Infer Statistics in Decision-Making assignment

Graduate School

COURSE SYLLABUS

Course Information

DSRT734 - M51 Infer Stats in Decision-Making

Spring 2021 Full Term

Course Format: Hybrid

CRN: 20480

Class Time and Location: F 08:00 AM - 10:00 PM, DAL

Residency Session: 01/29/2021 - 01/31/2021 

Instructor Information

Name: Dr. Ryan Luke

Email: [email protected]

Phone: N/A

Office Location: Online

Office Hours/Preferred Contact Times: Email for Appointment, Office hours generally

available before and after class

UC Directory URL: https://www.ucumberlands.edu/directory/dr-ryan-luke

Course Description

DSRT 734 − Inferential Statistics in Decision-making (3 hours) This course focuses on

the descriptive and inferential statistics commonly used in organizational

administration. Course activities include the application of statistical methods to

research design, as well as an investigation of how these methods can contribute to

school improvement. Specific concepts include measures of central tendency and

variability, probability theory, estimation and significance, and correlation and

regression.

Course Objectives

Upon completion of this course:

Students will describe the essential characteristics of quantitative research.

Students will apply inferential statistical tests on problems requiring parametric

and non-parametric analyses.

Students will identify potential research designs for various problems.

Students will analyze statistical information in the professional literature on a

topic related to their own research project.

Learner Outcomes

Analyze research using parametric and nonparametric tests in Excel and Online

Calculators

Demonstrate professional communication skills using academic standards and

APA formatting

Students will apply statistical tests to answer research questions.

Students will analyze statistical results.

Course Website

Access to the course website is required via the iLearn portal on the University of the

Cumberlands website: http://www.ucumberlands.edu/ilearn/ 

or https://ucumberlands.blackboard.com/

Required Books and Resources

Title: Publication Manual of the American Psychological

Association

ISBN: 9781433832178

Authors: American Psychological Association

Publisher: American Psychological Association (APA)

Publication Date: 2019-10-01

Title: Exploring Statistics

ISBN: 9780996339223

Authors: Chris Spatz

Publication Date: 2019-01-01

Course Required text can be found and purchased via the UC Barnes and Noble

Bookstore: https://cumber.bncollege.com/shop/cumberlands/page/find-textbooks

Suggested Books and Resources

Essential Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences

ISBN: 9781506386287

Authors: Gregory J. Privitera

Publisher: SAGE Publications

Publication Date: 2017-12-15

Requirements and Policies

Academic Integrity/Plagiarism

At a Christian liberal arts university committed to the pursuit of truth and

understanding, any act of academic dishonesty is especially distressing and cannot be

tolerated. In general, academic dishonesty involves the abuse and misuse of

information or people to gain an undeserved academic advantage or evaluation. The

common forms of academic dishonesty include:

Cheating – using deception in the taking of tests or the preparation of written

work, using unauthorized materials, copying another person’s work with or without

consent, or assisting another in such activities.

Lying – falsifying, fabricating, or forging information in either written, spoken, or

video presentations.

Plagiarism—using the published writings, data, interpretations, or ideas of another

without proper documentation

Plagiarism includes copying and pasting material from the internet into

assignments without properly citing the source of the material.

Episodes of academic dishonesty are reported to the Vice President for Academic

Affairs. The potential penalty for academic dishonesty includes a failing grade on a

particular assignment, a failing grade for the entire course, or charges against the

student with the appropriate disciplinary body.

Attendance Policy

Course enrollment and participation will be monitored and verified for all students

during the first two weeks of classes. Lack of participation during this time may

jeopardize enrollment status. Each student is expected to meet course expectations by

completing the coursework required each week. Active participation and staying abreast

of the material is essential to success. Program specific attendance policies may still

apply.

Executive Residency Attendance Policy

Attendance to each Executive Residency class session is mandatory. Students may

make-up no more than one (1) residency session throughout the duration of their

academic program. Missing a second residency will result in the student being

dismissed from the University.

Each student must be in attendance for the entire duration of the required residency

weekend. Late arrivals and/or early departures are not permitted. Punctuality is

important as each student is required to have the documented in-seat time per course

requirements.

A missed session will result in the student attending a make-up session, and paying a

$300 Residency Make-Up fee. In addition, the student may be asked for documentation

from the program department providing an explanation as to why the schedule

residency session was missed. Make-Up sessions must be completed prior to the end of

the term. Noncompliance with this policy will result in dismissal from the executive

program.

Participation Policy

Study after study has linked successful academic performance with good class

participation. Those who assume positions of responsibility must “show up” in order to

be effective. Therefore, students are expected to actively participate in an intelligent

discussion of assigned topics in all areas (Discussion Board Activities, Synchronous

Sessions, Forums, Shared Papers, etc.) to help process course material and/or to

demonstrate an understanding of course content. Point adjustments will be taken for

non-participation.

Disability Accommodations

University of the Cumberlands accepts students with certified disabilities and provides

reasonable accommodations for their certified needs in the classroom, in housing, in

food service or in other areas. For accommodations to be awarded, a student must

submit a completed Accommodations Application form and provide documentation of

the disability to the Disability Services Coordinator (Mr. Jacob Ratliff, Boswell Campus

Center, Student Services Office Suite, [email protected]). When all

paperwork is on file, a meeting between the student and the Coordinator will be

arranged to discuss possible accommodations before accommodations are formally

approved. Students must then meet with the Coordinator at the beginning of each

semester before any academic accommodations can be certified for that term.

Certifications for other accommodations are normally reviewed annually.

Academic Appeal

Both undergraduate and graduate students have the right to challenge a grade. If

discussions with the course instructor and department chair do not lead to a satisfactory

conclusion, students may file a formal written appeal with the Vice President for

Academic Affairs, who will forward the appeal to the chair of the Academic Appeals

Committee. This formal written appeal must be filed by the end of the 4th week of

classes in the next regular term following the term in which the course in question was

taken. The Academic Appeals Committee then gathers information from the student, the

instructor, and any other relevant parties. The Committee will deliver its

recommendation on the complaint to the Vice President for Academic Affairs. After

reviewing this recommendation and concurring or amending it, the Vice President for

Academic Affairs will inform the student and instructor of the disposition of the

complaint no later than the last day of classes of the term in which the complaint was

filed. Records of all actions regarding academic grade appeals, including their final

disposition, are maintained by the Vice President for Academic Affairs and the Academic

Appeals Committee. (Undergraduate Catalog/Graduate Catalog)

Student Responsibilities

Students should: 

Use University of the Cumberlands email system for all academic, administrative,

and co-curricular communication between faculty, staff and peers. 

Check for email and class announcements using iLearn (primary) and University of

the Cumberlands webmail (secondary) daily. 

Demonstrate Cumberlands Character in and outside the classroom per the

University Mission & Vision

Ensure you have consistent required technology for the course

Participate in courses regularly to:

Find announcements and updates

Complete assignments on time. Keep in mind that all deadlines use Eastern

Standard Time (EST).

Engage in discussion

Connect with fellow students and faculty

Present written work in an academic and professional manner.

Take examinations on the designated dates and times. Students should make

arrangements with faculty before the designated date for any needed

accommodations. 

Contact faculty or student success coordinator with questions or concerns.

Course Policies

The only authorized electronic means of academic, administrative, and co-

curricular communication between University of the Cumberlands and its students

is through the UCumberlands email system (i.e. Webmail). Each student is

responsible for monitoring his/her University email account frequently. This is the

primary email account used to correspond with you directly by the University;

imperative program information is sent to this email account specifically from

campus and program office. 

Students should check for e-mail and class announcements using iLearn (primary)

and University of the Cumberlands webmail (secondary).

Students are expected to find out class assignments for missed classes and make

up missed work.

Students are expected to find out if any changes have been made in the class or

assignment schedule.

All assignments, unless otherwise instructed, should be submitted in APA format.

Written work must be presented in a professional manner. Work that is not

 submitted in a professional manner will not be evaluated and will be returned as

unacceptable.

There is a craft to writing. Spelling, grammar, punctuation, and diction (word

usage) are all tools of that craft. Writing at the collegiate level will show careful

attention to these elements of craft. Work that does not exhibit care with regard to

these elements will be considered as inadequate for college writing and graded

accordingly. 

Students are expected to take the examinations on the designated dates. If you

are unable to take the exam on the scheduled date and know in advance, you are

to make arrangements with your professor before the designated date. If you miss

the exam, you must have a legitimate reason as determined by your professor. 

Recognizing that a large part of professional life is meeting deadlines, it is necessary to

develop time management and organizational skills. Failure to meet the course

deadlines may result in penalties. Keep in mind that all deadlines are set using Eastern

Standard Time (EST). Late assignments will NOT be accepted.

Course Activities and Experiences

Students are expected to:

• Review any assigned reading material and prepare responses to homework assigned.

• Actively participate in activities, assignments, and discussions.

• Evaluate and react to each other’s work in a supportive, constructive manner.

• Complete specific assignments and exams when specified and in a professional

manner.

• Utilize learned technologies for class assignments.

• Connect content knowledge from core courses to practical training placement and

activities.

Links to Support

UC Academic Catalog: https://www.ucumberlands.edu/academics/academic-catalog

UC Student Handbook: https://www.ucumberlands.edu/student-handbook

Academic Resources & Writing Center: www.ucumberlands.edu/learningcommons

Library: http://www.ucumberlands.edu/library/ 

Bookstore: https://cumber.bncollege.com/shop/cumberlands/home

About University of the Cumberlands:

https://www.ucumberlands.edu/about/presidents-welcome

Instructions for Accessing, Downloading, and Activating Office 365 Pro Plus

(free for UC Students):

https://helpdesk.ucumberlands.edu/support/solutions/articles/7000045435

Course Evaluation

MORE THAN 65% OF YOUR GRADE IS EARNED DURING THE

RESIDENCY WEEKEND

Article Reviews - 60 points (30 points each) 

Students will select two scholarly articles to read, summarize, describe the statistical test

and process used, and state the conclusion. These must include an introduction of the

research articles, an interpretation of their procedures and data analysis strategies, and a

summary of the findings. 

Quizzes - 180 points – Quiz 1 (60 points) and Quiz 2 (60 points) and Quiz 3 (60 points)

Exams (Mid-term & Final) - 160 points (80 points each) 

Both the midterm and the comprehensive final are worth 80 points each for a total of 160

points. 

Practical Connection Assignment (see week 7) 60 points

Application Problems – 40 points 

There will be about 8 Application Problems worth 10 points each for submission throughout

the course.

The final grade is determined by dividing the total points earned by 500.

Grading Scale

Grade Percentage

A 90–100%

B 80–89.9%

C 70–79.9%

F <69.9%

Course Schedule

Weekly

Unit Readings/Topics

Assignments and

Due Dates

1

Jan 4 -

10

Descriptive Statistics (Chapter 1)

1. Introduction  *Failing to Participate

in Week 1 may result

in being dropped

from the course. 

Take Syllabus Quiz

All assignments

are due starting on

the first Unit by

Sunday night 11:59

PM

2

Jan 11-

17

Descriptive Statistics (Chapter 2 and 3)

1. Exploring Data: Frequency

Distributions and Graphs

2. Exploring Data: Central Tendency

3

Jan 18-

24

Descriptive Statistics (Chapter 4 and 5)

1. Exploring Data: Variability

2. Other Descriptive Statistics (Box

Plot)

4

Jan 25-

31

RESIDENCY WEEKEND (See

Schedule Below)

This will cover Chapters 1,3, 6, 9-10,

11, 14-15

Quiz 1,2,3

Mid-Term

Application Problem

1 & 2

Practical Connection

5

Feb 1-7

Correlation and Regression (Chapter 6)

6

Feb 8-

14

Samples, Sampling Distributions, and

Confidence Intervals (Chapter 8)

Article Review 2

Due: Feb 21

7

Feb 15-

21

Effect Size and NHST: One-Sample

Designs

t-tests (Chapter 9-10)

8

Feb 22-

28

Effect Size, Confidence Intervals, and

NHST: Two-Sample Designs 

t-tests  (Chapter 9 and 10)

Application Problem

3 & 4

9

Mar 1-7

Analysis of Variance: Independent

Samples (Chapter 11)

Application Problem

5

10

Mar 8-

14

Analysis of Variance: Repeated

Measures (Chapter 12)

Analysis of Variance: Factorial Design

(Chapter 13)

Article Review 2

Due: March 14

11

Mar 15-

21

SPRING BREAK No Assignment

12

Mar 22-

28

Chi-Square: Test of Independence

(Chapter 14)

Application Problem

6

13

Mar 29-

Apr 4

Chi-Square: Goodness of Fit Test

(Chapter 14)

Application Problem

7

14

Apr 5-11

Spearman's and Other Non-Parametric

Tests (Chapter 15)

Application Problem

8

15

Apr 12-

18

Final Exam Final Exam

Due: Apr 24 at

11:59 PM

16

Apr 19-

24

Final Evaluation

No Work can be submitted after

April 24

Residency Schedule Reading/Topics Assignments

Friday

Introduction, Basic

Concepts, Descriptive

Statistics

Correlation and

Regression Tests

Quiz 1

Saturday

t-tests

ANOVA

Chi-Square

Spearman’s rs

Nonparametric Tests

Quiz 2 

Mid-Term Exam

Sunday

Final Exam Review and

Writing Research

Questions

Quiz 3

Practical Connection

Assignment

Comprehensive Final Exam

Ch. 1-3, 6, 9-15

Due: April 24th @ 11:59

PM EST

Syllabus Disclaimer

This syllabus contains important information critical to your success in this course. It

includes guidelines for this course and the instructor’s current expectations about

content, schedule, and requirements necessary for each student to achieve the best

educational results. While you must review and become familiar with the contents of

this syllabus, the instructor reserves the right to make adjustments or change in the

syllabus from time to time. Any changes to the syllabus will be discussed with the

students.