Course Syllabus

Independent Study in Idaho

ISI Website | indepst@uidaho.edu | 208-885-6641 

PSYC 300 Statistical Methods

Sponsoring Institution: Lewis-Clark State College

3 Credits 

Instructor Information 

Course Instructor:  Dr. Teri Rust

Welcome to PSYC 300! Dr. Teri Rust

I am Dr. Teri Rust, a Professor of Psychology at Lewis-Clark State College. I received my Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from the University of Iowa in 1991. My areas of emphasis included Statistics, Research, Cognition, and Motivation. Statistics is my favorite class to teach. In 2005, I also received a M.Ed. in Counseling from the University of Idaho. You may contact me via phone or email.

Take care!

Dr. Teri Rust

Course Description 

Welcome to the ISI Statistical Methods course. This course is designed to provide students with a basic understanding of the fundamentals of statistics. The emphasis will be on understanding, application, and problem solving, not on extensive computations and the memorization of formulas.  We will do computations by hand with small data sets.  We will not use statistical software, though the textbook discusses such analyses. The concepts considered in this course are those related to the representation of information (descriptive statistics) and those concepts related to drawing conclusions based on sample data (inferential statistics, including probability, the normal distribution, and hypothesis testing, effect sizes, and confidence intervals—single-sample t, related-samples t, independent-samples t, ANOVA, correlations, chi-square).

This can be a difficult format for a math class.  I encourage you to do the Practice in addition to the graded Assignments for each lesson.  Although Canvas may refer to the Assignments as “tests,” they are really not, they are just in a multiple-choice format.  You will have only ONE opportunity to review your answers IMMEDIATELY after you submit a graded Assignment, so be sure to take advantage of it.

I have prepared several instructional videos specific to the text and my expectations, and they are available in Canvas.  You do not need to pay for any website access from the publisher.

Prerequisite: Core Math

Course Learning Outcomes 

Upon completion of the course, the student:

  • will be familiar with the various scales of measurement;
  • will be familiar with the basic shapes of frequency distributions;
  • will be familiar with the calculations, uses, and interpretations of the three measures of central tendency;
  • will be familiar with the calculations, uses, and interpretations of measures of variability;
  • will be familiar with the normal curve and using the normal curve table to solve application problems;
  • will be familiar with the basic theory behind hypothesis testing, including the concepts of rejecting, or failing to reject, the null hypothesis (statistical significance);
  • will be able to follow the steps to carry out different types of t-tests and interpret the results;
  • will be familiar with confidence intervals and effect sizes and their interpretations;
  • will be familiar with the concepts of Type I and Type II errors;
  • will be able to follow the steps to carry out a one-way ANOVA and interpret the results;
  • will demonstrate an understanding of correlation, including the limitations of conclusions that can be drawn;
  • will be able to follow the steps to carry out chi-square goodness-of-fit and chi-square test of independence analyses and interpret the results;
  • will be able to select the appropriate inferential analysis for various situations.

Required Materials 

  • Carlson, K. A., & Winquist, J. R. (2022). An introduction to statistics: An active learning approach (3rd ed.).  Sage.

Stay with the 3rd edition of the text, even if newer editions have become available. Everything you are expected to know is presented in the text (hard copy or e-version) and in Canvas. Therefore, a used textbook can be used for this course. You do not need access to any online publisher information.  The publisher may change online material at any time, so I chose not to use these materials.

You also need a calculator that you know how to operate.  At the least, it must have a square-root key.  It must not be a communication or internet device.  You MUST show your calculation work to get full credit.

Course Rules and Requirements 

There are 11 graded assignments and 4 proctored exams for this course.

You can submit assignments as quickly as desired, because Canvas provides immediate scores and feedback, until it is time to take the related exam.  After taking an exam, you should wait for exam feedback and scores prior to submitting subsequent assignments.

Lesson Overview

Each lesson includes:

  • lesson objectives,
  • a reading assignment from the text,
  • Reading Questions provided in the text,
  • a written “lecture” from me to complement or clarify the text,
  • one or more video lectures,
  • practice using Activities in the text or provided worksheets,
  • and a graded assignment.

Practice

It is recommended you complete all the practice Activities to solidify your understanding of the concepts.  This course is more about understanding concepts than doing mathematical calculations, though those are also required.  I specify which Activities you should do from the end of the chapters, and I have "modified" some of them, because of the reliance of the text on using statistical software packages.  I provide the answers to all of these Activities.  Sometimes I also provide worksheets I have developed over the years teaching statistics in the classroom.

Assignments

Assignments for each lesson are "quizzes" in Canvas. These are multiple choice, open book, there is no time limit, and the scoring is completed automatically in Canvas.  Immediately after you have submitted an assignment, you have one chance to look at the questions and get feedback based on your performance. 

You may complete assignments as quickly as desired until it is time to take the related exam. After taking an exam, you should wait for exam feedback and scores before submitting subsequent assignments.

Exams

All exams require a proctor.  At least 2 weeks before scheduling your first exam please submit a proctor form to the Independent Study office.

ISI sends all exams directly to the proctor after receiving the Proctor Information Form. You must schedule the examination time with your proctor before each exam. The proctor administers the exam and returns it to the ISI office.

  • All exams are a combination of multiple-choice questions and calculations/analyses. 
  • You are NOT allowed the text or any notes on the test. 
  • There are approximately 20 multiple-choice questions on each exam, and each multiple-choice question is worth 2 points on the test.
  • There is a 2-hour time limit on the exams, and each exam must be completed in one sitting.
  • For exams, students should bring with them photo ID and a calculator.
  • I provide feedback on exams, but graded exams are not returned to the student.

You should schedule your first exam before you continue with the lessons. The further you work ahead, the less likely you are to do well on the exams. 

Exam 1 will cover the objectives from lessons 1-4 (80 points). All the subsequent exams are somewhat comprehensive, because concepts and some calculations used in earlier lessons continue to be used in later lessons and exams, but the focus will be on the new material. Exam 2 will focus on the objectives from lessons 5-6 (90 points). Exam 3 will focus on the objectives from lessons 7-8 (100 points). Exam 4 will focus on objectives from lessons 9-11 (130 points).

Cheat Sheet Policy

Students often ask if I allow them to create “cheat sheets” for exams. I do not. Research has shown that students create cheat sheets of different quality, which creates greater variability among scores rather than less. So, I create the cheat sheets for students! They are included with some of the lessons, so you can familiarize yourself with them and practice with them before the tests. Copies will be sent to the proctor along with the exams and statistical tables.

Calculator

You will need to use a calculator on the exams. Be sure you know how to work the calculator you have. At a minimum, you need a calculator with a square root key.  You do not need anything more complicated.  You MUST show your calculation work to receive full credit.  Your calculator must not be a communication device or connect with the internet.

Study Hints

It can be relatively easy to complete calculations and analyses while looking at previously worked examples. You will not have these available for the test. Be sure to practice calculations and analyses without looking at previous examples, so that you are attempting them under “test conditions.”

Email Guidelines

Place questions or comments for the instructor in the body of the email. In the email's subject line include:

  • Your name, V number, course subject, and number
    • Example: Joe Vandal, V01234567, PSYC 300

Grade Information 

Together, the graded assignments are worth about 41% of your grade and the exams are worth about 59% of your grade. You must receive at least a 70% average for the assignments and at least a 70% average for the exams in order to receive a passing grade for the course.  You cannot compensate for poor performance in one area by higher scores in the other area.  If you score below 70% in either area, the highest possible grade you can receive is a D+.

The course grade will be based upon the following considerations:

Assignments: The total points from the assignments equals 230 (36.5% of the total points in the course).

Exams: The total points from the exams equals 400 (63.5% of the total points in the course).

Assignment Scoring
Assignment Points
Unit 1
Assignment 1 22
Assignment 2 18
Assignment 3 19
Assignment 4 21
Unit 2
Assignment 5 18
Assignment 6 18
Unit 3
Assignment 7 22
Assignment 8 28
Unit 4
Assignment 9 18
Assignment 10 23
Assignment 11 23
Total 230
Exam Scoring
Exams Points
Unit 1 80
Unit 2 90
Unit 3 100
Unit 4 130
Total 400

Acts of academic dishonesty (including but not limited to: cheating, plagiarism, or copying or downloading any online materials in this course) are considered a very serious transgression and may result in a grade of F for the course.

Course Policies 

Refer to the ISI website's Current Students page for the most current policies and procedures, including information on setting up accounts, student confidentiality, exams, transcripts, course exchanges, refunds, academic integrity, library resources, disability support and other services.