SOC 390 Syllabus Spring C 2018 PDF

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SOC 390 Social Statistics | Page 1

SOC 390 Social Statistics

Spring 2018 Course# 23577

Instructor: Bethany Van Vleet Office: Cowden 101

E-mail: [email protected] (BEST method) Phone (shared): 480-965-8335

ONLINE OFFICE HOURS: BY APPOINTMENT

Catalog Course Description Descriptive and inferential statistical methods for analysis of social data. Will involve use of computer applications. Prerequisite: College Math (MAT 142) or higher

Why take statistics? This course aims to give you an appreciation for the importance of statistics in everyday life! Statistics is not only useful for people who want to conduct research – it is useful to anyone who wants to be a wise consumer of information. Numbers presented on TV, in newspapers, and even in your classrooms can be misleading and, at times, may be purposefully used to deceive you – with a basic understanding of statistics, you can be prepared to recognize what certain statistics really mean.

Overall, this course will introduce you to statistics in the social sciences. You will not only learn how to perform statistical calculations by hand, but how to execute and interpret basic SPSS (statistical software package) programs. After taking this course you will have a basic understanding of how to analyze, organize, and interpret data.

By the end of this course, you will be able to: (a) analyze, organize, and interpret data (b) understand the logic of hypothesis testing (c) choose appropriate statistical procedures (d) understand and use the most common statistical tests. (e) create and manage computer files and use SPSS software

Required Text The Essentials of Statistics: A Tool for Social Research, 4th ed by Joseph F. Healey

What’s in this syllabus? Required Materials Staying Connected Evaluation and Grades Course Policies Responsibility Respect Threatening Behavior Academic Honesty Assignments/Due Dates Test-Taking Grade Questions/Concerns Disability Accommodations Title IX Other Legal Stuf Class Calendar Other Important Dates

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Other Required Materials

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In addition to the required textbook, you will also need access to the following: Ü

Computer with a reliable, wired internet connection, webcam, and microphone o Students should not rely on a tablet or smartphone to meet this requirement as these devices may lack sufficient computing resources for the course.

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Access to myASU and Blackboard (my.asu.edu, myasucourses.asu.edu)

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ASU e-mail address

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SPSS (any version)

What is SPSS? SPSS is a statistical software program commonly used for data analysis in the social sciences. You will not be able to analyze data by hand or be provided with the data in alternative formats. See the Blackboard Course Site > SPSS Resources for more information about SPSS and how you can access it. Practice SPSS early!

Staying Connected E-mail. You must use your ASU email address and check your email often (daily). If you use another e-mail provider, such as Yahoo or Hotmail, simply have your ASU email forwarded to that address, but beware that your provider might bounce the email back to ASU and you may not receive the email (it appears that this is especially a problem with AOL).

Talk to me In an online course, some students are hesitant to contact the instructor and ask questions; however, my job is to be here to clarify concepts, guide you through difficult concepts/assignments, and help you learn! I do not expect that the class links and documents will always be enough to make certain concepts clear (hence, why an instructor is present)! Contact me as soon as concerns or questions arise and never feel afraid to do that! The sooner you ask questions, the better I can help! What follows is a summary of how you can stay up to date with the course and stay connected with the instructor and your peers!

I typically respond to e-mails within 24 hours. If I do not respond within 24 hours, please resend the e-mail. E-mails can occasionally get lost in cyberspace. I do not respond to e-mails on Sunday (even I need a break from the computer). If you have questions about a re-take exam, you will need to contact me by Saturday at 7pm. E-mails sent late on Saturday or on Sunday will be responded to on Monday. When you send e-mails, please use an appropriate/descriptive subject line so that I can identify it as a class question.

Announcements. I post a copy of every class e-mail I send under Announcements– if you are seeing announcements but not receiving those announcements as e-mails, please contact me immediately.

Discussion Board. Students are expected to post most general questions and browse common Q&A on the Class Question Discussion Board Forum. Students are required to either subscribe to the forum OR check the forum daily. Students are encouraged to respond to peer questions as well! The discussion board can also be used for more informal conversations regarding the application/use of statistics, examples of real-world statistics you may encounter, and general motivation/support for you and your peers 

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POINT BASED GRADING SYSTEM Exams 5 @ 40 points each

Evaluation and Grades

200 points

Assignments 1 5-point assignment dropped

50 points

Chapter Assessments 13 @ 2.5 each, 3 dropped

25 points

Exams: 73%

A student’s grade will be determined based on the following:

Exams Exams will cover reading and online lectures and materials. Students will be expected to demonstrate knowledge of key terms and concepts, as well as an ability to use and apply any equations covered in a unit. Ü

Assignments: 18%

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Assessments: 9%

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POINT SCALE

Grades will be determined by your total points. 1 point away is still 1 point away.

269 to 275 = A+ 250 to 268 = A 247 to 249 = A242 to 246 = B+ 222 to 241 = B 220 to 221 = B214 to 219 = C+ 192 to 213 = C 165 to 191 = D 0 to 164 = E

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Exams are open note, closed book. Notes must be on paper – they cannot be accessed on a tablet/phone/etc. SPSS will NOT be used on exams. Questions will be in the form of multiple choice, matching, true/false, and fill in the blank. EXAMS ARE NOT CUMULATIVE, although some concepts from previous chapters serve as building blocks and foundations for new information. Exams will be timed – once you enter an exam, you must complete it at that time, within the time limit (even if you close an in-progress exam, the clock continues running until you hit “submit”). Exams will be administered using Respondus Monitor, which requires you to show ID and then records you as you complete your quiz. This is to ensure a fair playing field for all students. Recordings are viewed by and accessible to only the instructor and TA. See Testing under Course Policies to learn more about this program.

Exam Re-takes Ü Ü

All due dates/times are based on ARIZONA time! Ü

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You have the option of re-taking exams on which you score less than 70%. Exam re-takes must be completed by the first SUNDAY following the exam due date at 11:59 pm – this means you have slightly over 24 hours after the exam deadline to complete your re-take attempt(s). A re-take exam is available to you for completion as soon as you finish an exam with a score that is less than 70%. If you earn 70% or higher on the exam within the allotted re-take attempts, then you will earn 70% on the exam. If your re-take score is higher than your original exam score (but not 70% or more), then your final exam score will be your most recent re-take score.

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If you get a D or E on an exam and do NOT re-take it by Sunday, then you cannot re-take it. If, at the end of the semester, you are one point away from a grade, you CANNOT go back and retake past exams to try to earn that point. You should ALWAYS do your best. Do not wait until the end of the semester to see whether or not you should have been trying harder.

Assignments These aim to help you understand statistical concepts in a real-world context and to use SPSS, a popular statistics program SPSS. Ü Assignments cannot be made up for any reason. Instead of allowing students to make up assignments (for legitimate reasons or not), your lowest assignment score on an assignment worth 5 points will be dropped, including a score of 0. Ü 100% on the assignments does not mean that you are prepared for the exam. The assignments are designed to help you apply SOME of the concepts you are learning about and involve the use and interpretation of SPSS – they are not an adequate gauge of whether you understand ALL of the materials covered in each unit. Ü You can get a perfect assignment score if you: 1) attempt the assignment early, 2) e-mail with questions when you have them, 3) contact me before completing your final attempt, 4) respond to my questions and follow my suggestions.

Chapter Assessments Chapter assessments will help you assess your understanding of some of the content from each chapter. Ü Chapter assessments are required Ü Only scores 70% or higher receive credit

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Course Policies Responsibility Ü

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As adults, you are responsible for reading/following the syllabus, reading the announcements daily, reading class question discussion board posts, completing the assignments in a timely manner (i. e., starting an assignment before the day it is due), reaching out when you need help, and using an appropriate computer. It is your responsibility to learn how to use myASU, download SPSS, and submit assignments to the various utilities correctly. The TA, instructor, SSFD staff, and ASU technical support are resources that are available to you, but you must seek them out in a timely manner.

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Respect Ü

Please keep the content of your e-mails appropriate for a business/professional environment and be courteous and respectful in the tone and content of your emails. I will not respond to emails that are rude, abusive, haughty and demanding, or threatening.

Policy against Threatening Behavior Ü

All incidents and allegations of violent or threatening conduct by an ASU student (whether on-or off campus) must be reported to the ASU Police Department (ASU PD) and the Office of the Dean of Students. If either office determines that the behavior poses or has posed a serious threat to personal safety or to the welfare of the campus, the student will not be permitted to return to campus or reside in any ASU residence hall until an appropriate threat assessment has been completed and, if necessary, conditions for return are imposed. ASU PD, the Office of the Dean of Students, and other appropriate offices will coordinate the assessment in light of the relevant circumstances.

Assignment Completion and Due Dates Ü

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Academic Honesty Ü

Chapter assessments cannot be made up for any reason. Instead, your 3 lowest assessment scores will be dropped, including a score of 0

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Students are expected to maintain the highest levels of personal and academic integrity (this will get you further in life than being dishonest). ASU’s Academic Integrity policy (https://provost.asu.edu/academicintegrity) holds students to a code of conduct that defines academic dishonesty to include (but not limited

to) cheating, plagiarism, academic deceit, falsifying records, use of past papers/assignments, and inappropriate collaboration. Academic dishonesty, including plagiarism (intentional or not) is unacceptable and consequences may include (but are not limited to) a 0 on an assignment, a failing class grade, and/or your name may be forwarded to the academic standards/dishonesty committee and the Dean's office. Further, it is YOUR responsibility to know what plagiarism and academic dishonesty are! You are required to be familiar with the policies at https://thesanfordschool.asu.edu/resour ces/undergraduate-students/academichonesty and http://provost.asu.edu/academicintegrit y/policy. These pages specify a range of sanctions that faculty and instructors can choose from when violations occur. All ASU students, including those enrolled in this course, are held to the standards in the policy.

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See the Assignment section above to learn more about general assignment policies. All due dates/times are listed in ARIZONA time. You are responsible for understanding what that means for you. Deadlines are given well in advance; these deadlines are “DUE BY” dates and NOT “DO” dates. Starting an assignment at the last minute is unwise and by doing so, you are making the choice to put yourself at risk (remember – blackboard always decides to break the night an assignment is due). To avoid these unexpected circumstances that may prevent you from submitting your work on time, you should submit assignments 24 before the due date. Think of the actual “due date” as a “last chance” to get problem resolved. I will not respond to questions

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about assignments on the day that assignments are due. I do this to encourage students to complete assignments early AND to ensure that I have time to properly respond to student questions. Many assignments may take the FULL week to complete them. Assignments often involve new concepts, new skills (e.g., running data in SPSS), and some degree of frustration. By working on assignments early, you will be sure to have time to ask questions and get feedback and guidance, thus dramatically decreasing your stress, anxiety, and frustrations. If you attempt assignments early AND ask questions as they arise (NOT AFTER COMPLETING YOUR ASSIGNMENT FOR THE FINAL TIME), you should be able to receive perfect scores on your assignments. If you forget or fail to complete an assignment for any reason, no make ups are available to you. Instead, your lowest assignment score (on an assignment worth 5 points) will be dropped and your 3 lowest assessment scores will be dropped. If an issue continues (or is likely to continue) over time that prevents you from completing multiple assignments, please contact me immediately to discuss your options. The class cannot be individualized by me to accommodate vacations, family reunions, job interviews, work schedules, weddings, honeymoons, 21st birthdays, etc. (and yes…people ask for this). The class is set up in a way that allows most people to “individualize” the class for themselves. For example, if you know you have job training one week, complete all your assignments prior to that week. If you know you will be out of town, find a computer with Internet access to complete assignments/exams. If you have to work from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on a test day, take the test at 6 a.m. Again, pay attention to due dates.

Test-Taking Ü Ü

See the Exams section above to learn more about exam/testing policies. In this class, exams will be administered using Respondus Monitor, which requires you to show ID and then records you as you complete your exam. Respondus monitor is simply one method we have of making online testing more comparable to on campus testing, which can help ensure a fair playing field for all students. I made the choice to use this program because of my experience as an undergraduate student who was VERY frustrated by the

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fact that my peers were receiving higher grades on online exams because they took the exams together (against course policy) while I did not (because I wanted to be honest). I do not want to similarly penalize my honest students (which 99% of you are!) and reward less honest students. Ü Recordings are stored securely and are viewed by and accessible to only the instructor and TA. Note that recording quality is relatively low and video footage/thumbnails are small. We are not watching high quality footage and critiquing your complexion! We are quickly glancing at thumbnails/footage to see whether inappropriate materials (ex. cell phone, second computer) or peers (ex. in person or on the phone) are present and to ensure YOU are the one taking YOUR test. Ü Go to the Blackboard course site under “Respondus Browser” to download the browser and learn about using the browser to make sure you are prepared to take the exams. Occasionally, an exam will “lock up.” Usually, this is due to user error (i.e., using a home computer that does not have stable internet connection, such as Cox Cable). You will be allowed two unlocks of an exam over the course of the semester. After two unlocks, no exams will be unlocked for the rest of the semester, and you will have to accept whatever grade you received up to the point on the locked exam/quiz. If you get disconnected from an exam, you must first try to re-enter the exam as quickly as possible since THE TIMER KEEPS RUNNING ONCE AN EXAM IS OPENED (whether you are still in the exam or not). You may need to re-start or hard-start your computer in order to exit, then re-enter, the exam. Ü If you are unable to reenter the exam, or problems persist, making finishing the exam within the time limit unlikely, submit what you have and contact the professor IMMEDIATELY through email. Ü NEVER, EVER guess on your exam questions or rush through exam questions in order to complete the exam when technical difficulties make finishing the exam within the time limit impossible – once you finish an exam and answer all of the questions, I cannot allow you to re-take it, so

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you will be stuck with the grade you earned. Ü If you e-mail the instructor about problems in completing your exam, check your e-mail regularly so you will be aware as soon as the instructor responds. A grade of ! on an exam indicates you went over time, but that your exam was submitted correctly. If you miss an exam due to a family vacation, forgetting about the exam, a hangover, etc., you may take the exam for partial credit as a re-take for up to 70%; however, you must complete the exam by the exam retake due date. You cannot take a prior exam once the next exam is made available to students. Please let me know immediately if you plan to miss (or missed) an exam due to special, documented circumstances (e.g., serious health problems).

Grading Questions/Concerns Ü

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You are responsible for keeping submission receipts and confirming that assignments and exams are submitted and scored correctly. If there appears to be an error in an assignment/exam being submitted (a grade or ! does not appear in the gradebook once you submit it), it is your responsibility to notify the instructor IMMEDIATELY. Your final grade is based on points and not percentages. This means you must receive the actual number of points for a grade as stated in the syllabus. One point away from the desired grade is still one point away (even if you feel like you worked hard, deserve a different grade, etc.). Therefore, please do NOT ask for extra credit at the end of the semester because you are "just --- points away" or because you worked hard enough for a grade of --- [individualized extra credit opportunities are never available – it is unfair to the other students who would also like additional extra credit]. If you do ask for extra credit, there will be a 5 point penalty from your total points.

Disability Accommodations Ü

Qualified students with disabilities who will require disability accommodations in this class ...