Syllabus for STT464 - Section 1 Fall 97

Syllabus for STT 464 - Section 1

Statistics for Biologists I, Fall Semester 1997
Cross-listed with CSS/ANS

Course:	STT464 - Statistics for Biologists I - Section 1 For Crop and Soil Sciences Majors Interdepartmental course with ANS and CSS
Instructor	Dr. O. Schabenberger
Address	Department of Crop and Soil Sciences 376 Plant and Soil Sciences Bldg. vox: 517.355.2232, fax: 517.353.3955 e-mail: schabenb@pilot.msu.edu
Office hours	Tuesday, Thursday 1:00-3:00 pm or by appointment

Location	A149 Plant and Soil Sciences Bldg
Time	Monday, Wednesday, Friday 1:50-2:40 pm
Credits	3
Prerequisite	STT 421, Statistics I
Materials	STT 464 Course pack, available from Copy Center in the Plant and Soil Sciences Bldg. (A118 PSSB).
Grading	Three in-class midterm examinations @ 15% each. Final examination (comprehensive): 30% Scheduled: 12/8/97, 12:45-2:45 Homework assignments: 25%

Comments on Grading System:

Midterm examinations are administered approximately in weeks 4, 8, and 12 of the Fall semester.
Homework is to be turned in at the announced due date during class period.
Each homework set and exam is graded on a 100 point scale.
Late homework (without satisfactory explanation): -10 points per day after the due date for the first three days and no points after the third day.
Exams are open-notes and open-book unless explicitly announced otherwise.

Description in Course Catalog: Biological random variables. Estimation of population parameters. Testing hypotheses. Linear correlation and regression (prediction). Analyses of counted and measured data to compare several biological groups (contingency tables and analysis of variance).

Objective: To provide students with an understanding of fundamental statistical techniques and analyses relevant to researchers in the biological sciences and to enable students to apply these techniques to research problems.

Special Assistance, Medical Emergencies: If you need course adaptation or accommodations because of disability, medical emergencies, or if special arrangements are necessary in case of a building evacuation, notify the instructor. No penalties are incurred for late homework or missed examinations because of a medical condition or other reason over which the student has no control. Please notify the instructor should such a situation arise to make appropriate arrangements.

Religious Holidays: If the scheduling of homework assignments or examinations interferes with the observance of religious holidays, please inform the instructor. It is the student's responsibility to make arrangements in advance.

Course Contents

Topic		Appr. No of Lectures
1	Biological Random Variables Statistics, Studying Variability	2
2	Working with Random Variables Characterizing sample distributions, Exploratory Data Analysis, Expectations	5
3	Theoretical Distributions Discrete and continuous distributions of importance	3
4	Random Sampling Distribution of mean and variance, Sampling from a Gaussian	2
5	Confidence Intervals	3
6	Hypothesis Testing Theory of statistical tests, Test power, Error rates, One-Sample tests, Two-Sample tests, Tests with weak assumptions	6
7	Analysis of Variance Single factor ANOVA, Fixed and random effects, Contrasts, Mean separation, Two factor ANOVA, Mutli factor ANOVA, Interactions	8
8	Introduction to Linear Regression Statistical models, Simple linear regression model, Least squares, Inference about slope and intercept, Prediction intervals, Correlation	8
9	Categorical Data Analysis Contingency tables, Goodness-of-Fit, Tests of independence and homogeneity, Chi-square tests	3

No guarantee is made for the correctness of the course pack and other
related materials distributed to students during instruction.
The course pack is the intellectual property of the instructor.