Class Information

Course Title Math 372 (Section 001): Elementary Probability and Statistics

Instructor Kameryn Williams

Website http://kamerynjw.net/teaching/2020/math372/

Email kamerynw [ at ] hawaii ( period ) edu

Class Hours Monday/Wednesday/Friday 11:30–12:20

Room Keller Hall 402

Office Hours Monday/Wednesday/Friday 11:30–12:00 via Zoom Monday/Wednesday 14:30–15:30; Friday 9:00–10:00; or by appointment

Office Do not come to my physical office. Physical Science Building 305

TA Minh Nguyen

TA Email minh [ at ] math ( period ) hawaii [ dot ] edu

TA Office Hours Monday/Wednesday 8:25–9:25am; or by appointment

TA Office Keller Hall 312A

Textbook Probability and Statistics for Engineering and the Sciences, 9th ed., Jay Devore (ISBN: 978-1-305-25180-9)

Course Description Problem-oriented introduction to the basic concepts of probability and statistics, providing a foundation for applications and further study.

Prerequisite 216 or 242 or 252A or consent.

This syllabus has undergone significant change due to the coronavirus. I reserve the right to make additional changes. In the case that that happens, I will communicate with you to ensure you know about the changes.

Grading Policy

The break-down for your grade is as follows:

  • 20% Final exam

  • 20% Midterm 1

  • 20% Midterm 2

  • 5% Group project [aborted due to coronavirus]

  • 15% Blecture participation

  • 10% Written homework

  • 10% Online homework

Grades will be assigned based upon the standard F to A scale. I do not anticipate this happening, but I reserve the right to make later adjustments to the scale.

  • [93,100] A;

  • [90,93) A-;

  • [87,90) B+;

  • [83,87) B;

  • [80,83) B-;

  • [77,80) C+;

  • [73,77) C;

  • [70,73) C-;

  • [67,70) D+;

  • [63,67) D;

  • [60,63) D-;

  • [0,60) F.

Attendance Policy

As we have moved to online-only, traditional lectures will be replaced with asynchronous blectures (= “web lectures”, compare blog = “web log”). You are expected to participate in these, and this participation will account for 15% of your overall grade for the class.

The pace will match that of the pre-coronavirus class, with three blectures per week on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Each blecture will consist of a reading augmented with short videos, and this will be communicated to you via the Laulima site for the course. Participation will be assessed in two ways. First, worth two thirds of the overall blecture grade, you will turn in short writing assignments for each blecture. These will be due by 11:59pm on Monday/Wednesday/Friday. Second, worth one third of the overall blecture grade, you will be required to participate in the Laulima forum for each week. You need to make at least one post per week—asking questions, answering classmates’ questions, or similar—to get full points.

You are expected to attend every class, for that is an important part of learning the material. I advise you to exchange contact info with classmates so that you can share notes in case you have to miss class.

Exams

There will be two midterms and one cumulative final exam.

  • Midterm 1: (tentatively) Friday, Feb 21

  • Midterm 2: (tentatively) Wednesday, Apr 8

  • Final: Monday, May 11, 12:00–2:00

Group project

The group projects have been canceled in light of coronavirus. You will receive credit for the portion of the work already done.

As part of this class you will apply your knowledge in a group project. You will apply the statistical tools learned in class to analyze real-world data. Further information about the expectations for the project can be found on the group project page.

Online homework

You will have weekly online homework through WeBWorK, a free-to-use and open source online homework system. See under announcements on the course webpage for information about how to access the WeBWorK site.

Written Homework

Assigned written homework can be found on the course website. It will be collected once a week, on Fridays. You are encouraged to discuss homework problems with your classmates, but the work you turn in is expected to be your own.

Homework will be graded 20% on completion, and 80% based upon a selection of problems from the assignment. For each homework assignment I tell you a small subset of the assigned problems that I will choose from for grading. You must still do all the assignment for the 20% completion points!

Homework should be clearly written, so that I can follow the logical steps you take. Each problem should end with the final answer appropriately formulated and circled.

I do not accept late homework. If you will miss class, make arrangements to either submit your homework early to me or have another student turn it in for you.

That said, I understand that life gets in the way and sometimes homework doesn’t get done on time. To accommodate this, I will drop your lowest two homework scores from the final calculation for your grade. If there is something that will cause you to miss more than two weeks worth of homework, please get in contact with me as early as possible.

Virtual Office Hours

Virtual office hours will be held via zoom thrice a week at 11:30–12:00 Monday/Wednesday/Friday. See the Laulima site for information on how to access.

Academic Honesty

Cheating, plagiarism, and other forms of academic dishonesty will not be tolerated.

KOKUA Program and Accessibility

Students with disabilities are legally entitled to reasonable accommodations to ensure equal access to education. Any student who feels they may need accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact the KOKUA Program, the UH Mānoa office for students with disabilities. I am committed to providing students with equal access to this class, and am happy to work with you and KOKUA to ensure reasonable accommodations in my course. Because the accommodations offered are usually forward-looking modifications rather than mitigating poor grades you may have already received due to your disability, it is important to get in touch with the KOKUA Program as soon as you can. Further information and contact details can be found on their website.

The ADA defines a disability as a medical condition that substantially limits one or more major life activities—including things like walking sleeping, taking care of yourself, learning, and regulating your emotions—or major bodily functions. If you have a medical condition—including mental health conditions—that significantly interferes with your schoolwork, you probably qualify. You do not need to disclose your condition to your instructors to receive accommodations.

Counseling and Student Development Center

The Counseling and Student Development Center offers confidential counseling services to support students with personal, academic, or career concerns.

Food Vault Hawaiʻi

Groups on campus have organized a food pantry, free to use for students at UH Mānoa. All registered students with a valid student ID may access the food pantry. Further information, including location and schedule, can be found here or on this facebook page.