Syllabus

Meas & Analy Eco Act

1188-FIU01-ECO-3410-SECUHA-83686

    General Information

    Professor Information

    Professor Photo
    Sheng Guo
    (305)348-2735
    DM 318A (MMC)
    M 10a-11a/ W 11a-12p
    GC 280
    M 11a-12:15p
    Fall, 2018

    Course Description And Purpose

    Measurement and analysis of economic activity covers basic statistical methods as applied in economics. Topics explored in this course include probability theory, discrete and continuous statistical distributions, sampling distributions and statistical inference, confidence interval estimates and hypothesis tests. Upon completion of this course, students should be able to decipher statistical language used in economics literature and to apply statistical concepts and tools to real-life economic questions. Students will be assessed by a combination of performance in the homework assignments and tests in the course.

    Course Objectives

    Students will be able to:

    • Describe, summarize and visualize key patterns of a data set
    • Define, compute and interpret key descriptive statistics of data
    • Understand and compute various probabilities associated with a random process
    • Understand the general concept of probability distribution and compute basic statistics
    • Identify specific classes of probability distributions and compute relevant statistics
    • Understand the general concept of sampling distributions and statistical inference
    • Compute and interpret confidence interval estimates (for population means and proportions)
    • Formulate hypothesis tests, compute and use sample statistics to draw test conclusions (for population means)

    Major & Curriculum Objectives Targeted

    Primarily developed for students of economics majors. Business, finance, or accounting majors may benefit as well. Should you have any questions, please contact the professor.

    Teaching Methodology

    This is a hybrid course defined by the combination of online and offline components. For the online component, all of the instructional materials are delivered through Canvas, and all of the homework assignments and tests are delivered through MyStatLab.com linked through Canvas. For the offline component, there will be a weekly classroom meeting session in which students are to review and consolidate the online learning they have attained, under the instructor’s guidance. Prior to each class meeting, students are expected to have studied for the relevant material as specified in the syllabus and are required to have finished the required pre-class homework.

    Students are required to purchase the access to MyStatLab.com for this course (further details are provided in the section of Textbook below). Should you have any questions concerning technical issues in accessing MyStatLab.com, please contact their technical support directly.

    Important Information

    Policies

    Please review the FIU's Policies webpage. The policies webpage contains essential information regarding guidelines relevant to all courses at FIU, as well as additional information about acceptable netiquette for online courses.

    As a member of the FIU community you are expected to be knowledgeable about the behavioral expectations set forth in the FIU Student Code of Conduct.

    Technical Requirements & Skills

    One of the greatest barriers to taking an online course is a lack of basic computer literacy. By computer literacy we mean being able to manage and organize computer files efficiently, and learning to use your computer's operating system and software quickly and easily. Keep in mind that this is not a computer literacy course, but students enrolled in online courses are expected to have moderate proficiency using a computer. Please go to the "What's Required" webpage to find out more information on this subject.

    Please visit our Technical Requirements webpage for additional information.

    This course utilizes the following tools:

    1. Canvas
    2. MyStatLab (Privacy Policy)
    3. Microsoft Excel (Privacy Policy)

    Accessibility And Accommodation

    The Disability Resource Center collaborates with students, faculty, staff, and community members to create diverse learning environments that are usable, equitable, inclusive and sustainable. The DRC provides FIU students with disabilities the necessary support to successfully complete their education and participate in activities available to all students. If you have a diagnosed disability and plan to utilize academic accommodations, please contact the Center at 305-348-3532 or visit them at the Graham Center GC 190.

    Please visit our ADA Compliance webpage for information about accessibility involving the tools used in this course.

    Please visit the Canvas Accessibility webpage for more information:

    For additional assistance please contact FIU's Disability Resource Center.

    Academic Misconduct Statement

    Florida International University is a community dedicated to generating and imparting knowledge through excellent teaching and research, the rigorous and respectful exchange of ideas and community service. All students should respect the right of others to have an equitable opportunity to learn and honestly to demonstrate the quality of their learning. Therefore, all students are expected to adhere to a standard of academic conduct, which demonstrates respect for themselves, their fellow students, and the educational mission of the University. All students are deemed by the University to understand that if they are found responsible for academic misconduct, they will be subject to the Academic Misconduct procedures and sanctions, as outlined in the Student Handbook.

    Academic Misconduct includes: Cheating – The unauthorized use of books, notes, aids, electronic sources; or assistance from another person with respect to examinations, course assignments, field service reports, class recitations; or the unauthorized possession of examination papers or course materials, whether originally authorized or not. Plagiarism – The use and appropriation of another’s work without any indication of the source and the representation of such work as the student’s own. Any student who fails to give credit for ideas, expressions or materials taken from another source, including internet sources, is responsible for plagiarism.

    Learn more about the academic integrity policies and procedures as well as student resources that can help you prepare for a successful semester.

    Course Prerequisites

    Prerequisites: STA 2023 or equivalent. Satisfies requirement in computer literacy. Familiarity with Microsoft Excel is a plus.

    Review the course catalog page for the most up-to-date prerequisites information.

    Proctored Exam Policy

    There are no proctored exams for this course.

    Textbook

    Textbook Image
    Business Statistics: A First Course
    Kathryn A. Szabat, David M. Levine, David F. Stephan
    Pearson, 7th Edition, 2015
    ISBN-10: 032197901X (Paperback; but see notice below)
    ISBN-13: 9780321979018 (Paperback; but see notice below)
    You may purchase your textbook online at the FIU Bookstore.

    Access to MyStatLab is REQUIRED for this course. An e-version of the textbook is already included in the package when you purchase the access to the content of this course on MyStatLab.com, so purchasing a physical copy of the textbook is not necessary; should you still prefer, you could purchase/rent the physical version of this textbook separately elsewhere (e.g., Amazon).

    There are two options for the purchase of the MyStatLab access code (prices may vary): 

    • MyStatLab access with etext (at FIU Bookstore): ISBN 0321921461/9780321921468
    • MyStatLab access with etext (when registering through Canvas course homepage): ISBN 0321921461/9780321921468

    Regardless of how the access code is purchased, students have to register on MyStatLab through Canvas course homepage. MyStatLab offers free, temporary access for a trial period of about 14 days. All the coursework accomplished during this trial period will be preserved when the registration is renewed. It is students' sole responsibility to promptly renew their temporary registration to avoid the disruption of their coursework progress.

    Expectations Of This Course

    This is hybrid course, which means (1) we will have one in-classroom meeting session per week (on Mondays), and (2) all of the coursework will be conducted online.

    Be aware that the class session is not for lengthy, conventional lecturing. You will be asked to have studied for the material and have finished the pre-session homework upon showing up at the door step of the classroom. The bulk of the class time will be used for problem-solving in groups or by yourselves and exchange insights and tips with each other. The purpose of the session is to consolidate what you have learned prior to class and to help do well in the post-session homework and the tests.

    All of the homework assignments and tests are delivered online (MyStatLab linked through Canvas). It is your sole responsibility to ensure that you have the necessary computer hardware and internet connection in working condition. Hardware failure and poor internet connection are not legitimate excuses for late or no submission of your work. If you think the vendor's website (MyStatLab or Canvas) is at fault, you should take screenshots and request a detailed log documentation from the vendors to show that the fault is on their side, before discussing with me of any makeup work. Other emergency situations must be equally extensively documented in a timely manner before discussing with me any makeup work.

    Expectations for performance in a hybrid course are the same for a traditional course. In fact, due to its online component, this hybrid course may require a higher degree of self-motivation, self-discipline, and technology skills which can make these courses more demanding for some students.

    Students are expected to:

    • Review the how to get started information located in the course content
    • Take the first orientation homework to navigate the website and ensure that your computer is compatible with Canvas and MyStatLab.com
    • Review and follow the course calendar
    • Log in to the course at least once every 36 hours
    • Respond to emails within 36 hours
    • Read the textbook, study the required posted lecture slides and view the associated video clips (if any) before each class
    • Submit pre-class and post-class assignments by the corresponding deadline
    • Attend classes and actively engage in class activities
    • Accomplish and submit the tests within the designated time frame
    • Abide by the FIU Code of Academic Integrity

    The instructor will:

    • Log in to the course at least once every 36 hours
    • Respond to emails within 36 hours
    • Hold office hours as specified in the syllabus​

    Course Detail

    Course Communication

    Communication in this course will take place via Email. If you need to contact the professor, use Email.

    Assessments

    • All the assessment tests will be administered through MyStatLab (entered through the link in Canvas). Please schedule your time accordingly, as each of these exams is expected to be finished in one sitting and before the end of its availability period. 
    • There will be three assessment tests — two Midterm exams and one mandatory Final exam. Midterm exams are not cumulative, whereas the Final exam is. The order of exam questions as well as the questions themselves will be randomized for each student.
    • The higher score of the two Midterm exams accounts for 20% of the total course grade. 
    • The mandatory Final exam accounts for 25% of the total course grade. 
    • Once you start an exam, you have to finish it within a certain time frame (90 minutes for Midterms and 120 minutes for Final). Note that it means you have to schedule to finish an exam before the end of its availability period (otherwise whatever your progress would be submitted, and the exam would be automatically closed). 
    • Three optional practice exams shall be available around the same availability period of the corresponding formal exam.Your scores of practice exams will not be counted towards your total course grade.
    • The exact availability periods of each of the formal exams and practice exams are listed below.

    Assessments

    Availability

    Midterm 1

    Monday, Sep. 24, 12:30 pm – Sunday, Sep. 30, 11:59 pm

    Midterm 2

    Monday, Oct. 22, 12:30 pm – Sunday, Oct. 28, 11:59 pm

    Final Exam

    Monday, Dec. 3, 6:00 am – Sunday, Dec. 9, 11:59 pm

    Practice Exams:

    • Practice Midterm 1 will be available from Saturday, Sep. 22,  6:00 am – Sunday, Sep. 30, 11:59 pm.
    • Practice Midterm 2 will be available from Saturday, Oct. 20, 6:00 am – Sunday, Oct. 28, 11:59 pm.
    • Practice Final exam will be available from Saturday, Dec. 1, 6:00 am – Sunday, Dec. 9, 11:59 pm.

    Students may refer to the textbook and other course material and use Microsoft Excel when taking exams. However, students are not allowed to collaborate with others during a formal exam (they can do so in a practice exam). Students will be able to access their scores and all of the questions and answers after the availability period has ended for each formal exam. For practice exams, students will be able to access the scores and answers immediately after the submission of a test.

    Assessments in this course are not compatible with mobile devices and should not be taken through a mobile phone or a tablet. If you need further assistance please contact FIU Online Support Services.

    Homework Assignments

    Students have to submit assignments within MyStatLab, in which the grade and feedback are immediately available after each question. Unless remarked in Instruction Tips, only the final answer is required for each question in MyStatLab.

    The following are the due dates for the pre-class and post-class homework assignments:

    Pre-Class Homework:

    • Worth 5 points each
    • If not otherwise noted, submit on Mondays by 11:00 A.M. (see specific due dates below)
    Assignment Due Date 
    Week 2 Pre-class Homework Monday, Aug. 27
    Week 3 Pre-class Homework (None due to Labor Day holiday)
    Week 4 Pre-class Homework Monday, Sep. 10
    Week 5 Pre-class Homework Monday, Sep. 17
    Week 6 Pre-class Homework  Monday, Sep. 24
    Week 7 Pre-class Homework Monday, Oct. 1
    Week 8 Pre-class Homework Monday, Oct. 8
    Week 9 Pre-class Homework Monday, Oct. 15
    Week 10 Pre-class Homework Monday, Oct. 22
    Week 11 Pre-class Homework Monday, Oct. 29
    Week 12 Pre-class Homework Monday, Nov. 5
    Week 13 Pre-class Homework (None due to Veterans Day Holiday)
    Week 14 Pre-class Homework Monday, Nov. 19
    Week 15 Pre-class Homework Monday, Nov. 26

    Post-Class Homework:

    • Worth 10 points each
    • If not otherwise noted, submit by Friday 11:59 P.M. (see specific due dates below)
    Assignment Due Date 
    Week 2 Post-class Homework Friday, Aug. 31
    Week 3 Post-class Homework Friday, Sep. 7 
    Week 4 Post-class Homework Friday, Sep. 14
    Week 5 Post-class Homework Friday, Sep. 21
    Week 6 Post-class Homework None (due to Midterm 1)
    Week 7 Post-class Homework Friday, Oct. 5
    Week 8 Post-class Homework Friday, Oct. 12
    Week 9 Post-class Homework Friday, Oct. 19
    Week 10 Post-class Homework None (due to Midterm 2)
    Week 11 Post-class Homework Friday, Nov. 2
    Week 12 Post-class Homework Friday, Nov. 9
    Week 13 Post-class Homework Friday, Nov. 16
    Week 14 Post-class Homework

    Sunday, Nov. 25 (changed due to Thanksgiving)

    Week 15 Post-class Homework Friday, Nov. 30

    For post-class assignments only, students can still submit their solution within 48 hours after the time due, albeit penalized by 20% of the score they obtain (per day per late question). After 48 hours, the post-class homework assignment is permanently closed. (Note that this late submission option will not open unless you start the work on the homework before Friday 11:59pm, the formal due date.)

    For grading purposes, for a particular week, the pre-class assignment plus the post-class assignment is treated as one complete weekly homework assignment. Only 10 out of the 12 weekly homework assignments will be counted towards the final grade.

    (Special note:

    Week 6 pre-class and Week 3 post-class assignments combined are counted as one weekly assignment.

    Week 10 pre-class and Week 13 post-class assignments combined are counted as one weekly assignment).

    Although every student is to submit his or her own solutions individually, students are encouraged to form study groups to work on the assignments in a group setting. For best results, no more than 3 students should be allowed in a study group. 

    Attendance

    class attendance may be taken at any point during a class meeting, such as at the very beginning, in the middle, or near the end. Once the class attendance is taken at that point, it would be final for that day. The student who attends the most (not necessarily all) of the classes will be awarded the full credit of attendance grade, which will be set as the benchmark for others' attendance grade.

    Grading

    Course Requirements Number of Items Points for Each Total Points Available Weight
    Weekly Assignments (2 lowest scores dropped) 10 out of 12 15 150 50%
    Midterm Exams (lowest score dropped) 1 out of 2 20 20 20%
    Final Exam 1 25 25 25%
    Attendance - - - 5%
    Total 12 - - 100%
    Letter Range (%) Letter Range (%) Letter Range (%)
    A Above 90% B 75% - 79.99% C 60% - 64.99%
    A- 85% - 89.99% B- 70% - 74.99% F < 60%
    B+ 80% - 84.99% C+ 65% - 69.99%  

    Course Calendar

    Weekly Schedule

    ate
    Tasks
    Week 1
    Aug. 20-26
    Review the How to Get Started information located in the Welcome Page.
     
    Class meeting (Monday, Aug. 20):
    • Welcome and course overview
    Preparation study (for class meeting next Monday, Aug. 27):
    • Opening Chapter “Getting Started Important Things to Learn First”
    • Chapter 1 “Defining and Collecting Data” – Section 1.1–1.3
    Assignments:
    • Finish optional MyStatLab orientation homework (due 11:59p, Friday, Aug. 24)
    • Read above chapters/sections and the companion lecture slides
    • Watch mandatory videos
    • Finish Week 2 Pre-class Homework (due 11a, Monday, Aug. 27)
    Week 2
    Aug. 27 - Sep. 2
    Class meeting (Monday, Aug. 27):
    • Review of Opening Chapter and Chapter 1.1-1.3
    • Problem-solving and feedback
    • Summary and Q&A
    Preparation study (even though NO class next Monday, Sep. 3):
    • Chapter 2 “Organizing and Visualizing Variables” – All sections
    Assignments:
    • Finish Week 2 Post-class Homework (due 11:59p, Friday, Aug. 31)
    • Read above chapters/sections and the companion lecture slides
    • Watch mandatory videos
    • (No Week 3 pre-class homework due to Labor Day holiday)
    Week 3
    Sep. 3-9
    No class meeting (Labor Day holiday, Monday, Sep. 3)
     
    Preparation study (for class meeting next Monday, Sep. 10):
    • Chapter 3 “Numerical Descriptive Measures” – Section 3.1–3.3
    Assignments:
    • Finish Week 3 Post-class Homework (due 11:59p, Friday, Sep. 7)
    • Read above chapters/sections and the companion lecture slides
    • Watch mandatory videos
    • Finish Week 4 Pre-class Homework (due 11a, Monday, Sep. 10)

    Week 4
    Sep. 10-16

    Class meeting (Monday, Sep. 10):
    • Review of Chapter 3 Section 3.1–3.3
    • Problem-solving and feedback
    • Summary and Q&A
    Preparation study (for class meeting next Monday, Sep. 17):
    • Chapter 3 “Numerical Descriptive Measures” – Section 3.4–3.6
    Assignment:
    • Finish Week 4 Post-class Homework (due 11:59p, Friday, Sep. 14)
    • Read above chapters/sections and the companion lecture slides
    • Watch mandatory videos
    • Finish Week 5 Pre-class Homework (due 11a, Monday, Sep. 17)
    Week 5
    Sep. 17-23
    Class meeting (Monday, Sep. 17):
    • Review of Chapter 3 Section 3.4–3.6
    • Problem-solving and feedback
    • Summary and Q&A
    Preparation study (for class meeting next Monday, Sep. 24):
    • Chapter 4 “Basic Probability” – Section 4.1
    Assignment:
    • Finish Week 5 Post-class Homework (due 11:59p, Friday, Sep. 21)
    • Read above chapters/sections and the companion lecture slides
    • Watch mandatory videos
    • Finish Week 6 Pre-class Homework (due 11a, Monday, Sep. 24)

     

    Week 6
    Sep. 24-30
    Class meeting (Monday, Sep. 24):
    • Review of Chapter 4 Section 4.1
    • Problem-solving and feedback
    • Summary and Q&A
    Preparation study (for class meeting next Monday, Oct. 1):
    • Chapter 4 “Basic Probability” – Section 4.2-4.3
    Assignment:
    • Finish Practice Midterm 1 (optional, due 11:59p, Sunday, Sep. 30)
    • Finish Midterm 1 (due 11:59p, Sunday, Sep. 30)
    • Read above chapters/sections and the companion lecture slides
    • Watch mandatory videos
    • Finish Week 7 Pre-class Homework (due 11a, Monday, Oct. 1)

     

    Week 7
    Oct. 1-7
    Class meeting (Monday, Oct. 1):
    • Review of Chapter 4 Section 4.2-4.3
    • Problem-solving and feedback
    • Summary and Q&A

    Preparation study (for class meeting next Monday, Oct. 8):

    • Chapter 5 “Discrete Probability Distributions” – All sections
    Assignment:
    • Finish Week 7 Post-class Homework (due 11:59p, Friday, Oct. 5)
    • Read above chapters/sections and the companion lecture slides
    • Watch mandatory videos
    • Finish Week 8 Pre-class Homework (due 11a, Monday, Oct. 8)

     

    Week 8
    Oct. 8-14
    Class meeting (Monday, Oct. 8):
    • Review of Chapter 5 All sections
    • Problem-solving and feedback
    • Summary and Q&A
    Preparation study (for class meeting next Monday, Oct. 15):
    • Chapter 6 “The Normal Distribution” – Section 6.1–6.2
    Assignment:
    • Finish Week 8 Post-class Homework (due 11:59p, Friday, Oct. 12)
    • Read above chapters/sections and the companion lecture slides
    • Watch mandatory videos
    • Finish Week 9 Pre-class Homework (due 11a, Monday, Oct. 15)

     

    Week 9
    Oct. 15-21
    Class meeting (Monday, Oct. 15):
    • Review of Chapter 6 Section 6.1–6.2
    • Problem-solving and feedback
    • Summary and Q&A
    Preparation study (for class meeting next Monday, Oct. 22):
    • Chapter 7 “Sampling Distributions” – Section 7.1–7.2
    Assignment:
    • Finish Week 9 Post-class Homework (due 11:59p, Friday, Oct. 19)
    • Read above chapters/sections and the companion lecture slides
    • Watch mandatory videos
    • Finish Week 10 Pre-class Homework (due 11a, Monday, Oct. 22)
    Week 10
    Oct. 22-28
    Class meeting (Monday, Oct. 22):
    • Review of Chapter 7 Section 7.1–7.2
    • Problem-solving and feedback
    • Summary and Q&A
    Preparation study (for class meeting next Monday, Oct. 29):
    • Chapter 7 “Sampling Distributions” – Section 7.3
    Assignment:
    • Finish Practice Midterm 2 (optional, due 11:59p, Sunday, Oct. 28)
    • Finish Midterm 2 (due 11:59p, Sunday, Oct. 28)
    • Read above chapters/sections and the companion lecture slides
    • Watch mandatory videos
    • Finish Week 11 Pre-class Homework (due 11a, Oct. 29)
    Week 11
    Oct. 29-Nov. 4
    Class meeting (Monday, Oct. 29):
    • Review of Chapter 7 Section 7.3
    • Problem-solving and feedback
    • Summary and Q&A
    Preparation study (for class meeting next Monday, Nov. 5):
    • Chapter 8 “Confidence Interval Estimation” – Section 8.1–8.2
    Assignment:
    • Finish Week 11 Post-class Homework (due 11:59p, Friday, Nov. 2)
    • Read above chapters/sections and the companion lecture slides
    • Watch mandatory videos
    • Finish Week 12 Pre-class Homework (due 11a, Monday, Nov. 5)
    Week 12
    Nov. 5-11
    Class meeting (Monday, Nov. 5):
    • Review of Chapter 8 Section 8.1–8.2
    • Problem-solving and feedback
    • Summary and Q&A
    Preparation study (even though NO class next Monday, Nov. 12):
    • Chapter 8 “Confidence Interval Estimation” – Section 8.3
    Assignment:
    • Finish Week 12 Post-class Homework (due 11:59p, Friday, Nov. 9)
    • Read above chapters/sections and the companion lecture slides
    • Watch mandatory videos
    • (No Week 13 Pre-class Homework due to Veterans Day Holiday)
    Week 13
    Nov. 12-18
    No class meeting (Veterans Day holiday, Monday, Nov. 12):
     
    Preparation study (for class meeting next Monday, Nov. 19):
    • Chapter 8 “Confidence Interval Estimation” – Section 8.4
    Assignment:
    • Finish Week 13 Post-class Homework (due 11:59p, Friday, Nov. 16)
    • Read above chapters/sections and the companion lecture slides
    • Watch mandatory videos
    • Finish Week 14 Pre-class Homework (due 11a, Monday, Nov. 19)
    Week 14
    Nov. 19-25
    Class meeting (Monday, Nov. 19):
    • Review of Chapter 8 – Section 8.3–8.4
    • Problem-solving and feedback
    • Summary and Q&A
    Preparation study (for class meeting next Monday, Nov. 26):
    • Chapter 9 “Fundamentals of Hypothesis Testing: One-Sample Tests” – Section 9.1–9.2
    Assignment:
    • Finish Week 14 Post-class Homework (due 11:59p, Sunday, Nov. 25 -- Note the due time adjustment due to Thanksgiving Holiday)
    • Read above chapters/sections and the companion lecture slides
    • Watch mandatory videos
    • Finish Week 15 Pre-class Homework (due 11a, Monday, Nov. 26)
    Week 15
    Nov. 26-Dec.2
    Class meeting (Monday, Nov. 26):
    • Review of Chapter 9 – Section 9.1–9.2
    • Problem-solving and feedback
    • Summary and Q&A
    NO MORE Preparation study (!)
     
    Assignment:
    • Finish Week 15 Post-class Homework (due 11:59p, Friday, Nov. 30)
    • Read above chapters/sections and the companion lecture slides
    • Watch mandatory videos
    • Finish Practice Final Exam (optional, due 11:59p, Sunday, Dec. 9)
    Week 16
    (Final Week)
    Dec. 3-9
    Finish the Mandatory Final Exam (due 11:59p, Sunday, Dec. 9)