The data in the above table's "Estimated Time on Task" column is automatically generated, and potentially confusing. The times given for the tests (2 hours each) are just estimates; for each student, this will depend on how many times the test is attempted. The times allocated to activity participation (each 0 hours) should be ignored.

HURDLES: All assessment tasks are hurdle requirements to pass this unit.  These can be different for internal and external students. Details will be provided on the iLearn page for the unit.

ATTENDANCE and PARTICIPATION: Online Students - Even though you are enrolled in online mode, you are required to engage with the lecture material each week. This will be monitored via short weekly participation quizzes; see the iLearn site for details. Please contact the unit convenor as soon as possible if you have difficulty completing any of these participation quizzes on time. There may be alternatives available to make up the work. If there are circumstances that mean you will miss a participation quiz, you can apply for Special Consideration via ask.mq.edu.au.

There is no participation requirement for Practicals or SGTAs for students enrolled in online mode (although you should work through this material to improve your understanding).

TEST SUBMISSION: Each module's test will be online, via the iLearn page. Students may attempt each test as many times as they choose, prior to the end of Week 13, with the highest mark counting toward the student's grade. For each test, a serious attempt (defined as a mark of at least 30%) must be made by the deadline in order to pass the unit.

A student who does not make a serious attempt (that is, score at least 30%) on any test by its deadline will fail the unit, unless Special Consideration is granted. If you miss a test deadline due to circumstances out of your control, you may be eligible to apply for Special Consideration via ask.mq.edu.au.

EMPLOYABILITY SKILLS: This unit has been designed so that 20% of student workload is allocated to employability skills. The employability skills modules are not graded, but the modules are hurdle tasks: you must complete the activities as outlined in order to pass this unit. Some activities will be automatically graded, but all will ask you to apply the modules to your work in this unit, general university studies and your personal goals. You will be informed of any due dates, but most modules can be completed in your own time.  See your iLearn unit for detailed information on how to complete the skills modules.

FINAL EXAM POLICY: There is no final exam for this unit.

Classes

The statistics content will be delivered in classes from Week 1 to Week 11. Specifically, students should work through the following material on a weekly basis:

• A 2-hour lecture – recorded Weeks 1–10.
• A 1-hour SGTA on the topics of the previous lecture – Weeks 1–11. (Week 1 will introduce the employability module.)
• A 1-hour practical on the topics of the previous one or two lectures – Weeks 2–11.

The details of activities in the employability module will be announced via iLearn.

Assistance

For help with any matters related to this unit, students should contact the appropriate department staff:

• for administrative matters, email stat1170.admin@mq.edu.au.
• for academic matters (e.g., help understanding the material, or questions about marks), email your lecturers at stat1170.academic@mq.edu.au.

Required and Recommended Texts and/or Materials

• A calculator with statistics mode will be essential.
• Software:
  • The software used in this unit is Excel, the spreadsheet application from Microsoft's Office suite. For students with Mac or Windows computers, this application can be downloaded from the student portal. This can be accessed from the web page for Student IT services: http://students.mq.edu.au/it_services/.  Students using other operating systems might find Google Sheets or OpenOffice Calc to be a workable alternative.

Recommended textbook used in this unit:

• Modern Statistics: An introduction, Don McNeil and Jenny Middledorp (ISBN 9781486007011). This can be purchased in hard copy from, for example, the Coop Bookshop or in e-format (ISBN 9781486022120).

Other recommended reading:

• Introduction to the Practice of Statistics, Moore, D.S. and McCabe, G. P (W.H. Freeman)
• Statistics without Tears by Rowntree (Penguin)
• Mind on Statistics by Utts & Heckard (Thomson, 2004)
• Elementary Statistics by Johnson & Kuby (Thomson, 2007)
• Statistics: The Art & Science of Learning from Data by Agresti & Franklin (Prentice Hall, 2007)
• The Statistical Sleuth by Ramsey and Schafer (Duxbury, 2002).

Technology Used and Required

iLearn (which is a version of Moodle) is used for delivery of course material and can be accessed at: http://ilearn.mq.edu.au.

Prizes

Don McNeil Prize for Introductory Statistics is named in honour of the foundation Professor of Statistics at Macquarie University. The prize is awarded twice per year to the student with the best overall performance in a first-year statistics unit.

In Weeks 1–10, the lectures will introduce the following topics. Each topic will be developed in SGTAs and Practicals in the following week.

Employability activities and assessment will occur throughout the semester, including Weeks 11–13.

This new unit has been adapted from an earlier unit, STAT170, with some changes. The statistical content has been modernised and streamlined (including changing software to Excel, and avoiding the use of statistical tables) to allow for the new employability content. The assessment structure has been altered, and the final exam eliminated.