Module Descriptors
STATISTICAL INVESTIGATIONS
MATH40209
Key Facts
Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Sciences
Level 4
15 credits
Contact
Leader: Joy Harding
Hours of Study
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities: 36
Independent Study Hours: 114
Total Learning Hours: 150
Assessment
  • REPORT weighted at 40%
  • REPORT weighted at 60%
Module Details
Module Special Admissions Requirements
None.
Module Learning Strategies
There will be three hours per week, the majority of it laboratory based. Students will be involved with the collection, and presentation of real-life data in a variety of contexts. Students will investigate these datasets in the laboratory sessions to bring out the main features of the data. Students will work both individually and in groups and will communicate their results both orally and in writing.
Module Indicative Content
What is statistics? Exploring data sets
Statistical software (such as SPSS, EXCEL, MINITAB)
Types of data, nominal, ordinal, quantitative, discrete, continuous
Graphical representation of data (e.g. bar charts, scatter graphs, boxplots, pointplots, histograms)
Use of statistical methods (e.g. mean, standard deviation, correlation) and analysis for a wide range of statistical data sets
Writing statistical reports
Use of statistics in quality control
Development of transferable skillsin teamworking and communication.
Module Additional Assessment Details
Two individual reports - one relatively short based on a quality control scenario (40%) assessing Learning Outcomes 1 & 3.
A second individual report involving the collection, presentation of data and communication of results both in written form and orally (60%) assessing Learning Outcomes 1 & 2.
Module Texts
A. Meehan & B. Warner (1999) Elementary Data Analysis using Microsoft Excel, McGraw-Hill, ISBN: 0072360518
M. Middleton (2003) Data Analysis using Microsoft Excel, Brookes/Cole, ISBN: 9780534402938
D. Whigham (2007) Business Data Analysis using EXCEL, Oxford University Press ISBN: 019929628-6
P.Greasley (2008), Quantitative Data Analysis Using SPSS, McGraw Hill, OUP, ISBN: 0335223052
J Pallant (2007), SPSS Survival Manual, Version 15, McGraw hill, OUP, ISBN: 0335223664
Module Resources
Use of spreadsheets (such as EXCEL) and one sophisticated statistics package (e.g. SPSS)