up a Mac computer with Boot Camp or virtualization software so Windows will also run on it. Watch http://support.apple.com/kb/VI54?viewlocale=en_US about using Windows on a Mac. Computers running Linux can also be configured with virtualization software or configured to dual boot with Windows. Note: If you are using an employer‐provided computer or corporate office for class attendance, please verify with your systems administrators that you will be able to install the necessary applications and that system or corporate firewalls do not block access to any sites or media types. Course‐specific Hardware/Software MINITAB 17. You may purchase a semester long license at Patriot Computers in the Johnson Center. MINITAB is available on campus in Engineering Building Room 1506. Student Expectations** Academic Integrity Students must be responsible for their own work, and students and faculty must take on the responsibility of dealing explicitly with violations. The tenet must be a foundation of our university culture. [See http://academicintegrity.gmu.edu/distance].
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Honor Code Students must adhere to the guidelines of the George Mason University Honor Code [See http://oai.gmu.edu/the‐mason‐honor‐code/]. MasonLive/Email (GMU Email) Students are responsible for the content of university communications sent to their George Mason University email account and are required to activate their account and check it regularly. All communication from the university, college, school, and program will be sent to students solely through their Mason email account. [See https://masonlivelogin.gmu.edu]. Patriot Pass: Once you sign up for your Patriot Pass, your passwords will be synchronized, and you will use your Patriot Pass username and password to log in to the following systems: Blackboard, University Libraries, MasonLive, myMason, Patriot Web, Virtual Computing Lab, and WEMS. [See https://password.gmu.edu/index.jsp]. University Policies Students must follow the university policies. [See http://universitypolicy.gmu.edu].Responsible Use of Computing ‐ Students must follow the university policy for Responsible Use of Computing. [See http://universitypolicy.gmu.edu/policies/responsible‐use‐of‐computing ]. University Calendar Details regarding the current Academic Calendar. [See http://registrar.gmu.edu/calendars/index.html]. Students with Disabilities Students with disabilities who seek accommodations in a course must be registered with the George Mason University Office of Disability Services (ODS) and inform their instructor, in writing, at the beginning of the semester [See http://ods.gmu.edu]. **Students are expected to follow courteous Internet etiquette at all times; see http://www.albion.com/netiquette/corerules.html for more information regarding these expectations. Student Services University Libraries University Libraries provides resources for distance students. [See http://library.gmu.edu/distance and http://infoguides.gmu.edu/distance_students]. Writing Center The George Mason University Writing Center staff provides a variety of resources and services (e.g., tutoring, workshops, writing guides, handbooks) intended to support students as they work to construct and share knowledge through writing. [See http://writingcenter.gmu.edu]. You can now sign up for an Online Writing Lab (OWL) session just like you sign up for a face‐to‐face session in the Writing Center, which means YOU set the date and time of the appointment! Learn more about the Online Writing Lab (OWL).
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Counseling and Psychological Services The George Mason University Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) staff consists of professional counseling and clinical psychologists, social workers, and counselors who offer a wide range of services (e.g., individual and group counseling, workshops and outreach programs) to enhance students' personal experience and academic performance [See http://caps.gmu.edu]. Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA), also known as the "Buckley Amendment," is a federal law that gives protection to student educational records and provides students with certain rights. [See http://registrar.gmu.edu/privacy].
Grading Scheme:
Homework Exam I Exam II Final Exam Total
15% 25% 25% 35% 100%
Your grades are posted on Blackboard – you can check your running grade at any time, so there are no surprises. In fact, you should audit the correct entry of your grades. No grade corrections will be made after the last week of the semester. Course letter grades are assigned as follows and are not curved:
Numeric Score 98 – 100 91 – 97 90 88 – 89 81 – 87 80 78– 79 71 – 77 70 60 – 69 0 – 59
Letter Grade A+ A A– B+ B B– C+ C C– D F
ALL GRADE DISPUTES SHOULD BE ADDRESSED WITHIN A WEEK. OTHERWISE THE GIVEN GRADE STAYS.
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