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Phone: 470-578-6568

Email: jdemaio@kennesaw.edu

Office Location: J 349

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STAT 1401

Summer 2024 Remote, Asynchronous Learning

Welcome to STAT 1401: Elementary Statistics.  I will deliver our course in a remote modality, which means we do not meet on campus. I know many of you are a bit nervous about online learning. Please know that I am here to discuss your concerns and support your success in this course.  Students will receive all the online mentoring and teaching that they show up for.  However, if you don’t show up online, I cannot help you.  

STAT 1401 Summer 2024 Remote Learning Syllabus

Kennesaw State Syllabus general information

STAT 1401 online in Summer 2024 will be taught differently than my usual style of face-to-face lectures and interaction.  This term, ALEKS videos will be your starting point for learning the material.  Here is the link to McGraw-Hill's ALEKS website with a little intro video. Next this guide provides info on logging in and setting up a new account. From there you can select our course.  There you will find access to the electronic copy of your textbook, homework and additional resources. You will also need a course code from me to activate our specific course.  It can be found in the D2L version of this announcement (for security reasons I do not post it to this public web page).  You must complete the "Initial Knowledge Check" to open access to the course (ALEKS' idea; not mine).  

In particular, videos can be watched after you login and select our section from your available courses. Now select assignments. Here you will find videos, homework and eventually tests.  Videos run anywhere from 3 to 10 minutes. In the outline below, I have indicated the required videos. Note that we always use technology for complex computations.  For example, I don't require you to compute standard deviation by hand.  I do require you to be able to compute standard deviation using the TI-84.  The assignment of videos reflects this philosophy. Particularly noteworthy is that we always compute normal curve values with the TI-84 and NOT with tables.  Ditto for confidence intervals. After watching videos the next critical step is practicing the techniques.  Watching videos without practicing the techniques is insufficient preparation for tests.  Videos provide the instruction needed for this course. Cramming videos and homework on the day of the test has proven to be wildly insufficient for earning a strong grade.  Slow and steady wins the race here.  Hey, look at that! Your first lesson in using data.

You will want to make use of the TI-83/84 for statistical calculations and tests.  Here is a quick guide with pictures from Austin Peay State University on using the TI-84.

After watching videos, one should proceed to practice the techniques of the section. These problems are not graded. You may attempt them as many times as you would like.  Guides to solving each problem are available along with references to key sections of the textbook. Practice provides the learning needed for this course.  Keep asking ALEKS to "try another" until you are perfectly adept at the problem types.  Videos and homework problems are great but they cannot answer questions.  That's where I come in. I will hold online office hours every T and Th at 10AM in MS Teams. Of course, I am also available via email at jdemaio@kennesaw.edu and appointments at other times are also available as needed.  

Since homework is not graded, all videos and homeworks are "open" all semester long with "submit" dates after the semester ends.  That just ensures everything is available for viewing and practice all semester long.   If you sort assignments by start date, everything should line up as videos and their companion homework.

Asynchronous, remote learning is not for everyone.  One needs to diligently self-schedule and adhere to study time. If you need an authority figure nagging you to study and reminding you of test dates, this modality might not be for you.  To guide your self-study, I've prepared the following calendar of topics and test dates.  

Summer 2024 STAT 1401 Study Calendar

5/30/2024 Welcome
6/4/2024 Chapter 1, Section 2.1, Section 2.2
6/6/2024 Section 2.3, Section 3.1, Section 3.2
6/11/2024 Section 3.3, Section 4.1
6/13/2024 Test 1: Easiest of the four tests; study hard and grab all the points you can
6/18/2024  Section 4.2, Section 4.3 
6/20/2024 Section 6.1, Section 6.2
6/25/2024 Section 6.3, Section 7.1
6/27/2024 Test 2: This is much more challenging than test 1; Chapter 4 probability is hard! 
7/2/2024 Section 7.2, Section 7.3
7/4/2024 July 4 holiday
7/9/2024 Section 8.1, Section 8.2
7/11/2024 Section 8.3, Section 8.4
7/16/2024 Test 3: This is easier than test 2 but harder than test 1
7/18/2024 Section 9.1, Section 9.3
7/23/2024 Section 11.1, Section 11.2
7/24-25/2024 Cumulative Final Exam

Of course, videos and homework problems do a poor job of responding to your questions.  That’s where I come in with online office hours. These online help sessions are designed to assist one after watching the videos and doing the homework.  I will host via MS Teams an optional (though highly recommended) discussion and problem session beginning at 10AM on Tuesdays and Thursdays. These are online office hours.  I will be start a session at the scheduled time and stay until all student questions are answered.  Depending upon the number of students and questions, these online office hours might end at 10:05 AM. 10:20 AM or 11AM.  In these sessions, it is up to you as the students to determine what we want to do. I am happy to discuss statistics in general, work specific problems, discuss the big picture, etc.  I like this stuff!  Your questions are never a bother to me.  It is my job and what I like to do.  I know this time isn't perfect for everyone.  However, even in an asynchronous, remote class, I like to have a drop-in time available.  

I will hold our first session at 10AM on Thursday, May 30.  This will be your typical (though remote) introduction to the course and general Q&A session.   Go ahead and download MS Teams to your devices.  Be on the lookout for an invitation to join the class channel.

Tests and the final will be conducted via ALEKS and must be completed on the designated day with a time limit but no particular time on that day. Specifically, tests will open up at 12:01 AM on their designated day and close at 11:59 PM on the same day.  Students may begin their test at any time during that window.  Once begun, a 120 minute timer begins for completing the test.  If you want your full time, start the exam 120 minutes before the deadline.  If you start your test at 11:50 PM, you will only have nine minutes.

ALEKS is a great system for remote, asynchronous courses! However, ALEKS can be very picky about rounding.  It frequently wants accuracy to 4 decimal places.  I think that's a bit much.  While I am open to returning points on any test where ALEKS was too picky regarding rounding, it is most likely to happen in problems where you need to compute in the normal curve.   While you should always check your tests to see what you did right (and congratulate yourself) and what you did wrong (to fix for a cumulative final), also check to see if ALEKS was overly picky regarding rounding.  Send me question numbers of problems where you think this may have occurred. If it is picky rounding, I will be happy to restore points.  

When you read the syllabus you will see that your grade is based entirely on tests.  If you don't like that, you should drop the course rather then wait until the end of the term to complain on rate my professor. It makes you look like you can't or don't care to read a syllabus. Hey, look at that! Your second lesson in using data.

The STAT Tutoring Lab is a free resource for KSU students which is run by graduate students in our Data Science programs.  Click here for hours and information.

Best means for students to ask questions prior to start date: If you have questions about the first week of class, please email me at jdemaio@kennesaw.edu. Never email me from D2L. 

This ends the details of the online version of STAT 1401.  Below are my class notes when delivering a face-to-face class. You may wish to peruse these notes for examples and explanations in addition to the ALEKS videos.  

Welcome to the resource page for Dr. Joe DeMaio's STAT 1401 classes at Kennesaw State University. Please follow the links to download the appropriate materials.  I am constantly fiddling with notes and exercises.  So, this site is almost always under construction!!!! Visit early and often.

Notes and exercises are intended only to guide your study and aid in class participation. They are not suited for replacing the classroom experience! They are not suited for replacing your textbook and homework problems! They are also intended only for use by students in Professor DeMaio's class. They may not be an appropriate outline for a different statistics class and should not be used as such! The notes and exercises reflect the philosophy, development, emphasis of topics and Socratic nature of Professor DeMaio's face-to-face classroom.  

One of my philosophies is the use of real data in the classroom.  One favorite source of mine is Sports Reference since it is loaded with easy to find and interesting statistics.  Another favorite site is the KSU factbook.

This course makes extensive use of the TI-83/84 for statistical calculations and tests.  Here is a quick guide with pictures from Austin Peay State University on using the TI-84. Our textbook also includes detailed notes on the use of the TI-83/84 at the end of each section.

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