STA1010 - Statistical methods for science - 2018

6 points, SCA Band 2, 0.125 EFTSL

Undergraduate - Unit

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

Faculty

Science

Organisational Unit

School of Mathematical Sciences

Chief examiner(s)

Associate Professor Jonathan Keith

Coordinator(s)

Associate Professor Jonathan Keith (Clayton)
Dr Daniel McInnes (Clayton)
Dr Ashwini Gengatharan (Malaysia)

Unit guides

Offered

Clayton

  • First semester 2018 (On-campus)
  • Second semester 2018 (On-campus)

Malaysia

  • First semester 2018 (On-campus)

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.

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;
  2. Appreciate how statistical data is collected, analysed and stored;
  3. Understand the meaning of population parameters such as mean, standard deviation, and median;
  4. Understand the importance of statistical techniques in the analysis of data;
  5. Present and interpret data graphically;
  6. Determine confidence intervals for population parameters, and distinguish between a population parameter and a sample statistic;
  7. Determine the appropriate statistical technique for a given context;
  8. Perform simple statistical operations using Excel;
  9. Take a random sample from a population and determine whether data fits a statistical hypothesis;
  10. Prepare and write a scientific report.

Assessment

Examination (3 hours): 60% (Hurdle)

Continuous assessment: 40%

Hurdle requirement: To pass this unit a student must achieve at least 50% overall and at least 40% for the end-of-semester exam.

Workload requirements

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

See also Unit timetable information

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