Course

Statistics | BINF.X404

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This course explores the fundamentals of statistical methods and reasoning. Topics include descriptive methods, data gathering, probability, interval estimation, significance tests, one- and two-sample problems, categorical data analysis, correlation and regression. The instructor will demonstrate the use of spreadsheets and statistical software to analyze and interpret data. Examples are drawn from a variety of fields including biology, business and marketing. While not too mathematically rigorous for the novice, the course provides some mathematical detail to illustrate basic concepts. No prior background in calculus or statistics is required.

Learning Outcomes:
At the conclusion of the course, you should be able to

• Display sample data using histograms and similar graphing techniques
• Analyze raw data, whether grouped or ungrouped, by calculating sample statistics including mean, median, variance, standard deviation and range
• Determine the rank of an individual piece of data by determining the particular percentile to which the data belongs
• Solve a variety of problems related to normal distributions
• Find confidence intervals for population mean and proportions and calculate sample sizes required for various confidence levels
• Set-up, calculate and analyze one-sample hypothesis tests of population means and proportions
• Differentiate between situations involving one population and those involving two
• Plot scatter diagrams of paired data and use the principles of linear regression and correlation to analyze such data, predict values of a dependent variable from the regression equation and determine whether the correlation is sufficient to make the regression equation a useful predictor
• Test for independence of row and column characteristics (and homogeneity) in two-way tables
• Understand and use One-Way ANOVA