Recognizing that data and variability impact our daily decisions, Statistics I: An Introduction to Statistical Reasoning focuses on developing statistical literacy through an investigative process of problem-solving and decision-making. Students participate in the statistical process by formulating questions, analyzing data, and interpreting results, learning to become critical consumers of statistical information. The course introduces students to descriptive and inferential statistics. Topics include statistical distributions, linear regression and correlation, surveys and experiments, sampling distributions, probability, confidence intervals and hypothesis testing. A variety of statistical tools and software are used to explore concepts and deepen students’ conceptual understanding of the topics.
Self-assessment: You should be able to perform the skills below on demand or with minimal review. These skills are typically mastered through the successfully completion of high school algebra II or higher or their equivalents. If you are unsure about your preparation for this course, please request an assessment from the mathematics advisor. Fundamentals of Math Literacy treats all these topics in depth to prepare you for this course. Prerequisite skills include: following the order of operations; applying the principles of rounding; making fraction-decimal-percentage conversions; reading and interpreting basic tables and graphs; performing operations with square roots; using scientific notation; and manipulating basic linear equations including isolating variables, finding slope, y-intercept, and writing equations of lines given two points.