Fall 2020
Dear Student,
Welcome to Statistics online at Genesee Community College. I believe you’ll find this course to be an interesting, challenging, and rewarding experience.
Our main means of communicating this semester will be through the use of the Blackboard (MyGCC) software at Genesee Community College. Please log on at https://mygcc.genesee.edu , click the “My Courses” tab at the top of the page, and navigate your way to the “MAT129-L66” link. This link, which connects you to the college’s Blackboard server, will be available by Monday of the first week of classes.
This semester, you are required to do homework online using the MyStatLab software at http://mystatlab.com. More information will be provided soon.
I suggest that you thoroughly read the syllabus and make notes of the important dates for the semester. Some key points to note:
The course is broken up into three distinct modules.
Each module will take about 4 weeks to complete.
At the end of each module, you'll take a test on that material. All tests will be taken online inside MyStatLab. Tests are timed and will last approximately 90 minutes. You'll need to take your tests by the due date!
TEST 2 WILL BE PROCTORED via ZOOM. You will sign up to take the second test during one of the two time slots offered by the instructor. You'll need to log into zoom using a secondary device (other than your computer). This might be your phone, a tablet, or a second computer. You'll need to point the video in such a way that the instructor can see you and your screen. You'll need a quiet, clear work area to take the test.
If you can't make either of the testing sessions offered by the instructor, you'll need to take your second test using the ProctorU proctoring service at a cost of $20.
There will be an optional final exam that will replace your lowest test grade.
Our textbook, Elementary Statistics - Picturing the World, does a nice job of presenting the course content in a clear and straightforward manner. In the study packet for each module you’ll see a precise listing of all the chapters, sections, objectives and problems you’ll need to examine to master the content.
In Blackboard, I will post the learning objectives, timelines, and activity sets for each module. I'll attempt to highlight the most important material. Each module covers about 9 or 10 chapter sections, consists of a list of suggested exercises, four required online homework assignments, a short Minitab assignment, and culminates in a test. Your active participation in the suggested activities will ensure your success in this class. You must not fall behind in the work! I give no make ups for quizzes and do not accept late homework assignments. Once the deadline for a test has passed, a grade of zero will be recorded.
Remember, you'll be taking 3 tests and, optionally, a final exam online using MyStatLab. The second test will be proctored via Zoom or ProctorU.
Finally, a note about MyStatLab and the print version of your textbook: when you purchase MyStatLab, you will have an electronic copy of the textbook at your disposal, and theoretically would not need the print edition. If you want to purchase the print version, that's fine with me; I'll leave that decision to you. Please contact me at kjmead@genesee.edu if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Ken Mead
Professor of Mathematics
and Computer Information Systems
Genesee Community College