Unit Guide

General Information

Unit convenor and teaching staff	Unit convenor and teaching staff Jun Ma jun.ma@mq.edu.au Karol Binkowski karol.binkowski@mq.edu.au
Credit points	Credit points 10
Prerequisites	Prerequisites Admission to MAppStat or GradCertAppStat or GradDipAppStat or GradDipBiotech or MBiotech or MRadiopharmSc or MSc or MDataSc or MLabQAMgt or GradDipLabQAMgt or GradCertLabQAMgt or GradCertMarScMgt or GradDipMarScMgt or MMarScMgt or MEnv or MScInnovationStat or MConBiol or GradDipConBiol or GradCertConBio or MScInnovationEnvSc or MSusDev or GradCertEnv or GradDipEnv
Corequisites	Corequisites
Co-badged status	Co-badged status
Unit description	Unit description This unit provides a broad introduction to statistical concepts and data analysis techniques, providing basic statistical knowledge. The unit is concerned with the development of an understanding of statistical practice and is illustrated by a study of those techniques most commonly used in the sciences, social sciences and humanities. The aim of statistical practice is to make the scientific research process efficient; for this reason statistics is used in disciplines ranging from accountancy to zoology. Topics covered in this unit include: data collection methods; data quality; data summarisation; and statistical models like the normal distribution, followed by sampling distributions and statistical inferences about means, proportions and quantiles. Also studied are methods of analysis relating to comparisons, counted data and relationships, including regression and correlation. Statistical computer packages are used for handling and analysing data along with word processing for reporting the results. However, no prior computing knowledge is assumed.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

ULO1: Organise and summarise data graphically and numerically.
ULO2: Analyse and solve problems about distributions and sampling distributions.
ULO3: Evaluate and apply statistical strategies to answer a research question.
ULO4: Draw conclusions from the results of a statistical analysis.
ULO5: Evaluate the appropriateness of statistical methodologies when analysing a variety of problems arising from other fields of research.
ULO6: Demonstrate the ability to write a report based on a statistical analysis, using modern, specialised statistical software for analysis and presentation of results.

General Assessment Information

HURDLES: All Basic Module Tests are hurdle requirements to pass this unit. Details (pass level and so forth) will be provided via iLearn.

ASSIGNMENT SUBMISSION: Assignment submission will be online through the iLearn page.

Submit assignments online via the appropriate assignment link on the iLearn page. A personalised cover sheet is not required with online submissions. Read the submission statement carefully before accepting it as there are substantial penalties for making a false declaration.

Assignment submission is via iLearn. You must follow the submission instructions provided on iLearn.
If there are technical obstructions to your submitting online, please email us to let us know.

You may submit as often as required prior to the due date/time. Please note that each submission will completely replace any previous submissions. It is in your interests to make frequent submissions of your partially completed work as insurance against technical or other problems near the submission deadline.

LATE ASSESSMENT SUBMISSION PENALTY: From 1 July 2022, Students enrolled in Session based units with written assessments will have the following university standard late penalty applied. Please see https://students.mq.edu.au/study/assessment-exams/assessments for more information.

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, a 5% penalty (of the total possible mark) will be applied each day a written assessment is not submitted, up until the 7^th day (including weekends). After the 7^th day, a grade of '0' will be awarded even if the assessment is submitted. Submission time for all written assessments is set at 11:55 pm. A 1-hour grace period is provided to students who experience a technical concern.

For any late submission of time-sensitive tasks, such as scheduled tests/exams, performance assessments/presentations, and/or scheduled practical assessments/labs, students need to submit an application for Special Consideration.

ASSESSMENTS WHERE LATE SUBMISSIONS WILL/WILL NO BE ACCEPTED: In this unit, late submissions will/will not be accepted as follows:

Module Tests - NO, unless Special Consideration is Granted
Statistical Report – YES, Standard Late Penalty applies

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

Assessment Tasks

Name	Weighting	Hurdle	Due
Module 1 Test	15%	Yes	Week 4
Module 2 test	15%	Yes	Week 6
Module 3 test	15%	Yes	Week 8
Module 4 test	15%	Yes	Week 10
Module 5 test	15%	Yes	Week 12
Statistical report	25%	No	Week 13

Module 1 Test

Assessment Type ¹: Quiz/Test
Indicative Time on Task ²: 2 hours
Due: Week 4
Weighting: 15%
This is a hurdle assessment task (see assessment policy for more information on hurdle assessment tasks)

This quiz will test the ability of students to summarise a data set numerically and graphically, and to understand and interpret the output of such analyses.