QUANTITATIVE REASONING IN THE GEOSCIENCES

                                                                          GEO 138 – Fall 2005                                   MC-QR          3          F,S

 

Catalog Course Description

Introduction to modern techniques used to visualize and analyze quantitative data in the geosciences.

 

Prerequisites 

MAT 111 or 120 or 130 or 145, or cons inst req.  May not be taken under the CT/NC option.  Not for cr if had ECO 138, POL 138, PSY 138, or MQM 100.

 

The objective of this course will be to introduce you to basic statistical procedures and methodologies used by geographers.    Data and the use of statistics is all around us on television, in the newspapers, magazines, and on the radio.  Maybe we do not realize it, but we all routinely use it everyday.  After you have completed this class, you will not only be better equipped to objectively evaluate statistical conclusions presented by the media, but you will also be able to effectively collect and analyze quantitative information by yourself. 

 

Instructor:  Dr. Dagmar Budikova

Class Time:  MWF 11:00-11:50 am in MLT 210

Office Hours:  MW 9:00-11:00 am or by appointment

Office:  Felmley Hall Annex 430

Phone:  438-7643

E-Mail:  dbudiko@ilstu.edu

Course WebCT:  https://webct.ilstu.edu

 

Structure of Class

The class will meet three times each week, 50 minutes at a time for three lectures.  Lecture time has been designed to present new material and illustrate it with several examples.  Each lecture will be initiated with a 'question' session.  During this time, you have the opportunity to raise any problems that you may have come across in your reading and/or assigned exercises. 

 

Required textbook and other materials 

1.     Moore, D. S.  The Basic Practice of Statistics, 3rd Edition, W. H.  Freeman and Company, New York.

2.     Calculator.

 

Classroom Expectations

Material presented in this course is 'cumulative', which means that what we learn on Monday will be important to understand material presented on Wednesday and in all lectures to follow.  For this reason, it is important that you attend classes at all times, and as a result, I make attendance MANDATORY.  Notice that a portion of your grade will be placed on your attendance.

 

Assignments and Evaluation

The total grade of 100% will be divided in the following manner:

Test #1 – Wednesday, September 21, 2005                                        15%

Test #2 – Wednesday, October 26, 2005                                            20%

Final Examination - Cumulative                                                          25%

5 Homework Exercises                                                                       20%

8 Quizzes                                                                                             10%

Attendance/Participation (5 instances)                                                10%

 

The grading scale unless otherwise stated:

³ 90 = A;   ³ 80 = B;   ³ 70 = C;  ³ 60 = D;   < 60 = F

 

All tests will be in a multiple choice question format.  They will be 50 minutes in length each.  Each test will include material covered during class.  For details see class schedule below.

 

The final exam will be cumulative.  It has been scheduled during the final exam period.

 

Each Monday, you will be assigned homework.   During the following week, I will collect this homework from all students but choose only a half for grading.  At the end of the semester, each of you will have five (5) graded homework assignments that will count towards your final grade.  Late penalty for homework:  20% per day, unless I am provided with a legitimate reason.

 

Quizzes will be given at the beginning of class, 10 in total.   Results from eight best quizzes will be counted towards the final grade. Quizzes cannot be made up.  Each quiz will consist of material covered during the previous week.  See syllabus schedule below for details. 

 

Attendance in this class is mandatory, and will be taken 5 times during the semester, at random.  Note that each time you miss a class when attendance will be taken, will cost you 2% off your final grade.  This can mean the difference between an A and B.

 

Class Schedule and Content

Week of

Lecture Content

 

Readings

Quizzes (Wed)

Hwrk

Deadline

Aug 22nd

 

 

Why study statistics; class introduction; examining distributions using graphs – Histograms, stemplots

Ch. 1

 

No quiz

 

Aug 29th

 

 

Describing distributions with numbers; center, spread, median, mean, standard deviation, quartiles, box plots, five-number summary

Ch. 2

Quiz #1

 

 

Sep 5th

 

No Classes – Monday – Labor Day

Normal distributions; density curves; 68-95-99.7 rule;

Standard normal distribution; normal distribution calculations

Ch. 3

Quiz #2

HW #1

Sep 12th

Examining relationships; scatter plots; correlation

Ch. 4

Quiz #3

HW #2

Sep 19th

 

Least-squares regression; residuals; outliers; influential points, lurking variables

Ch. 5

TEST #1

 

Sep 26th

 

Sampling

Ch. 7

Quiz #4

HW #3

Oct 3rd

 

Sampling distributions; law of large numbers; central limit theorem

Ch. 10

Quiz #5

 

HW #4

Oct 10th

 

Confidence intervals; statistical inference; confidence interval for the mean

Ch. 13

Quiz #6

HW #5

Oct 17th

How confidence intervals behave; choosing a sample size;

assumptions of confidence interval calculations

Ch. 13

 

 

Oct 24th

 

Tests of significance

Ch. 14

TEST #2

 

Oct 31st

 

Tests of significance continued

 

Ch. 14

Quiz #7

HW #6

Nov 7th

 

Inference in practice

Ch. 14

Ch. 15

Quiz #8

 

HW #7

Nov 14th

Inference about population mean

Ch. 15

Quiz #9

HW #8

Nov 21st

Thanksgiving Holiday

Nov 28th

 

Inference about population mean – 2-sample problems

Ch. 16

Course evals

Quiz #10

HW #9

Dec 5th

Inference about population mean – 2-sample problems continued

Ch. 15

Final Exam Review

HW #10

 

Note:  Any part of this syllabus is subject to modifications, which will be announced in class.