Math 217 (Data Exploration and Analysis) Spring 2006
Instructor: Dr. John Beam
Swart 103
424-3012
beam<at>uwosh.edu
Office Hours: MWF 10:30-11:30
Also by Appointment
Prerequisites
Math 110 (Number Systems), with a grade of C or better.
Textbooks
Data Exploration and Analysis: Course Materials for Math 217. Prepared by Professors Szydlik, Oktac and Collier.
Excursions in Modern Mathematics by Tannenbaum and Arnold, published by Prentice Hall (the thin version edited by Jennifer Szydlik).
Course
The course is designed to introduce you to the meanings and methods of statistics,
Description
As well as your ability to communicate that knowledge, so that you will be prepared to teach probability and statistics in elementary school. Topics include counting,probability, sampling, data exploration, and inference.
Homework
Homework will be assigned regularly but not collected. Classes will usually begin with a few minutes open to student-led discussion of the homework problems.
Grading
10% of your course grade will be based on attendance and active participation. You can miss two regular class days, for any reason, without penalty.
There will be three “individual” exams, each worth 15% of your course grade. These exams will be based on the assigned homework problems. There will be an optional final exam, based on the semester’s cumulative homework assignments, to replace the lowest of your three individual exams, if that is to your benefit. (If you miss an individual exam, then your final exam will take the place of that.)
There will be three “group” exams, each worth 15% of your course grade. You will regularly work together in small groups to solve problems. Each group exam will consist of three of these problems. You will know which three problems beforehand, but at the time of the exam, I will randomly distribute the problems to your group’s members. Each student will then write the solution to just the one problem that he/she was assigned. Each group will be graded as a whole, so it is important for each of you to make sure that everyone in the group understands every problem as the course progresses.
The tentative exam schedule is:
Group Exam 1: Wednesday, March 1
Individual Exam 1: Friday, March 3
Group Exam 2: Wednesday, April 5
Individual Exam 2: Friday, April 7
Group Exam 3: Wednesday, May 3
Individual Exam 3: Friday, May 5
Final Exam (Optional): Friday, May 12
The course grading scale will be approximately as follows:
A 90 - 100% of the weighted course points
B 80 - 90%
C 70 - 80%
D 60 - 70%
F 0 - 60%
The intermediate grade of AB may be assigned near the cutoff between A and B,
and BC may be assigned near the cutoff between B and C.