Elementary Statistics: Math 201

About the Textbook

Introductory Statistics

Description: 

This introductory one-semester textbook is geared towards students who are not majoring in math and science and focuses on the applications of statistical knowledge rather than the theory behind it. The foundation of this textbook is Collaborative Statistics, by Barbara Illowsky and Susan Dean, which has been widely adopted. This new version has enhancements in artwork, terminology, and practical applications to enhance the relevance and accessibility for students. The text also includes collaborative exercises, integration with TI-83, 83+, 84+ calculators, technology integration problems, and statistics labs.

• Authors:
  Susan Dean, De Anza College, California
  
• Barbara Illowsky, De Anza College, California

Formats:  

This book is available online and as a PDF and Bookshare. You can also purchase a print copy for $33.50.

Supplemental Resources: 

• Online homework tools and interactive study guides for students and faculty provided.  
• Faculty-only resources such as solutions and slides are also available. 
  

Peer Reviews: 

The book has been reviewed by a CCC faculty member,a CSU faculty member and a UC faculty from within the California higher education system. There is also an Accessibility Evaluation.

Cost Savings: 

Students can experience significant savings depending on previous textbook selections.  Purchasing a new traditional textbook, Prem S. Mann's Introductory Statististics published by Wiley and Sons costs over $150 at Amazon.com.  The free online Introductory Statistics from OpenStax College is also available in a print version for $34 plus shipping and handling.

Accessibility and Diversity Statement from Publisher: 

Not all formats of the textbook have been evaluated but the most recent version of this open textbook is available in a Bookshare format which supports DAISY and Braille-Ready-Format (BRF).

License:

Except where otherwise noted, Introductory Statistics by OpenStax College is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. This license lets others distribute, remix, tweak, and build upon the work, even commercially, as long as they credit the author for the original creation.  This is the most accommodating of licenses offered.  Recommended for maximum dissemination and use of licensed materials.

About the Course

Math 201: Elementary Statistics

Description: 

This course covers elements of probability, frequency distributions, graphs and measures of central tendency. Functions of random variables, probability distributions, sampling, hypothesis testing, confidence intervals, regression analysis and analysis of variance (ANOVA) will also be covered.

Prerequisite: Intermediate Algebra or Math 154A

GE Credit: 5 units; Degree applicable.

• Design and implement an unbiased study that will produce sound statistical results.
• Generate and interpret statistics graphs from data that arise from surveys and experiments.
• Implement the rules of probability.
• Apply confidence intervals and test hypotheses to make conclusions about data that come from practical applications.
• Perform regression analysis to make informed predictions about relationships between quantitative variables.

Curricular Changes:  

Since the OER textbook addressed every topic in our curriculum, no changes were needed.  I did need to put a significant amount of work into creating a computer-graded homework tool, PowerPoints, and videos of worked-out problems. This was all linked to from a Moodle site. I have also created several applets for the course.

Teaching and Learning Impact:

• Collaborate more with other faculty: Yes, department adoption
• Use wider range of teaching materials: Developed new tools
• Student learning improved:  Unknown
• Student retention improved: Early dropout rate lower
• Any unexpected results: Students corrected errors

Update:

I am now involved in an exciting collaboration.  The California Community College system has a new program called the Online Education Initiative (OEI).  I have taken a leadership in this effort by being on the LMS selection committee and an evaluator for courses that will be part of the OEI.  My statistics course is one of the three California online courses chosen as a model course for the OEI.  I have formed a collaborative of several other online statistics instructors.  We are sharing our resources in the Canvas shell that the we have selected to be the statewide LMS.  All this will be given out as OER materials.  The idea is to have dozens of talented statistics faculty contribute their work so that we can have a quality collection of online resources that we can include in our classes.  These materials will all be available as a supplement to the Illowsky and Dean textbook, which our students will continue to learn from in my classes without having to spend a dime for. 

 Also, our college has started an incarcerated student program. I was able to convince the faculty and director to use OER textbooks for this program.  Because of these efforts and some other activities that I am involved in, my college awarded me the distinguished faculty award this year.  This award is presented to just one faculty member each year.  

Syllabus

Quantitative Investigation Project
Description and grading rubric for quantitative investigation course project

Data Collection Project
Description and grading rubric for data collection with sampling course project

Textbook Adoption

OER Adoption Process

Lake Tahoe Community College is a very small college, and I have autonomy over what textbooks I adopt.  There was absolutely no resistance from my administration or colleagues.  Instead, I received their full encouragement.  The biggest challenge at the beginning was that the textbook did not come with a computer-assisted homework system, so I spent many hours developing one myself. I have made this available as an OER.  Multiple instructors at colleges throughout the state are using this system.

Student Access:  

Students can access the book directly on the OpenStax College website. The bookstore has made printed copies of the textbook available for a small price for students who learn best with a printed textbook.

Student Feedback or Participation:  

Students are overwhelmingly positive about using the OER materials.  They make extensive use of the videos, textbook, and the online homework system.  For example, one student told me, "The online book, videos, and Moodle help so much.  I have chemistry and physics and had to pay over $100, and those programs are awful compared to what I get in stats."

Applets for Statistics
Larry Green's Applets for Statistics

Larry Green, Ph.D.

I am full-time instructor at Lake Tahoe Community College and teach all levels of mathematics and statistics that are taught. I serve as the chair of the editorial board for the MERLOT math group and am also a past president of the California Mathematics Council Community Colleges (CMC3).