Syllabus

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Download hardcopy of syllabus here (pdf, 9 pp)


Instructor:
Instructor: Carol Bigelow, PhD
School of Public Health
402 Arnold House
University of Massachusetts
Amherst, MA 01003
tel: 413/545-1319
email: cbigelow@schoolph.umass.edu

Required Text:
Rosner, Bernard
Fundamentals of Biostatistics, Seventh Edition
Brooks/Cole Cengage Learning
2011
ISBN-13: 978-0-538-73349-6

Note - This is, admittedlly, expensive. It's just fine to purchase an earlier edition!

Other Text Resources (NOT required):
(1) For those of you dreading this course
Triola MM and Triola MF
Biostatistics for the Biological and Health Sciences
Pearson Addison Wesley
2006
ISBN 0-321-19436-5

(2) A wonderful introductory book that emphasizes understanding and literacy and with minimal use of equations and mathematical notation
Motulsky H
Intuitive Biostatistics
Oxford University Press
1995
ISBN 0-19-508607-4 (Soft cover)



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Statistical Software:
Use of statistical software is not required. Often, however, this is of interest. I use Stata in my teaching and will provide illustrations of its use in this class. If you think you might be interested in purchasing Stata, please consider the following:

Type of Student	Suggested
UMass Worcester Campus MPH Student	STATA version 10, 11, or 12
Data analyst already familiar with another package (SAS, SPSS, or R). Excel is not sufficient.	NONE - You are welcome to do your class work in the package you already use.
New data analyst	STATA version 12

How to Obtain Stata
Follow instructions on pages 2-4 of pdf of course syllabus (click here)

Course Description

This course is the first of a two semester sequence: PubHlth 540 - Introductory Biostatistics and PubHlth 640 - Intermediate Biostatistics. Minimal mathematical background is required. Familiarity with algebra is generally sufficient. The goal of PubHlth 540 is basic statistical literacy. It begins with a discussion of the ideas of variability in nature and the tools we use for its description. The distinctions between systematic versus chance variability are detailed. Concepts in simple random sampling and sampling distributions are introduced. Within this framework, you will learn selected methods of data description, estimation and hypothesis testing.

Topics include: graphical and numerical description, random sampling and selected probability models (the Bernoulli, binomial, and normal), sampling distributions, confidence interval estimation, and the basics of statistical hypothesis testing. If time permits, there will also be an introduction to simple linear regression and correlation.

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Course Objectives and Outcome Competencies

Course Objectives: By the end of this course, you should be able to perform, interpret, and communicate the findings of selected simple statistical analyses of biological and health data, including description, confidence interval estimation and hypothesis testing.

 

Outcome Competencies:

The specific outcome competencies include, but are not limited to the following:

1. The selection and conduct of appropriate statistical analysis – Upon completion of this course, you will have learned the basics of choosing from among the various statistical methods when you want to summarize data, estimate population parameters, or perform a statistical hypothesis test. Specifically, you will have practice in these techniques in the one and two population settings under the assumption of either a normal or binomial population distribution sampling.

2. Integrating analysis strategies in biostatistics with principles and issues in epidemiology – You will have an understanding of the applicability of data description, estimation and hypothesis testing to epidemiology and, specifically, their interpretation with respect to confounding, effect modification, and bias.

3. Evaluation of basic statistical principles in published public health research – At the end of this course, you will have had practice in reading published examples of biostatistics. You will be encouraged to earn your 10% participation grade by selecting a published article from your own particular area of interest and writing a brief summary of its content.

4. Appreciating a conceptual framework that integrates techniques and methods in biostatistics – In this course, two conceptual frameworks are utilized. The first is the perspective that the principles and methods of epidemiologic research are an extension of the scientific method (and the goal of causal inference) to observational studies (and the challenges to causal inference that arise there!). The second conceptual framework is the idea that a statistical hypothesis test is a comparison of “signal” to “noise”.

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Office Hours:
4:00-5:00 Mondays, in the hospital cafeteria, or,
by appointment. Email your request to cbigelow@schoolph.umass.edu.

This course has 9 units
1. Summarizing Data
2. Introduction to Probability
3. Populations and Samples
4. The Bernoulli and Binomial Distributions
5. The Normal Distribution
6. Estimation
7. Hypothesis Testing
8. Chi Square Tests
9. Regression and Correlation

              

Examination Schedule

Exam	Posting Date	Due Date	Units Covered
1	Monday October 10, 2011	Monday October 24, 2011	1- Summarizing Data 2- Probability 3- Populations & Samples
2	Monday November 7, 2011	Monday November 21, 2011	4 - Bernoulli & Binomial 5- Normal Distribution
3	Friday December 2, 2011	Friday December 16, 2011	6- Estimation 7- Hypothesis Testing 8- Chi Square Tests

Note - There will be no examination of unit 9 (Regression and Correlation).

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Grading Policy:

Your course grade will be based on completion of the practice problems, course participation and three “take home” open book examinations, as follows:

	Percent of Course Grade
Practice Problems	20%
Examination I	25%
Examination II	25%
Examination III	25%
Course Participation	5%

Policy on Late Submissions of Practice Problems and Examinations

On Time	Full Credit for points scored
1-7 Days Late	Points scored - 20 points
8-14 Days Late	Points scored - 40 points
15+ Days Late	0 points (no credit)

Note – If you know you are late, I encourage you to use the FULL week, since lost points are per week not per day.

How to Earn Course Participation Credit

(1) submission of a STATA illustration; OR
(2) submission of an article that is statistics education (not a research article); OR
(3) 10 (or more) corrections to lecture notes, apart from spelling corrections.

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Posting Schedule Policies

• Sorry - In general, course materials and examinations will not be posted ahead of schedule

• Note to Worcester Class Section - Attendance in class is not mandatory. If you miss a class, be sure to check THIS WEEK. Also, be sure to check ANNOUNCEMENTS.

• Note to Worcester Class Section: In general, Linda Hollis will not mail out course materials.

Letter Grade Determination:

A	95 and over
A -	90 - 94
B +	87-89
B	83-86
B -	80-82
C +	77-79
C	70-76
F	Below 70

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Important Dates to Remember

• First Class:
On-line Section: September 5-9, 2011
UMass/Worcester Section: Monday September 12, 2011

• Last Day to Drop with no record - Monday September 19, 2011

• Holiday, Columbus Day - Monday October 10, 2011
• Make up of Monday Worcester Section Class - to be determined

• Last Day to Drop with “DR”- Monday October 17, 2011

• Last Day to Drop with “W”- Thursday October 20, 2011

• Last Class
On-line Section: December 5-9, 2011
UMass/Worcester Section: Monday December 5, 2011

• Exam 3 (the last exam) Due - Friday December 16, 2011
• Class Participation Work Due - Friday December 16, 2011

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Schedule of Lectures and Examinations

Week	Date	Unit - Lecture	Examination Dates
Course Opens	August 29 - September 2, 2011	Welcome Course Introduction
1	September 5-9, 2011	Unit 1 - Summarizing Data
2	September 12-16, 2011	Unit 1 - Summarizing Data
3	September 19-23, 2011	Unit 2 - Probability
4	September 26-30, 2011	Unit 2 - Probability
5	October 3-7, 2011	Unit 3 - Populations & Samples
6	October 10-14, 2011	Unit 4 - Bernoulli & Binomial	Posting Monday October 10, 2011 - Exam 1
7	October 17-21, 2011	Unit 5 - Normal
8	October 24-28, 2011	Unit 5 - Normal	DUE Monday October 24,2011 - Exam 1
9	October 31 - November 4, 2011	Unit 6 - Estimation
10	November 7-11, 2011	Unit 6 - Estimation	Posting Monday November 7, 2011- Exam 2
11	November 14-18, 2011	Unit 7 - Hypothesis Testing
12	November 21-25, 2011	Unit 7 - Hypothesis Tesing	DUE Monday November 21, 2011- Exam 2
13	November 28 - December 2, 2011	Unit 8 - Chi Square Tests	Posting Friday December 2, 2011 - Exam 3
14	December 5-9, 2011	Unit 9 - Correlation & Regression
Course Closes	December 12-16, 2010	Course Close out	DUE Friday December 16, 2011 - Exam 3 DUE Friday December 16, 2011- Course participation

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ADA Accommodation Policy
Any student who, because of a disability, may require special arrangements in order to meet course requirements should contact me as soon as possible to make necessary arrangements.

Carol Bigelow, PhD
tel: 413/545-1319
fax: 413/545-1645
email: cbigelow@schoolph.umass.edu

Policy on Academic Dishonesty:
The University of Massachusetts/Amherst Senate Document 89-026 defines academic dishonesty as including but not limited to:

a) Cheating – intentional deceit, trickery, or breach of confidence, used to gain some unfair or dishonest advantage in one’s academic work.
b) Fabrication – intentional falsification or invention of any information or citation in any academic exercise.
c) Facilitating dishonesty – knowingly helping or attempting to help someone else commit an act of academic dishonesty.
d) Plagiarism – knowingly representing the words or ideas of another as one’s own work in any academic exercise.
e) Submitting in whole or in part, without citation, prewritten term papers of another or the research of another (including but not limited to such materials sold or distributed commercially).

 

Visit the University of Massachusetts Website
Policy on Academic Dishonesty.

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