BA 276 Introduction to Statistical Inference (2)

Summer 2008

College of Business

Oregon State University

Instructor:	Ping-Hung Hsieh
Office:	Bexell 402
Office Phone:	737-6060
E-mail:	hsiehph@bus.orst.edu
Office Hours:	Monday 10:30 – 11:30 A.M. Tuesday 10:00 – 11:00 A.M. Wednesday 9:30 – 10:30 A.M.

Course Description

This is an introductory level statistics course on data analysis and statistical inference with an emphasis on business applications. Coverage includes descriptive statistics, random variables, probability distributions, sampling and sampling distributions, statistical inference for means and proportions using one and two samples. This course serves as a prerequisite to BA 376.

Learning Outcomes

This course covers quantitative methods used in data analysis and statistical inference. Business applications of the techniques covered are emphasized. Upon completion of this course, students will be able to

§ identify the use and misuse of statistics in our daily lives,

§ explain how data are gathered and summarized,

§ make use of the appropriate statistical tools for making inferences about a population based on sample information,

§ interpret the results of statistical analyses and recommend actions for business decision-making.

Prerequisite

Math 245 (probability, probability distributions, etc.) and sophomore standing.

Text

· Anderson, Sweeney and Williams, Essentials of Statistics for Business and Economics (abbreviated 4^th ed.) (required: choose either hardcopy or e-copy).

· CengageNow access code (required).

Blackboard and CengageNow (CNOW) Accounts

· Access your Blackboard account for course announcements/information/documents.

· Read the document CengageNow Student Registration Flyer (available from your Blackboard account) to set up a CNOW account. You need this account for online assignments and weekly tests.

o “Enter School Name:” (Step 5 in the document), it is OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY

o “Course Key” (Step 6 in the document), it is E – 3HATCXZDC84XR

Grading Course scores will be computed as follows:

Online Assignments	140	4 online assignments (35 points each)
Midterm	50
Final Exam	50
Attendance/Participation	10	1 point will be deducted for each class missed.

Grades will be assigned based on the following scale:

227.50 – 250.00 = A	225.00 – 227.49 = A minus	222.50 – 224.99 = B plus
202.50 – 222.49 = B	200.00 – 202.49 = B minus	197.50 – 199.99 = C plus
177.50 – 197.49 = C	175.00 – 177.49 = C minus	172.50 – 174.99 = D plus
152.50 – 172.49 = D	150.00 – 152.49 = D minus	Below 149.99 = F

Important Matters

1. You are expected to adhere to the Oregon State University rules for academic honesty. These rules are stated in Academic Regulation. You should be familiar with the statement. Link to Statement of Expectations for Student Conduct, i.e., cheating policies http://oregonstate.edu/admin/stucon/achon.htm

2. Students are expected to be honest and ethical in their academic work. Academic dishonesty is defined as an intentional act of deception in one of the following areas:

· Cheating: use or attempted use of unauthorized materials, information or study aids

· Fabrication: falsification or invention of any information

· Assisting: helping another commit an act of academic dishonesty

· Tampering: altering or interfering with evaluation instruments and documents

· Plagiarism: representing the words or ideas of another person as one’s own

You will receive F as your final class grade if I find any evidence of dishonesty regardless of severity. You will, however, have the opportunity to appeal to my decision.

3. The goal of Oregon State University is to provide students with the knowledge, skill and wisdom they need to contribute to society. Our rules are formulated to guarantee each student’s freedom to learn and to protect the fundamental rights of others. People must treat each other with dignity and respect in order for scholarship to thrive. Behaviors that are disruptive to learning will not be tolerated, and will be referred to the Office of the Dean of Students for disciplinary action. Behaviors which create a hostile, offensive or intimidating environment based on gender, race, ethnicity, color, religion, age, disability, marital status or sexual orientation will be referred to the Affirmative Action Office.

4. Accommodations are collaborative efforts between students, faculty and Disability Access Services (DAS). Students with accommodations approved through DAS are responsible for contacting the faculty member in charge of the course prior to or during the first week of the term to discuss accommodations. Students who believe they are eligible for accommodations but who have not yet obtained approval through DAS should contact DAS immediately at 737-4098.

5. Online Assignments: No access to the assignment after the deadline. You have 3 attempts for each assignment and the best score will be recorded.

6. Midterm Exam: No make-up exam will be given and the student will receive zero points on the exam missed. For emergency or official university business, a make-up exam will be scheduled provided that the instructor is notified in advance and an official verification is presented.

7. Final Exam: Due to my travel schedule, there will be no make-up final exam. You will receive zero points if you miss the exam. For emergency or official university business, I will assign an Incomplete grade if an official verification is presented. The student will take the final examination during the finals week of the next quarter to remove the incomplete grade.

CLASS SCHEDULE

Class

Date

Important Dates

Text Reading

Monday

June 23

· Ch 1.1 – Ch 1.5

· Ch 2.1 – Ch 2.4

· Ch 3.1 – Ch 3.3 (pp. 52 – 70, skip Chebyshev’s Theorem on p. 67)

Tuesday

June 24

· Ch 6.2 (pp. 149 – 159)

Wednesday

June 25

· Due 8PM, June 25: Assignment 1

· Ch 7.3 – Ch 7.4 (pp. 174 – 177)

· Ch 7.5 – Ch 7.6 (pp. 178 – 189, skip text related to “finite population correction factor.”)

Thursday

June 26

· Due 8PM, June 28: Assignment 2

· Ch 7.5 – Ch 7.6 (pp. 178 – 189)

· Ch 8.1 – Ch 8.2 (pp. 196 – 208)

Monday

June 30

· Midterm Exam (first 60-70 minutes, in class)

· Ch 8.1 – Ch 8.2 (pp. 196 – 208)

· Ch 8.3 – Ch 8.4 (pp. 209 – 214)

Tuesday

July 1

· Due 8PM, July 1: Assignment 3

· Ch 8.3 – Ch 8.4 (pp. 209 – 214)

· Ch 9.1 – Ch 9.3 (pp. 222 – 238)

Wednesday

July 2

· Ch 9.1 – Ch 9.3 (pp. 222 – 238)

· Ch 9.4 – Ch 9.5 (pp. 239 – 246)

Thursday

July 3

· Due 12PM, July 3: Assignment 4

· Final Exam (last 60-70 minutes, in class)

· Final examination will be comprehensive but with more emphasis on the topics covered after the midterm examination.

Online Assignments:

1. You have 3 attempts for each assignment before the deadline. Hit the Submit assignment for grading icon after each attempt to receive a grade. The final score is based on the BEST attempt before the deadline.

2. Technical problems do occur (e.g., lost internet connection in the middle of a session) and you may lose the answers you have entered. Hence, I would suggest that

you make a hardcopy of the assignment when it becomes available online,
work on the paper version of the assignment and keep a record of your work (intermediate calculation, final answers, etc.) on the hardcopy, and
once you’ve completed the assignment on the paper, enter the answers online to see if they are correct. If not, review the material and re-do the questions you did wrong. Use the remaining two attempts to better your grade.