MIS 24056 F05 Barrett

M&IS 24056

Fundamentals of Business Statistics

Fall 2005

 

Instructor:                   Professor Roberta Barrett (Bobbie)

Office:                           A423 BSA

Office Phone:             330-672-1148

Office Hours:              1:30 – 4:30 Tuesday

                                       9:30 – 11:30 Wednesday

                                       1:10 – 3:40 Thursday

Class Times:              Section 001 T, TH 9:15 – 10:30 114 VDH

                 Section 002 T, TH 10:45 – 12:00 100 BSA

This course is an introduction to concepts in statistical methods and their applications to real-world problems. This course will examine both the theoretical and practical side of the different methods. Students will be given ample opportunities to apply the techniques to different problems. The goal of the course is for students to understand fundamental statistical concepts and methods, and their applications.

We will be using a custom edition Business Statistics: A Decision-Making Approach 6th Edition by Groebner, Shannon, Fry and Smith.  This book has been published for us and is missing the advanced chapters that we will not be covering in class (in order to keep the price down).  If you want to purchase the entire book with CD on the web, feel free to do so.  The course will be managed through WebCT Vista (not WebCT CE) and exams will be taken using PH Grade Assist.  Check the homepage often for announcements and reminders.  The course calendar is also available on the WebCT Vista homepage.

In addition, we will be using CPS (Classroom Performance System) requiring you to purchase and register a clicker.  With this system I hope to create a more interactive classroom environment even though we are in a lecture hall situation.  In addition, this system will be used to take attendance and collect homework assignments that will provide extra credit points throughout the semester.  The use of a clicker is optional but is the only way to receive extra credit points.  Registration for this class is $15.00.  That is the maximum that you are required to pay for use of the clicker per semester so any other class that you use it for will be free of charge.

Bundled with your text is an Excel Add-In that provides advanced statistical tools.  We will be demonstrating this throughout the semester and I recommend that you learn how to use it.  It can be used when taking exams and quizzes.  This is the first semester that I will be using it and therefore will not be providing any incentive to use it.  However, it should make your exam and quiz calculations easier than using a calculator.  If you are working in the College of Business computer lab, you will have to install the software every time you work in the lab.

As we will be using the computer extensively outside of class it is your responsibility to assure that the computer you are using is running an appropriate browser and has the required plug-ins.  Both WebCT Vista and PHGradeAssist have a browser check that should be run anytime settings on your computer may have changed.  I strongly recommend that you run the PHGradeAssist browser check prior to taking any exam. 

This course provides many learning strategies to help you learn the course material.  As a student you must understand your individual learning style and determine the method or methods that best suite you.

Class time will be used to cover material and work problems.  While attendance is not mandatory, you are encouraged to attend regularly.  Extra credit points will be provided as an incentive for classroom attendance and participation.

The text provides a different presentation of the same material and offers additional sample problems.  Many find the text is difficult to read (as any mathematical text is) but will help to supplement the material presented in class.

Homework will be assigned daily.  I will use the clickers to randomly collect homework and give extra credit for correct answers only.  For some, the problems assigned are enough to understand the material.  Others may find that they need to do additional problems.  There are many problems available in the text and there is some additional support provide by Prentice Hall on-line through OneKey.  To learn statistics you must do and practice statistics.

In addition, copies of the Power Point Presentations used in class are also available on line. These may not be exactly the same as I do modify these slides throughout the semester.  However, I recommend that you print these and bring them to class to assist in your note taking.  A copy of the class Power Point Presentations are available on WebCT Vista.

The value of the class and the ability to ask meaningful questions depends on thorough pre-class preparation. You are encouraged and expected to ask questions.

There will be 9 quizzes, and 6 examinations. All quizzes and examinations will be taken online. Quizzes will be administered through WebCt Vista and will be multiple choice and true/false.  The exams will be administered through PHGradeAssist and will be multiple choice, true/false and short answer. The quizzes and examinations can be found at the course web site, and can be taken from anywhere the student has access to the Web (ex. home, work, school, BSA computer labs, in the airport, any library with internet capabilities, etc.). All quizzes and examinations are open-book, open notes.  It is cheating if you ask other students to help you while taking the examinations or quizzes.

Quizzes: There are 9 quizzes for this class, one for every chapter covered. The number of points for each quiz will vary, but the maximum number of points that can be attained from all your quizzes is 100.  The amount of time allotted for each quiz will vary, but will typically be between 30 and 60 minutes. You will have two attempts to take each quiz. The BEST result of two attempts will be your score for that quiz. If you are happy with your first attempt at a quiz, there is no need to take the second attempt.  Results for the quizzes will be known immediately.

Examinations: There will be six examinations. Each examination is worth 50 points. You will be given 100 minutes to take each exam (including the final). You will have only one attempt to take each examination. Results for the examination will not be known until after the examination closes for all students.  All examinations are cumulative.  Material builds form chapter to chapter throughout the book.

Only four of the six examinations will count towards the course grade, for a total of 200 points (4 x 50 points). The four examinations will be chosen as follows:

Thus, the maximum points from the examinations are 200 points, giving the maximum for the course to be 300 points.

Dates and Timings: Quiz and Exam dates are posted at your course website calendar and can be taken at any time during which they are available. Online quizzes and examinations begin Sunday night at 11:00p.m. (ET) and will be available until the following Sunday night at 11:00p.m. (ET) of the week they are assigned.

As a warning, please do not wait until the last minute to take your quizzes and examinations. As you must realize in dealing with technology, several things can and will go wrong. The only condition under which I will extend the due dates is if the server goes down on the last available day. Any problems with your computer will not change the due date. As such, it is your responsibility to ensure that you complete the tasks in a timely fashion. You will get zero (0) points for all missed quizzes and examinations.  There are (ABSOLUTELY) NO make-ups given you have one week to complete the examinations and quizzes.

Please ensure that your examinations and online quizzes have been graded correctly, and notify the instructor immediately of any concerns. The instructor can be easily reached by sending an e-mail from within the web site by clicking on the mail icon.

Other: If you do not wish to take the examinations online, please let me know. I will then create an equivalent paper copy of the examination for you to take. The format of this examination will be similar to the one online.  These examinations have to be scheduled in advance to the date of the opening of the examinations.  They will also need to be taken in the MIS department during office hours or by appointment.

All assessments will open and close on Sunday night at 11:00.  This schedule may change based on our progress throughout the semester.  Please check the WebCT Vista homepage for changes to this schedule.

The grading scale for this course is as follows:

A = 300—290 points; A- = 289—280 points; B+ = 279-270 points; B = 269—260 points; B- = 259—250 points; C+ = 249—240 points; C = 239—230 points;                              C- = 229—220 points; D+ = 219—210 points; D = 209—180 points; F = 179—0 points.  

The maximum possible points that can be achieved in this course are 300.  None of the examinations or online quizzes can be made up, and you will receive a score of zero (0) for any missed examinations or quizzes.  There will be no rounding and no curve given.

Through the use of the CPS, I will be taking attendance, collecting homework and grading your class participation.  Every day when you enter the classroom, you will use your clicker to denote your attendance in class.  If you are late for class you will not get credit for attendance or homework.  Throughout the class time I will be asking questions concerning the material.  Most classes will be worth 1 extra credit point – a combination of attendance, homework, and participation.  Extra credit provides approximately 25 points throughout the semester which is equivalent to approximately one letter grade.

If you are caught using someone else’s clicker in class, both you and the owner of the clicker will receive no extra credit points for the semester.  Also disciplinary actions could result.

Prerequisites: Math 11011 (Algebra); Students attending the course who do not have the proper prerequisite risk being deregistered from the class.

 

Enrollment: Students have responsibility to ensure they are properly enrolled in classes.  You are advised to review your official class schedule (using Web for Students – WFS) during the first two weeks of the semester to ensure you are properly enrolled in this class and section.  Should you find an error in your class schedule, you have until Friday, September 9, 2005 to correct the error with your advising office.  If registration errors are not corrected by this date and you continue to attend and participate in classes for which you are not officially enrolled, you are advised now that you will not receive a grade at the conclusion of the semester for any class in which you are not properly registered.

 

Academic Honesty:  Cheating means to misrepresent the source, nature, or other conditions of your academic work (e.g., tests, papers, projects, assignments) so as to get undeserved credit.  The use of the intellectual property of others without giving them appropriate credit is a serious academic offense.  It is the University's policy that cheating or plagiarism result in receiving a failing grade (0 points) for the work or course.  Repeat offenses may result in dismissal from the University.  This applies for clickers also.

 

Course Withdrawal: For Fall 2005, the course withdrawal deadline is Sunday, November 6, 2005.    Withdrawal before the deadline results in a "W" on the official transcript; after the deadline a grade must be calculated and reported.

 

Students with disabilities:  University policy 3342-3-18 requires that students with disabilities be provided reasonable accommodations to ensure their equal access equal access course content.  If you have documented disability and require accommodations, please contact the instructor at the beginning of the semester to make arrangements for necessary classroom adjustments.  Please note, you must first verify your eligibility for these through the Student Disability Services (contact 330-672-3391 or visit www.kent.edu/sds for more information on registration procedures).