Biostatistics 187
Introduction to Statistical Theory and Practice
Winter 2008
Course Director: Steve Paul, PhD
DESCRIPTION Biostatistics 187 is a conceptually oriented introduction to statistics and serves as a preparation for more advanced work. B187 is taught in an accelerated format. The course covers the roles of statistical ideas and methods, experimental design, descriptive statistics, probability, random variables and distributions, sampling, and estimation. It will include confidence intervals, hypothesis testing procedures primarily concerning population means as used in one-way analysis of variance designs, correlation, and simple linear regression.
OBJECTIVES
- To review basic statistical theory, the nature of variables, sampling, descriptive statistics, and probability.
- To describe common probability distributions, confidence intervals, hypothesis testing, one factor analysis of variance, correlation, and simple linear regression.
- To discuss the necessary assumptions that use of particular procedures require.
- To develop an understanding of how to decide what statistical tests or methods would be most appropriate in answering typical research questions.
PREREQUISITES It is assumed that students taking this course have knowledge of the basics of the material from a previous introductory statistics course.
FACULTY
| Course Director: | Steve Paul, PhD |
| Phone: | 415 / 476-2676 |
| Office: | N337-A |
| Email: |
steven.paul@nursing.ucsf.edu |
| Teaching Asst: | Tina Baggott |
| FORMAT | |
| Lectures: |
Tuesdays 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 in N517 AND Thursdays 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 in N721 |
| Lab: |
Thursday 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. in N721 The lab sessions will provide an opportunity to review recently presented materials and to discuss the problem sets. |
| Assignments: | Weekly problem sets |
| Examinations: | One midterm approximately halfway through the course. One final exam at the end of the course. The exams are open-book. |
TEXTBOOKS Required:
Shott, Susan. Statistics for Health Professionals. Philadelphia, W. B. Saunders Company, 1990.
Available in the Millberry Union bookstore.
GRADING Course grade will be determined by performance on the two exams. The problem sets will be corrected and returned for feedback. Completion of the problem sets will be recorded but no points or grades will be assigned. If the course grade is borderline, as determined by the exams, examination of the problem set record will help determine the course grade.
ENROLLMENT Auditors are welcome in the course. However, laboratory sessions are open to auditors only if space is available.