MAT 143: Introduction to Statistics
Course Syllabus
Siena Heights University
Instructor: / Andrew-David Bjork
Teaching Assistant
Phone:
Office: / SC33
Hrs: / Posted outside my office
Course Meets:
Prerequisites: / Successful completion of College Algebra
Text: / Course notes are provided weekly
Grading Scale / Grade Apportionment
90+% / A / Create your Game Project / 30%
80-89% / B / Portfolio / 70%
70-79% / C
60-69% / D
0-59% / E
Amendments:
The instructor reserves the right to make changes to this syllabus as needed.
Method of Evaluation
· Each week students will receive notes and worksheets to be completed both in class and at home. Once a section is completed, a new entry will be submitted on your e-portfolio through Canvas.
· After each unit, students will complete a section portfolio tracing their progress and learning through the material. These comprehensive portfolio will constitute the bulk of the graded materials for the course.
· Students will also create an original board game as a group project during the second half of the semester.
Course Description:
This course covers topics in combinatorial analysis (counting), probabilities, expected gains, graph theory, game theory (decision making). It also addresses how to play certain games and how to follow rules. Other topics include the psychology of games, the design of games, and any other topic that might occur in such an open ended course.
Course Outcomes:
· Learn to play games from the rules
· Descibe a game mathematically
· Compute probability of random events
· Apply mathematical concepts to make strategic decisions during the play of games
· Explore the kind of games towards which each person is predisposed.
Course Topics:
· Hex game- an exploration of the 2 player game made famous by John Nash. Strategies, mini-scenarios to solve, conjecture making
· Rubix cube: the combinatorics of the cube, code the moves, learn to solve the cube layer by layer with a corners first approach, faster algorithms
· Roulette: probabilities, expected gains
· Texas Holdem’: basic strategies, pot-odds, game theory with decision trees, prisoner’s dilemma, etc.
· Make your own game: a multi-week, group project to design and create a board game.
Learning Outcomes
The Mathematics Department has identified the following five learning outcomes to be achieved by majors and minors in its program.
1. Students will read and understand mathematics, differentiating between correct and incorrect mathematical reasoning.
2. Students will effectively communicate mathematics to others, both in writing and speaking.
3. Students will demonstrate abilities to work independently and in-groups to develop mathematical models using appropriate technologies.
4. Students will demonstrate a mathematical maturity leading to independent investigations, increased responsibility for learning, and participation in the professional mathematics community.
General Education Learning Outcomes
The General Education Learning Outcomes can be found on page 10 of the 2008-2010 Undergraduate Catalog. Those outcomes that will be addressed and assessed in this course can be identified in the following table.
Addressed (A) and Assessed (AAD)
General Education Learning Outcomes / Liberal arts learning / Religous Tradition / Creativity / Critical thinking / Communication / Technology / Ethical Integration / Diversity in Community /MAT 200AA / A / AAD / AAD / A / AAD / A
Academic Honesty:
The search for truth and dissemination of knowledge are the central missions of a university. Siena Heights University pursues these missions in an environment guided by our Roman Catholic tradition and our Dominican heritage. Integrity and honesty are therefore expected of all members of the University community, including students, faculty members, administration, and staff. Actions such as cheating, plagiarism, collusion, fabrication, forgery, falsification, destruction, multiple submission, solicitation, and misrepresentation, are violations of these expectations and constitute unacceptable behavior in the University community. The penalties for such actions range from verbal warning, all the way to expulsion from the University.
Students are responsible for their own work and accomplishments. You are encouraged to discuss problems with others, but the actual written work submitted should be your own. The first occurrence of cheating on any assignment will result in a grade of zero on that assignment. The second time the same student is observed cheating will result in that student being given an E for the course. All cases of academic dishonesty will be documented and reported to the appropriate authorities on campus. for a complete explanation of the Academic Dishonesty Policy, refer to page 169 of the SHU Undergraduate Catalog 2004-2006.
Students With Disabilities
Section 504 of the rehabilitation act of 1973 and the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990 require that the institutions such as SHU not discriminate against qualified students with disabilities and that effective and reasonable academic accommodations be provided for eligible students. In accordance with University policy and the equal access laws, I am available to discuss appropriate academic accommodations that you may be eligible for as a student with a disability. Please contact me for an appointment to discuss possible accommodations. Students must register with the Office for Students with Disabilities for disability verification and determination of reasonable accommodations. Requests for accommodations must be done in a timely manner.
Cell phones and texting:
We ask that you not use your cell phone during class time. It is a matter of courtesy and respect toward your classmates and the instructor. If you repeatedly choose not to honor this request, you may be asked to leave the classroom. If you miss a groupwork as a result, you will receive a grade of 0.
1.