BIS 215B

Statistics are everywhere. From ordinary daily activities (what does your fitbit say? How much time have you spent on your phone?) to the most consequential decisions about our lives (is taking this medicine worth the side effects?), statistics are involved. Apps use statistics to describe the experiences at restaurants. Political pollsters use statistics to infer who voters will probably elect. Insurance companies use statistics to predict that certain types of people are going to file a claim. Social media platforms use statistics to analyze your preferences and make predictions about the content that will keep you coming back for more.

In short, statistics are used to tell stories about the world.

So, using statistical analysis is similar to writing an essay or even a complex novel. The difference is in the tools that get used to tell the story; novelists use techniques such as dramatic irony and statistical analysts use mathematical models. Both are storytellers.

This course surveys some of the basic statistical tools that are widely used to describe, infer, and predict aspects of everyday life, matters of policy, and scientific investigation. We’ll engage with these storytelling tools to develop critical statistical literacy. In this case, “critical” means thinking about how statistics are used and the accuracy of the stories being told. Consequently, you will be asking questions about the assumptions of statistical tools and evaluating how these assumptions play out in practical applications.

Learning Goals

Students who successfully complete the requirements of this course will be able to:

1. Describe, infer, and predict aspects of everyday life, matters of policy, and scientific investigation.
2. Understand how statistical analysis is used across a wide variety of practical and disciplinary domains.
3. Interpret statistical output—numbers and graphs.
4. Critically read and interpret reports, papers, and media content that use statistical analysis.
5. Create a portfolio that demonstrates your skills with statistical analysis.

Textbook

Here’s a video describing how to use the textbook—it’s accessible in many formats! It is free and available online and as an e-book, mobile book, or in PDF. Each chapter also has a video.

Online Statistics Education: An Interactive Multimedia Course of Study, Project Leader: David M. Lane, Rice University.

Is this course for me?

I have designed this course to introduce any college student to basic statistics. There are no prerequisites.

Access to technology

Half of this course is online and therefore requires a reliable fast-speed Internet connection. The Open Learning Lab and the library can provide access on-campus if you need it. You also need to make sure that you know how to access the course using Canvas. If you are not familiar with Canvas, please visit the UW IT's Canvas Help for Students page. We’ll be using Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, and some online apps to complete the statistical analyses for your research projects.

Context for this course in IAS

The School of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences focuses all students’ experiences around five core learning objectives:

• Collaboration and shared leadership
• Critical thinking
• Diversity and equity
• Interdisciplinary research and inquiry
• Writing and presentation

These objectives apply across all areas of study and your experiences in every IAS course should allow you to develop your abilities and understanding in most, if not all, of the objectives.