Specific Goals of Math 143

Welcome to this general introductory course in statistics. Our focus during the semester will generally be placed upon the following areas:

• Producing Good Data
Goal: To understand the basic methodologies of observational studies and randomized experiments.
• Describing and Analyzing Data
  Goal: To understand several basic statistical summaries (numerical and graphical) and their use in summarizing data sets.
• Drawing Trustworthy Conclusions from Data
  • Goal: To understand the basic principles that allow us to draw conclusions about a large population from information collected from a smaller sample.
  • Goal: To understand in detail the mathematics involved in several of the most commonly used statistical procedures.
• Considering the Role of Statistics in Contemporary Society and in Various Academic Disciplines
  Goal: To become an educated consumer of statistics as reported in the mass media and in technical reports.