Week 3 - Summary Statistics

Introduction to Statistics: Summary Statistics

Why

While organizing data into tables and graphs is sometimes the way to study a situation, other times we will need one or two numbers that summarize the entire data set. As we have already learned these numbers are called “parameters” when they summarize a population and “statistics” when they summarize a sample. The two most useful things to know about a set of numbers will be their center and how spread out they are. Knowing the different measures of these characteristics and when to use them is the mark of a competent statistics student.

Learning Objectives

• Understand the common measures of center (mean, median and mode)
• Understand the common measures of spread (range and standard deviation)
• Know how to identify and interpret the shape of a distribution

Performance Criteria

• The learner will calculate and interpret measures of center and spread for a data set.
• The learner will distinguish between data sets based on their center and spread.
• The learner will identify when data is skew, symmetric, or uniform and interpret the meaning of the shape of a distribution.

Chapter 2 (This is a video by the author covering chapter 2. Just watch the parts relating to sections 2.5-2.7)

Mean and Standard Deviation (Spreadsheet)

Mean and Standard Deviation (TI-84)

Click on "Textbook" to view the assigned reading or read Sections 2.5-2.7 from your print or digital copy. Web Book

Note: Various versions of the text can be found through the links in the Course Information folder.

The Plan for this Week

1. Review - Read the above components and post any questions in the forum below. 
2. Practice - Complete the practice exercises that follow.
3. Think - Answer the Critical Thinking questions in the "Critical Thinking" forum. 
4. Apply - Complete the Application Problems and upload your completed file
5. Assess - Complete the Peer Assessment for this week's experience.

If you have any questions about the content (readings, problems, etc.) then post in the "Questions about Week 3" forum. 

Common Shapes of Distributions