Dr. Kim Schneider

Philosophy and Mission:

To create (together) a challenging and stimulating course that motivates you to own your own learning, we will be guided by two principles: The student and teacher share responsibility for the quality of a process -- the process of the student's learning. The core motivation, for both student and teacher, should be the satisfaction that derives from improving the quality of the student's learning. The concepts of empowerment, feedback, and teamwork will serve as the foundations on which this course is built, the threads that unify the topics we explore, and the skills we will strive to develop throughout the semester. Empowerment enables you to take personal responsibility and ownership of the tasks you perform. Discerning feedback (from and to both you and me) is the primary means we will use to determine how well we perform our assigned tasks. Teamwork is the primary means we will use to empower you and to obtain feedback.

Description:

Students develop skills both in statistical reasoning and statistical method by actively engaging in the practice of statistics as science. Students will study important current, psychological issues whose understanding requires a fundamental knowledge of statistical concepts, in particular, hypothesis testing and regression. Controversial topics will be chosen that are currently in the news and likely to remain so. Such psychological controversies are regularly found in journals and magazines such as American Psychologist and Current Directions in Psychological Science.

Social Science Reasoning Using Statistics uses a classroom/laboratory approach for analysis of data, for hands-on production of data, and for simulation-based learning. According to Cobb (1993, p.4), "the lab approach accords with the movement of statistics back towards its roots in science, and with research in education that demonstrates the importance of active learning." Additionally, the classroom/lab setting allows students to access (we will use Netscape or Explorer) the vast array of data available through the Internet.

Social Science Reasoning Using Statistics follows the guidelines developed by the American Statistical Association (ASA) and the Mathematical Association of America (MAA) which suggest that teachers should:

Textbooks (Required):
Social Statistics for a Diverse Society (3th edition) by Chava Frankfort-Nachmias & Anna Leon-Guerrero (Pine Forge Press, 2002).

There is also a required reading packet available at PIP Printing in the Bone Student Center.

Class Time

This class employs a classroom/laboratory format. In practice, there is very little difference between class time and lab time. A lab assignment will be due at the end of each non-exam class session. No lab assignments will be accepted late for any reason. If you will miss a lab, you must turn it in EARLY and receive permission to do so. YOU MUST READ THE LABS BEFORE BEGINNING THE LAB ASSIGNMENTS! Do not ask questions about the labs until you have read them through. Note: class and lab attendance is NOT optional.

Additional Notes
No make-up quizzes or exams/projects will be given unless you have a documented emergency AND you contact me before the exam or assignment is due. A 10% off per day late penalty will apply to all late assignments.

The course contract is considered final. The work necessary to obtain the grade you desire has been outlined here. No additional work will be accepted to increase your grade. Do not come to me at semester's end asking if there is some additional work you can do to increase your grade. At semester's end, there is none.

Late Policy
Homework assignments can be submitted late for 1/2 credit (maximum of 5 points). If you will miss a class when a HW is due, you should turn it in BEFORE class to my box in DeG 435. Make sure my name is on the front. Labs cannot be submitted late or early unless you clear it with me first and only emergency situations will be condsidered for make-up labs. All labs will not be eligible for make-up as some include group project components. All other assignments will be held to a 10% point penalty per day it is late. If you have any questions about late assignments, please ask me. Do NOT assume an assignment can automatically be turned in late.

Participation
Because this is an active learning class, daily attendance and active participation with your classmates in discussions, problem solving, and computer work is absolutely essential if you are to master the key statistical concepts taught in this course. As a result, participation is NOT optional -- you are expected to attend and participate in every class and lab. Because you can't participate if you do not attend, only official university excused absences will be considered and labs must still be completed before the due date to receive credit.

Some Good Advice
Keep up with your reading assignments. Do the homework. Use class presentations as a guide to the most important material. Use your team as a study group to work on assignments outside of class. Note: a major finding of the Harvard Assessment Seminars concerns the value of small groups to enhance students' learning, "in every comparison of how much students learn when they work in small groups with how much they learn in large groups or when they work alone, small groups show the best outcomes. Students who study in small [study] groups do better than students studying alone. The payoff comes is a modest way for student achievement, as measured by test scores. It comes in a far bigger way on measures of students' involvement in courses, their enthusiasm, and their pursuit of topics to a more advanced level. And students overwhelmingly report one additional benefit of small group work. They point out that the process of working in a group, in a supervised setting, teaches them crucial skills. The skills they learn include how to move a group forward, how to disagree without being destructive or stifling new ideas, and how to include all members in a discussion. Students should think twice if they find themselves spending all their time working alone."

If You Need Help...
Please visit me during my office hours with any questions you have. My job is to help you learn. If you need help, get it early; don't wait until you are "so lost I don't know what to ask!" If you cannot make it to my regular office hours then, please, make an appointment with me. Talk to me after class, call me (438-8029), or e-mail me at: ktschne@ilstu.edu. You can also talk to the TA, Catharina Stens (c_stens@yahoo.com) , if you need help. Her desk is outside my office and her office hours will be Thursdays, from 9-10:30.

Extra assistance
Any student needing to arrange a reasonable accommodation for a documented disability should contact Disability Concerns at 350 Fell Hall, 438-5853 (voice), 438-8620 (TDD).

Spring 2004 (Sect. 02) Syllabus