Course Description

This course provides an introduction to descriptive and inferential statistics.  Topics included are mean, standard deviation, variance, probability, random variables, binomial probability distribution, normal probability distribution, the central limit theorem, hypothesis testing, confidence intervals, t-distribution, chi-square distribution, F-distribution, linear regressions, and linear correlation.  This course is a beginning statistics course designed for all majors.

Student Learning Outcomes

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

• Identify, compute, and interpret basic statistics such as measures of center, variation, and position, and understand the distinction between a statistics and a parameter.
• Solve application problems using the appropriate distribution such as binomial, normal, and sampling.
• Construct and interpret confidence interval for appropriate population parameters.
• Determine the validity of a statement using hypotheses testing.

Required Textbook/Materials

Textbook: Introductory Statistics, Openstax (available in Canvas under Modules)

Required Materials: Access to Knewton Alta with Rguroo, access to a device to complete online work, and a basic calculator. 

Student Expectations

• Read and understand the course syllabus, then take the syllabus quiz.
• Log into the course regularly on Canvas.
• Check announcements regularly for important information regarding the course.
• Arrive to in-person sessions on time and participate during class.
• Watch the lecture videos and take notes before starting your Knewton assignments. Then submit handwritten notes.
• Complete all Knewton assignments (homework) in a timely manner.
• Complete all quizzes online and submit handwritten work on scheduled dates.
• Complete all three exams and the final exam in-person on scheduled dates.
• Attend student hours if you have any questions.

Grading and Assignment Policy

The grade for this course will be determined according to the following formula.

Course Policies

Video Assignments (Lectures) (10%)

• For the online component, you will need to watch lecture videos while following along with the guided notes. You will be required to submit handwritten notes for each section.  
• A schedule of the sections to complete each week is located on the last page.
• An announcement will be sent out every Monday and Wednesday after class stating what will be covered in-person and what will need to be completed online.
• All video lectures covered during the week will be due at the end of the week on Sunday by 11:59pm.

Knewton Assignments (Homework) (15%)

• All homework will be completed in Canvas through a program called Knewton and Rguroo.

• All homework covered each week will be due on Sunday by 11:59pm.
• All late homework will result in zero.  No late homework will be accepted. 
• Complete your homework in a timely manner.  Do not wait until the last minute.

• You will need to purchase an access code for Knewton Alta with Rguroo, which can be purchased directly through the textbook store or on Canvas and Rguroo site. (a two-week trial is available for Knewton). 

Quizzes (15%)

• There will be a total of 3 quizzes.
• You will have 1 hour and 30 minutes to complete each quiz with 2 attempts; the higher of the two scores will be recorded.
• Each quiz will open on Monday at 12am and close on Tuesday at 11:59pm.
• Once you start the quiz you must complete it in one sitting.
• No makeup will be allowed for quizzes.
• You will be required to submit handwritten work as 1 PDF file for 5 points.
• If your work is not justified or submitted, then you will receive a zero for the quiz.

Exams (40%) and Final Exam (20%)

• There will be a total of 3 exams and 1 final exam, all taken in-person.
• No makeup will be allowed for exams and final exams.
• Exams are not cumulative but concepts from previous exams will be required.
• Final exam is cumulative and must be taken on the scheduled date.
• If the final exam is not completed on the scheduled date, then a grade of FW will be given.

Important Notes:

• Important dates
  • Last day to officially add a course: Wednesday, April 2
  • Last day to drop with no “W” grade: Wednesday, April 2
  • Last day to drop with a “W” grade: Wednesday, May 7

• Netiquette: 
  • Treat your classmates and your instructor with respect. Please remember, outside the context of this course, many of your online communications may be informal and personal in nature – inside the context of this course, they need to be formal and professional. That is, you should express yourself in your online communications for this course with correct capitalization, spelling, grammar, structure, and punctuation.

• Attendance

  • Students not in attendance for the first week of class will be dropped.  If a student misses an excess of 10% of the total class hours, then they are subject to be dropped from the course.  Arriving late or leaving early is not acceptable behavior and disruptive to the instructor and classmates.   If more than 15 minutes of class is missed, then you will be marked as absent.  Students must also participate online as well as in-person.  

• Academic Accommodations: 

  • If you have a documented disability and need academic accommodations, you are encouraged to contact not only your professor, but also a Student Accessibility Services (SAS) counselor as soon as possible. SAS is located on the first floor of the Liberal Arts and Disabled Students Programs and Services Building. For more information, visit the SAS.

• Student Conduct Policy
  • Students are responsible for upholding the Standards of Student Conduct (BP5500), including academic honesty and behavior expectations. 

• Academic honesty/dishonesty policy:

  • Academic dishonesty is defined as the act of obtaining or attempting to obtain credit for work using any dishonest, deceptive or fraudulent means. If you are found violating the academic honestly-dishonesty policy, you will receive a failing grade on that assignment. Repeat offenders will be referred to the Office of Student Conduct and Grievances for further administrative action, such as suspension or expulsion from Cerritos College.  For more information, visit the Academic Honesty -Dishonesty Policy.

• Basic needs:
  • Cerritos College Food and Housing Insecurity Taskforce seeks to improve student’s ability to access food and housing resources. The taskforce is committed to fostering community partnerships, increasing awareness, advocating for resources, and addressing barriers to create a safe and supportive campus for our students to be successful.  For more information, visit the Falcon Basic Needs.
• Finding your Path
  • Choosing a major can be hard. Find the right program to meet your academic and career goals through our Learning and Career Pathways (LCPs)! Whether you're planning to transfer, earn an associate degree, or develop new skills for the workforce, Cerritos College has a pathway to help you cross the finish line. The programs at Cerritos College are organized into 8 LCPs, based on broad areas of interest. Each LCP has its own Success Team made up of individuals to help you on your journey at Cerritos.
  • Explore our Learning and Career Pathways to find your path by going to Learning and Career Pathways