Course Description:
Understanding the application and interpretation of statistics is important to any rigorous scientific investigation. In this course we examine the most commonly employed statistical tools in biology. Lectures will be used to present the mathematical basis of these statistical tools. From this, you will gain an understanding of where various numbers come from and what they mean relative to research question(s) at hand. Laboratory/tutorial sessions will be used to demonstrate the use of ‘canned’ software packages for the statistical analysis of real data.


Lecture:
F 10:30 – 12:30; Room 1 NSC


Text:
Statistics for the Life Sciences, 3rd edn., by M.L. Samuels and J.A. Witmer (Prentice-Hall)


Grades:
Mid-term Exam 30%
Final Exam 45%
Assignments (5): 25%
Total 100%


Topics to be covered:
The Scientific Method
Data
Samples
Measures of Central Tendency
The Normal Distribution
Statistical Hypothesis Testing
t-Tests
Analysis of Variance
Regression and Correlation
Categorical Data


Laboratories/Tutorials:
Attendance at weekly laboratory sessions is required. During these sessions you will learn hands-on techniques that you will use to complete homework assignments and to answer examination questions.


Homework Assignments:
You will be assigned bi-weekly homework assignments that will require you to summarize, analyze and interpret biological data.


Notes:
(1) A mid-term exam will be held in the evening during your assigned lab time in your assigned lab room, date TBA . The final exam will be held during the December exam period and will be comprehensive. All exams will be comprised of multiple choice questions and are closed book. For in-class exams, you must let me know at least 2-days in advance if you will miss the exam. You will require medical documentation without such notice. For the final exam, see http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/handbook/exam/attend.html. (2) Homework assignments are due at the end of each Friday class indicated below, not at the end of lab/tutorial sessions. Lab/tutorial sessions are meant to familiarize you with computer software used to complete your homework assignments. Therefore, you should take all of the time allotted for each lab/tutorial to work on your homework assignments. Do the homework assignments yourself, you’ll need the practice for the exams and plagiarism is a major academic offence (Plagiarism: Students must write their essays and assignments in their own words. Whenever students take an idea, or a passage from another author, they must acknowledge their debt both by using quotation marks where appropriate and by proper referencing such as footnotes or citations (see Scholastic Offence Policy in the Western Academic Calendar). (3) Late homework assignments will be docked 10% per day late.
(3) Late homework assignments will be docked 10% per day late.