Statistics can be defined as the science of reasoning or drawing conclusions from data. Its purpose is to aid people in making decisions on the basis of numerical information. Most people encounter statistical reasoning in everyday life. At the end of the course, the student should be a more critical consumer of numerical information, graphs, and descriptions of sample surveys and experiments that they see in the media.

The course can be divided into three parts. The data analysis section (Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4 and part of Chapter 12) covers basic graphical summarization tools for analyzing one batch of measurements and studying the relationships in bivariate data. The probability section (Chapters 5 and 6) discuss basic facts about probability, random variables, and normal curves. The last section of the course (Chapters 7, 8, 11) introduces statistical inference -- the science of drawing conclusions about a population from a sample. We focus on the concept of a sampling distribution and confidence intervals for one mean and one proportion.

All of the MATH 115 sections have the same general goal of introducing the student to the use of statistics in drawing conclusions from data. Most of the MATH 115 sections are currently taught using the traditional format using Weiss's text.

The activity MATH 115 sections are different from the traditional sections in two ways. The sections are taught by means of collaborative learning using directed activities from the coursepack An Introduction to Statistics: Data, Probability, and Learning from Data. The second difference in the MATH 115 activity class is the Bayesian approach to introducing statistical inference.

MATH 115 satisfies a math elective requirement for students majoring in Arts and Sciences. In addition, students in other colleges, such as Health, are required to take this class to fulfill a statistics requirements. Your students will have a broad selection of majors.

The mathematics level of the course is that of high school algebra. The students should have taken MATH 095 or have the equivalent math skills before taking MATH 115. It may be desirable in the future to give an arithmetic competency test to these students to ensure that they have the necessary skills.

1. You should pass out a syllabus, which contains the following:

• Your name, office location, office hours, and how to reach you (phone number and email).
• The name of the text.
• A brief overview of what will be covered in the class.
• Grading policy (see below).
• Prerequisite - MATH 095. Tell them what this means.
• Explain that they will succeed if they are active participants in the class. "Active participant" means (1) coming to class (2) keeping up with homework and (3) asking questions in class and (4) using office hours

2. Talk about what's on the syllabus, especially the importance of coming to class.

3. Pass out cards to learn about the students. You can ask them their names, major, class year. Also, this is a good opportunity to collect data that you can use in the data analysis chapters.

There are three exams scheduled, the last exam given during the final exam time. In addition, there will be weekly turn-ins (either homework or quizzes) that are worth a total of 150 points.

The goal is to have an "alive" class where the students feel free to ask questions on homework or concepts that they find confusing. Ideally, 15-25 minutes of each class will be spent on homework problems and the remaining time will be lecture on new material. If the class seems too quiet, then introduce group work, problems written on the blackboard, or other methods to get the students more involved during class time.

The computer plays an important role in MATH 115. By using the computer, the students will see that statistical packages such as Minitab are an important tool of the modern statistician. In addition, the computer will allow the students to easily perform calculations such as a standard deviation and a least-squares line. Since these quantities are easily computed using Minitab, the class can focus on the correct interpretation of these quantities instead of their computation.

In addition, the Internet is a great resource for learning about topics in statistics. A few computer labs will be prepared which guide the student through an exploration on the Internet.

Most of the computer work should be done during class time. Make a reservation for your class with Computer Services -- it is best if you make it at least a week ahead.

What I typically do is prepare a short handout that outlines what will be done during that particular lab. I don't recommend writing down detailed instructions. I think it is best to tell them what to do and then walk around and assist those with trouble. If students work in pairs, then they can learn from each other.