Stat 131A: Introduction to Probability and Statistics for Life Scientists, Spring 2017
- Instructor: Gaston Sanchez, gaston.stat[at]gmail.com
- Class Time: MWF 2-3pm in 50 Birge
- Session Dates: 01/18/17 - 05/05/17
- Code #: 23461
- Units: 4 (more info here)
- Office Hours: TuTh 11:30am-12:30pm in 309 Evans (or by appointment)
- Text: Statistics, 4th edition (by Freedman, Pisani, and Purves)
- Final: Tue, May-09, 11:30am-2:30pm
- GSIs: Office hours of the GSIs will be posted on the bCourses page. You can go to the office hours of any GSI, not just your own.
| Discussion | Date | Room | GSI |
|---|---|---|---|
| 101 | MW 3-4pm | 250 Sutardja Dai | Shuhui Huang |
| 102 | MW 3-4pm | B51 Hildebrand | Andy Mao |
| 103 | MW 4-5pm | 9 Evans | Shuhui Huang |
| 104 | MW 5-6pm | 70 Evans | Andy Mao |
Statistics 131A is a course designed primarily as an introductory course for statistical thinking. You do need to be comfortable with math at the level of intermediate algebra (e.g., the equation of a straight line, plotting points, taking powers and roots, percentages).
The emphasis of the course is critical thinking about quantitative evidence. Topics include reasoning and fallacies, descriptive statistics, association, correlation, regression, elements of probability, set theory, chance variability, random variables, expectation, standard error, sampling, hypothesis tests, confidence intervals, experiments and observational studies.
Using a combination of lecture and student participation, each class session will focus on learning the fundamentals. The required textbook is the classic Statistics 4th edition by Freedman, Pisani and Purves.
I firmly believe that one cannot do statistical computations without the help of good statistical software. In this course, you will be asked to do various assignments and practical work using the statistical software R. The main idea is to use R as a supporting tool to help you apply the key concepts of the textbook.
- Homework assignments will be assigned almost every week (about 13 HW).
- You will submit your homework via bCourses electronically (as a word, text, pdf, or html file).
- I will drop your lowest HW score.
- Don't wait until the last hour to do an assignment. Plan ahead and pace yourself.
- Don't wait until the last minute to submit your assignment.
- No late assignments will be accepted, for any reason, including, but not limited to, theft or any extraordinary circumnstances (e.g. illnes, exhaustion, mourning, loss of internet connection, bCourses is down, broken computer).
- Note that answers to non-review questions are in the back of the book so you can check that your answer is correct.
- Solutions to the review exercises will be posted on bCourses.
- If you collaborate with other students when working on a HW assignment, please include the names of those students in your submission.
- You must write your own answers (using your own words). Copy and plagiarism will not be tolerated (see Academic Honesty policy).
- Discussion is an important part of the class and is meant to supplement lecture.
- Your GSI will review and expand on concepts introduced in lecture and encourage you to problem solve in groups.
- There will be about 4/5 short quizzes given in discussion to test your understanding.
- Your quiz scores will NOT be part of your grade.
- Students must attend the discussion group they are officially registered in.
- There will be two 50-minute in-class midterms, and one 3-hour final exam.
- The tentative dates of the midterms are Friday Feb-24, and Friday Apr-07.
- The final exam is currently scheduled for Tuesday, May 9th from 11:30am-2:30pm. (classroom to be announced).
- If you do not take the final, you will NOT pass the class.
- There will be no early or makeup exams.
To ask for regrading, you must answer a test using pen. Tests answered with pencil will not be accepted for regrading.- We will use gradescrope to grade your tests (so you can use pen or pencil).
- When asking for regrading, please clearly state the reasons that make you think you deserve a higher score.
- You will have one full week after grades are published on gradescope to request a regrade.
- After the regrade deadline, no requests will be considered.
- 20% homework (lowest 1 dropped)
- 25% midterm 1
- 25% midterm 2
- 30% final
No individual letter grades will be given for midterm, or final. You will get a letter grade for the course that is based on your overall score. Your final grade will be graded on a 30/30/30/10 (A/B/C/DF) scale.
- You will need one that adds, subtracts, multiplies, divides, takes square roots, raises numbers to a power, and preferably also computes factorials. Statistical calculators are unnecessary.
- However, no graphing calculators, phone calculators or tablet calculators are allowed.
- If you do not bring a calculator to a midterm or the final, do your computations by hand (you won't be allowed to borrow someone else's calculator).
I (Gaston Sanchez) expect you to do your own work and to uphold the standards of intellectual integrity. Collaborating on homework is fine and I encourage you to work together---but copying is not, nor is having somebody else submit assignments for you. Cheating will not be tolerated. Anyone found cheating will receive an F and will be reported to the Center for the Student Conduct. If you are having trouble with an assignment or studying for an exam, or if you are uncertain about permissible and impermissible conduct or collaboration, please come see me with your questions.
- You should try to use email as a tool to set up a one-on-one meeting with me if office hours conflict with your schedule.
- Use the subject line Stat 131 Meeting Request.
- Your message should include at least two times when you would like to meet and a brief (one-two sentence) description of the reason for the meeting.
- Do NOT expect me to reply right away (I may not reply on time).
- If you have an emergency, talk to me later during class or office hours.
- I strongly encourage you to ask questions about the syllabus, covered material, and assignments during class time or lab discussions.
- I prefer to have conversations in person rather than via email, thus allowing us to get to know each other better and fostering a more collegial learning atmosphere.
Students needing accommodations for any physical, psychological, or learning disability, should speak with me during the first two weeks of the semester, either after class or during office hours and see http://dsp.berkeley.edu to learn about Berkeley’s policy. If you are a DSP student, please contact me at least three weeks prior to a midterm or final so that we can work out acceptable accommodations via the DSP Office.
If you are an athlete or Cal band member, please check your calendar and come see me as soon as possible to OH during the first two weeks of the semester. Please try your best to be present at each of the midterms as I cannot guarantee accommodation for a late exam.
Whenever a faculty member, staff member, post-doc, or GSI is responsible for the supervision of a student, a personal relationship between them of a romantic or sexual nature, even if consensual, is against university policy. Any such relationship jeopardizes the integrity of the educational process.
Although faculty and staff can act as excellent resources for students, you should be aware that they are required to report any violations of this campus policy. If you wish to have a confidential discussion on matters related to this policy, you may contact the Confidential Care Advocates on campus for support related to counseling or sensitive issues. Appointments can be made by calling (510) 642-1988.
The classroom, lab, and work place should be safe and inclusive environments for everyone. The Office for the Prevention of Harassment and Discrimination (OPHD) is responsible for ensuring the University provides an environment for faculty, staff and students that is free from discrimination and harassment on the basis of categories including race, color, national origin, age, sex, gender, gender identity, and sexual orientation. Questions or concerns? Call (510) 643-7985, email [email protected], or go to http://survivorsupport.berkeley.edu/.
Under emergency/special circumstances, students may petition me to receive an Incomplete grade. By University policy, for a student to get an Incomplete requires (i) that the student was performing passing-level work until the time that (ii) something happened that---through no fault of the student---prevented the student from completing the coursework. If you take the final, you completed the course, even if you took it while ill, exhausted, mourning, etc. The time to talk to me about incomplete grades is BEFORE you take the final, when the situation that prevents you from finishing presents itself. Please clearly state your reasoning in your comments to me.
It is your responsibility to develop good time management skills, good studying habits, know your limits, and learn to ask for professional help. Life happens. Social, family, cultural, scholar, and individual circumstances can affect your performance (both positive and negatively). If you find yourself in a situation that raises concerns about passing the course, please come see me as soon as possible. Above all, please do not wait till the end of the semester to share your concerns about passing the course because it will be too late by then.
Unless I have known you at least one year, and we have developed a good collegial relationship, I do not provide letters of recommendation.
- Be sure to pay attention to deadlines.
- In consideration to everybody in the classroom, please turn off your cell phone during class and lab time.
The course deadlines, assignments, exam times and material are subject to change at the whim of the professor.