units

STA1010

Faculty of Science

18 September 2017 26 April 2024
Monash University

Undergraduate - Unit

This unit entry is for students who completed this unit in 2014 only. For students planning to study the unit, please refer to the unit indexes in the the current edition of the Handbook. If you have any queries contact the managing faculty for your course or area of study.

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6 points, SCA Band 2, 0.125 EFTSL

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered, or view unit timetables.

LevelUndergraduate
FacultyFaculty of Science
Organisational UnitSchool of Mathematical Sciences
OfferedClayton First semester 2014 (Day)
Malaysia First semester 2014 (Day)
Clayton Second semester 2014 (Day)
Coordinator(s)Dr Jonathan Keith (Clayton); Associate Professor Philip Rayment (Gippsland/OCL); Dr. Chen Won Sun (Malaysia)

Synopsis

Descriptive statistics, scatter plots, correlation, line of best fit. Elementary probability theory. Confidence intervals and hypothesis tests using normal, t and binomial distributions. Use of computer software. Formal treatment of statistical analyses and the role of probability in statistical inference.

Outcomes

On completion of this unit students will be able to:

  1. Understand the key steps of the scientific method and how it can be applied to real problems that involve data analysis and interpretation;

  1. Appreciate how statistical data is collected, analysed and stored;

  1. Understand the meaning of population parameters such as mean, standard deviation, and median;

  1. Understand the importance of statistical techniques in the analysis of data;

  1. Present and interpret data graphically;

  1. Determine confidence intervals for population parameters, and distinguish between a population parameter and a sample statistic;

  1. Determine the appropriate statistical technique for a given context;

  1. Perform simple statistical operations using Excel;

  1. Take a random sample from a population and determine whether data fits a statistical hypothesis;

  1. Prepare and write a scientific report.

Assessment

Examination (3 hours): 60%
Assignments/laboratories and tests: 40%
Students must pass the examination to be awarded a pass grade.

Chief examiner(s)

Dr Jonathan Keith

Workload requirements

Three 1-hour lectures and one 2-hour support class per week

This unit applies to the following area(s) of study

Mathematics
Mathematics and statistics

Prerequisites

SCI1020, VCE Mathematical methods 3 and 4, or equivalent international qualifications listed in the Unit Guide.

Prohibitions

ETC1000, ETW1000, ETW1102, ETX1100, FIT1006 and MAT1097.
Note: students who have completed STA1010 cannot subsequently undertake SCI1020.