ClassInfo

LSP 121 Quantitative Reasoning and Technological Literacy II

Fall 2012-2013
Class number: 14528
Section number: 115
TuTh 9:40AM - 11:10AM
STDCT 00363 Lincoln Park Campus
Course homepage: http://col.cdm.depaul.edu

Summary

Course Description

In this course, students will continue the study of issues in the sciences, social sciences, and management in which quantitative data plays a significant role. This second course in Quantitative Reasoning and Technological Literacy (QRTL), however, will emphasize more the role of computer technology. This class will make use of various computer tools such as MS-Access, the IBM SPSS software, programming environments (primarily text editors), MS-Word, MS-Excel, MS-PowerPoint, and even the Internet.

Objectives of course:

This Quantitative Reasoning and Technological Literacy course is designed to help you to become a more confident, critical, and capable user of quantitative information of all kinds. In particular, it will help you to

continue to critique quantitative arguments, whether given numerically, graphically, or in written form

manipulate data via the creation and use of relational databases

become acquainted with basic descriptive statistics and probability

understand the basic concepts of algorithms and their creation and specification



Texts

Required Materials

Please bring a flash disk (thumb drive) to every class. Label with your name and e-mail address in case it becomes misplaced.

Textbook

None; All readings, lecture notes, assignments and homework available online.



Grading

Course Grading Breakdown:

In-class Activities (15 graded Activities): 30%
Homework Assignments (9 graded HWs): 25%
Midterm Exam: 20%
Final Exam: 25%

An expanded description of each follows:

Final Exam An in-class final exam must be taken in order to receive a grade in the course. If you cannot take the exam due to illness or family emergency, you must inform me in advance by phone or email. In such situations, you will typically receive an incomplete grade in the course, and we will make arrangements for you take the final exam as soon as possible the next term.

Midterm Exam An in-class midterm examination will be given during class. There are no makeup exams in this course. If you cannot take an exam due to illness or family emergency, you must inform me in advance by phone or email.

The combined average of the midterm and final exams must be a passing grade in order to pass this course (this is to ensure that you are capable of doing some work on your own).

Homework Assignments - Many weeks there will be an assignment to be done outside of class. Their purpose is to give you individual out of class practice on the skills we are learning and to explore some ideas more thoughtfully and deeply. The assignments are posted on the course web page and will be handed out in class. Homework assignments must be done individually and are due by the due date posted on the assignment (~1 week later).

In-class Activities - Class attendance and participation are important. Most of the class time will be spent working on exploratory activities that embody a "learn by doing" approach. If you dont complete an activity for a given day (and a new activity is scheduled to be introduced next class period), you have until the end of the next class period from which the activity was handed out to submit the activity for credit.

Incomplete and FX Grades

Grades of Incomplete are given only in cases of medical emergency or other highly unusual emergency situations. Please note that University guidelines require that you must be earning a passing grade at the time you request an incomplete grade. You should have completed most of the course, with at most one or two major forms of evaluation missing. Incompletes revert to an F if they are not resolved within one quarter. If such a situation should occur, please inform the instructor as soon as possible. A grade of FX is assigned if the student quits coming to class but never officially drops the course.

Class Attendance

While attendance will not be a percentage of your final grade, your attendance will be monitored every class period.


Prerequisites

Prerequisites:

LSP 120 (Or successful completion of the LSP120 placement exam).

LSP 121 is a Liberal Studies requirement for freshman and transfer students that entered DePaul University on or after the Fall Quarter, 2006. When taking LSP 121, you may reduce by one the number of courses they must take to meet their Learning Domain Area requirements. This course reduction can come from any one of the six Learning Domains, as long as the student still takes at least one course from each Domain and as long as the student still completes the laboratory and quantitative requirements in the Scientific Inquiry area.

If you feel you already know the materials presented in this course, there is a placement exam you may take. You must take this exam within the first week of classes to waive the course this quarter. If you pass this exam, you will be waived from taking this course. Consult the qrc.depaul.edu website for more details.



Academic Integrity

Academic Integrity

Violations of academic integrity, particularly plagiarism, are not tolerated. Plagiarism is defined by the university as:
..a major form of academic dishonesty involving the presentation of the work of another as one's own. Plagiarism includes but is not limited to the following:
a. The direct copying of any source, such as written and verbal material, computer files, audio disks, video programs or musical scores, whether published or unpublished, in whole or part, without proper acknowledgement that it is someone else's.
b. Copying of any source in whole or part with only minor changes in wording or syntax, even with acknowledgement.
c. Submitting as one's own work a report, examination paper, computer file, lab report or other assignment that has been prepared by someone else. This includes research papers purchased from any other person or agency.
d. The paraphrasing of another's work or ideas without proper acknowledgement.

Plagiarism, like other forms of academic dishonesty, is always a serious matter. If an instructor finds that a student has plagiarized, the appropriate penalty is at the instructor's discretion. Actions taken by the instructor do not preclude the college or the university from taking further punitive action including dismissal from the university (DePaul Student Handbook).

University policies on academic integrity will be strictly adhered to. Consult the DePaul University Student website for further details.



Grading Scale

Grading Scale:
92 - 100 A
90 - 91 A-
88 - 89 B+
82 - 87 B
80 - 81 B-
78 - 79 C+
72 - 77 C
70 - 71 C-
68 - 69 D+
60 - 67 D
0 - 59 F



Introduction to course; Data and distributions: Normal Distributions

Descriptive statistics using the IBM SPSS Statistics Software Correlation; Probability Probability and risk Number systems and logarithms; Midterm exam Simple databases; Finding and filtering data; Importing a spreadsheet into a database Relational data and databases; Normalization; Database queries Database forms; Database reports; MS-Access switchboard Introduction to algorithms; Algorithms and Alice (3D animation software) More algorithm examples: VBA coin toss; Google search techniques

School policies:

Changes to Syllabus

This syllabus is subject to change as necessary during the quarter. If a change occurs, it will be thoroughly addressed during class, posted under Announcements in D2L and sent via email.

Online Course Evaluations

Evaluations are a way for students to provide valuable feedback regarding their instructor and the course. Detailed feedback will enable the instructor to continuously tailor teaching methods and course content to meet the learning goals of the course and the academic needs of the students. They are a requirement of the course and are key to continue to provide you with the highest quality of teaching. The evaluations are anonymous; the instructor and administration do not track who entered what responses. A program is used to check if the student completed the evaluations, but the evaluation is completely separate from the student’s identity. Since 100% participation is our goal, students are sent periodic reminders over three weeks. Students do not receive reminders once they complete the evaluation. Students complete the evaluation online in CampusConnect.

Academic Integrity and Plagiarism

This course will be subject to the university's academic integrity policy. More information can be found at http://academicintegrity.depaul.edu/ If you have any questions be sure to consult with your professor.

All students are expected to abide by the University's Academic Integrity Policy which prohibits cheating and other misconduct in student coursework. Publicly sharing or posting online any prior or current materials from this course (including exam questions or answers), is considered to be providing unauthorized assistance prohibited by the policy. Both students who share/post and students who access or use such materials are considered to be cheating under the Policy and will be subject to sanctions for violations of Academic Integrity.

Academic Policies

All students are required to manage their class schedules each term in accordance with the deadlines for enrolling and withdrawing as indicated in the University Academic Calendar. Information on enrollment, withdrawal, grading and incompletes can be found at http://www.cdm.depaul.edu/Current%20Students/Pages/PoliciesandProcedures.aspx.

Students with Disabilities

Students who feel they may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact the instructor privately to discuss their specific needs. All discussions will remain confidential.
To ensure that you receive the most appropriate accommodation based on your needs, contact the instructor as early as possible in the quarter (preferably within the first week of class), and make sure that you have contacted the Center for Students with Disabilities (CSD) at:
Lewis Center 1420, 25 East Jackson Blvd.
Phone number: (312)362-8002
Fax: (312)362-6544
TTY: (773)325.7296