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MATH 117 Online Statistics
Main Page
Current Topics, Readings,
and Exercises
Graded Assignments
PowerPoint Class Notes
Handouts and Data Files
Caution about Online
Courses
Frequently Asked
Questions
Online Discussions and
Rules of
Engagement
Some Data Web Sites
Extra Help
FSC Blackboard
MyMathLab |
Since I want all of you to be able to understand and
to learn the statistics AND since I want you to be able to do
well in the course, I believe that I have an obligation to caution you
that studying/learning mathematics in the online environment is
different than studying, for example, history, psychology, or sociology
in the online environment. Learning statistics and
mathematics, in general, requires more than simply reading and reacting
to information. To learn mathematics and to be able to apply
mathematics, we must experience and be an active participant in the
problem-solving process, and for statistics, we must experience and be
active participants in the problem-solving and data analysis process.
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So, why is this "experiencing and being an active
participant in the problem-solving and data analysis process" so
important? In an online course, except for the video lectures
on MyMathLab, the
course information is presented through readings (text, PowerPoint,
online). For readings, you have only the information and steps in
the process that have been written down. Since this information is
already written down, you do not have any information as to why this
information and not other information has been written. In
addition, since all learners are different, while the written
information may be sufficient for one person, this same written
information may not include steps and/or comments that are important to
someone else. Because you are reading the information rather than
experiencing its development (being involved in its writing/creation),
this information and the accompanying process will seem straightforward.
However, this written information may not provide sufficient direction
on how to start the analysis when you are working on your own,
what not to do when you are working on your own, common errors
that arise and things of which to be wary when you are working on
your own. All of these and other concerns naturally arise when
one is experiencing problem-solving or data analysis as a active,
immediate participant. This is not to say that this experience
cannot be simulated in a online course -- if everyone stays up to date
and is vigilant in checking and responding to posted information and
discussions then one can experience some active involvement in the
virtual classroom. The main difference is that the students in the
online mathematics course bear the responsibility of gaining this
virtual active involvement: they must uncover more of the why's,
how's, why not's, and how not to's since they
gather this information from the immediate questions of their classmates
and the immediate responses and cautions from the instructor. If
you stay up to date with all the readings, especially on all discussion
board postings and responses as well as questions and answers, you can
simulate the involvement that you need.
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So, what's the big deal? Why did you make a
"caution page" for taking an online course? While I will do
anything within reason to help you to learn and to understand introductory
statistics, you must still do the work. What's the big deal?
You must be able to motivate yourself to do all the readings (text,
PowerPoint, online), to do the practice exercises, to do the graded
exercises, to use additional resources, for example, the STATLETS on
MyMathLab or my
Interactive MS
Excel Workbooks, to study for examinations and quizzes, and, in
general, to keep up with the course material since this is not a
self-paced course. But that's no different from any other
course. Yes, that is true, but, for a regular, face-to-face
course, you do have regular reminders from instructor who is standing in
front of you (well, yes) nagging you and reminding you about things for
at least three hours every week (over ten hour per week for five-week
summer courses). When you are taking an online
course, you must do all the nagging and reminding for yourself --
otherwise, you end up with zero (0) grades for missed quizzes,
examinations, assignments, and discussions. I do not want that for
you -- I want you to do well in the course. While I will post announcements, send emails, and, YES,
call you, if you okay it, (yeah, I do that -- see how important you are to me!), that
may not be enough. In order to succeed in an online course,
you must frequently (daily) login to check course information, to post
on the Blackboard discussion board, and to work on
MyMathLab,
be highly disciplined and well-organized, and being willing to put in
the required/necessary time to read all materials and postings, to use
all resources, and to do all necessary studying/practice of course data
analysis and problem solving techniques/methods examined in this course.
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All right, there must be another reason that you
decided to create this page! Well, there is. I feel that
it is important to point out that your learning style can affect your
performance in the course as well. Some of you may be visual
learners -- you learn through seeing. Others may be
auditory learners -- you learn by listening. Still others may
be kinesthetic learners -- you learn through moving, doing,
touching, investigating, and active exploration. Of course, for some of
you, your learning style could be a mix of these learning styles.
The visual learners, for the most part, will be happy with the method of
presentation for the course information and for the course interaction
since they learn through seeing, through reading. The
auditory learners will be at a bit of a disadvantage since so much of
the course information is presented through readings (text, PowerPoint,
online) and this online includes the discussions. When I
was searching for a textbook, I considered the various learning styles
and I made sure that I selected one that had video lectures available as a
help to the auditory learners in the class. In addition, I was
thinking of the auditory learners when I decided to include phone
appointments and face-to-face appointments as an option for this course.
The kinesthetic learners are my greatest concern since they need the
interaction, the doing, the active involvement. In my search for a
textbook, I wanted "things to use": the video lectures, the STATLETS,
the online practice quizzes and other resources on
MyMathLab. Then, I add more with my own
Interactive MS
Excel Workbooks, the online readings, and data web sites -- so there
is lots of learning through activities -- doing, exploring, and other
hand-on activities. Again, the only downside for all is the not
being together to explore and to experience as a group.
Of course, I would be willing to have some class get-togethers. And, of
course, I have mentioned that I schedule online, phone, and face-to-face
appointments.
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Well, now that you are at it, are there any other
concerns that you may have? To tell you the truth, I
have concerns about
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Internet access -- without Internet access you cannot
access the course materials on my site or Blackboard (this makes it
impossible to do graded assignments, to access course readings and
practice exercises information, to take online quizzes, to access exam
practice problems, to participate on the discussion board, and Oh so
many other things,
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email access,
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folks not doing the all the readings (text,
PowerPoint, online) or using all the available resources,
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folks thinking that viewing the video lectures and
reading the PowerPoints is sufficient and then not reading the text
(then why buy it) or the online readings,
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folks missing things that are in my
PowerPoints alone
by only reading the text or only viewing the video lectures,
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folks not doing the practice (enough) exercises -- of
course, this is a concern for any course,
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folks not being prepared for online quizzes and
on-campus exams by getting caught up in the self-paced feeling of
an online course even though there are definite deadlines and the
pop-quiz nature of the online quizzes,
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So, what would I want to tell you to sum this all
up??? Well that would be a challenge, summing all this up.
I would rather end by telling you, again, that I want to help you to
learn and to understand the introductory statistics presented in this
course and I would like to help you to do well. What I do not want
if for you to have is a false sense that the course is easier since it is
online -- the course will not be easier. I especially want those
who may have withdrawn from an introductory statistics course before or
those who may have earned a failing grade in an introductory statistics
course in the past to know that I am here to help but that this
course will not be easier than the course you may have previously taken.
Some of the aspects that I have described above may actually make this
course seem more difficult especially in light of learning styles and
the general lack of face-to-face contact -- of course I would like to
have some face-to-face meetings if folks are interested. Do you
notice the repetition of the idea presented earlier??? I like to
think of that as the principle of repetition or the principle of the
repeated invitation in this case. It never hurts to try
especially when it comes to teaching and learning!
So, now for a last thought on what has become a long
page, please remember that I am here to help and please remember that
your questions are important to me, that I want to help you to do
well in the course, and that there is no such thing as a
stupid question. (Just a little more of the
principle of repetition, if you do not mind. It never hurts to
try! For teaching and for learning, and especially for students,
it is worth it!)
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