Dr. Darwin Dennison

      HEA 355 Statistics and Measurement

Course Description

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Course Policies and Agreement

During the first two days of class you must respond via Blackboard email to attest that you have read the Course Policies and Agreement. You must send an email in Blackboard, a simple “OK,” that you agree to the following six (6) mandatory conditions of this class:

1. HARDWARE AND SKILLS. You must have access to a computer, preferably on a day-to-day basis, Pentium 3 or higher with DSL or cable Internet connections. When you logon to Blackboard please check to determine if your browser is ready for online use. If it is not ready, you must make it ready by completing the check list on your screen. If you have difficult please consult with tac@uncw.edu. You must allow pop-ups on your browser to successfully complete the course. If you have difficulty please consult with tac@uncw.edu.  You should also have JAVA installed on your computer... go to www.sun.com  to download the free version... you must have version 6. If you have difficulty, please consult tac@uncw.edu. It is helpful if you are comfortable with file management, uploading and downloading files, the Internet, and able to maintain adequate computer security. If you have questions regarding hardware and skills go to  http://www.uncw.edu/online/techreq.html and http://www.uncw.edu/itsd/students/onlinewebct.htm. If you have difficulties during the course contact tac@uncw.edu, phone 962-HELP (962-4357). Please indicate to the TAC consultant that you are taking a Blackboard course... provide the consultant with the course number and instructor. 

2. TESTS. You understand that there will be three (3) online tests... plus a few quizzes.  All tests are timed, that is, you must complete the test in 50-minutes from the time you log on. Each test is scheduled for one day… morning, afternoon, and evening, usually on Wednesdays, no exceptions. You can take the test any time within the scheduled period. The tests are electronic and tests that are past due can not be made up. Tests must be taken as an individual effort.

3. ASSIGNMENTS. All assignment files must be electronically uploaded into Blackboard for full credit. Assignments sent via email in Blackboard or campus email do not receive credit. Late assignments do not receive credit. You understand that it is your responsibility to learn to download your assignments to your desktop and then upload your completed assignments into Blackboard, on time and complete, for full credit. There are no exceptions. Contact TAC if you have difficultly with file management issues with the assignments..  Posting assignments correctly with complete and accurate information on time is a determinant of your grade. All assignments are due on Tuesdays or Wednesdays as posted. New assignments are posted Thursday or Friday. When the time period is closed... it is done. If you wait until the last hour, over time you will have crashes, the site will be down, and/or other issues may cause you to submit your assignments late and you will lose points. Submitting early is to your advantage.

4. SERVER DOWN/DRIVE CRASHED. You understand that there are information technology issues that you must personally deal with and resolve to successfully complete the course including but not limited to server being down, or viruses / crashes destroying your work before it is uploaded into Blackboard. It is your responsibility to resolve any computer related issues so that your assignments/tests are submitted on time. You are advised not to wait until the deadline to submit your assignments, quizzes, or tests. If you wish to be safe from a technology standpoint, use UNCW microcomputer lab computers. Also please use UNCW information technology support (TAC or the Help Desk) to answer navigation, browser, file management, and server related issues.

5. PARTICIPATION. You understand that the course professor can view your participation statistics, that is, how much time you spent online. You understand that if you have an issue that prevents you from being online for more than 3-days, you must provide rationale or risk being dropped from the class. Each week there are assignments due and/or tests. These tasks must be electronically submitted on or before the due date for credit. Electronic assignments that are past due can not be made up.

6. EMAIL. The assignments and procedures in this online class are designed to be clear and precise. Please read all related material before sending your email. If the answer to your question is in an announcement or stated on the weekly learning module or assignment, your question will be advised to re-read these references. Please contact TAC@uncw.edu or  962-4357 if your question is regarding file management or navigating Blackboard. If you need to ask a question, you must use the Blackboard email system. In Blackboard, go to Mail, Create Message, then Browse for Recipients, select Darwin Dennison, enter message and select Send. Please Note: All emails must use complete sentences, correct grammar, and spelling or the emails will not be answered. You understand that replies may come at any time within 24-48 hours.If you agree with these conditions, simply send me an email in Vista with an "OK" within 48 hours of the beginning date of the class OR within 48 hours of registering for the class. You will be dropped from the class if I do not receive your Blackboard email. And, I reserve the right to drop you from the class if you do not agree with or consistently do not follow any of these conditions.

*Based, in part, on Dr. Jennifer B. Summerville course material (UNCW).

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Course Outline

1. Descriptive versus inferential statistics
2. Scales of measurement
3. Frequencies, percentages and proportions
4. Introduction to frequency distributions
5. Frequency distribution of grouped data
6. Cumulative frequencies, cumulative percentages and percentile ranks
7. Histograms
8. Frequency Polygons
Test 1

9. Shapes of distributions
10. Mean: an average
11. Mean, median and mode
12. Variability: the range and interquartile range
13. Variability: introduction to the standard deviation
14. More on standard deviation
15. And even more on standard deviation
16. Standard scores
17. Transformed standard scores
18. Standard scores and the normal curve
19. Conceptual introduction to correlation
20. Scattergrams
21. Introduction to the Pearson r
22. Computation of the Pearson r
23. Coefficient of determination
24. Multiple correlations
Test 2

25. Introduction to linear regression
26. Computations for linear regression
27. Introduction to sampling
28. More on sampling
29. Introduction to probability
30. Probability and the normal curve
31. Standard error of the mean
32. Confidence intervals for the mean
33. Introduction to the null hypothesis
34. Decisions about the null hypothesis
35. z test for one sample
36. One-tailed versus two-taled tests
37. Introduction to the t test
38. Computation of t for independent data
39. Reporting of the t test
40. Computation of t for dependent data
41. Introduction to analysis of variance ANOV
42. Computations for one-way, two-way ANOV
Test 3

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Performance Indicators

Upon completion of the course, the students will be able to:

1. Define language of statistical terms and conditions;

2. List the major statistical / mathematical operations;

3. State and define the use of descriptive statistics;

4. Describe scales of measurement;

5. List qualitative types of frequency distributions;

6. Identify measures of central tendency;

7. Name methods of variability and standard deviation;

8. List and explain types of correlation;

9. Describe the use of inferential statistics;

10. Evaluate and critique sampling and normal curve;

11. Review hypotheses testing and statistical representations;

12. Describe how statistical methodology can be implemented to improve the practice of health education.

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Required Text

Success at Statistics (Third Edition): A work-text with humor, Pyrczak, Fred; Pyrczak Publishing Company, Los Angeles, 2002; ISBN 1-884585-53-1

Basic Calculator (including square root key)

Students with Disabilities

If you have a diagnosed disability (physical, learning or psychological) which will make it difficult for you to carry out the course work as outlined, please advise me during the first two weeks of the course so we may review possible arrangements for reasonable accommodations. You must also contact and register with the Office of Disability Services in Westside Hall (ext. 3746) and obtain an Accommodation Letter.

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