SOC 351/551 Social Statistics (Online)

Fall 2020

Instructor: M. David Chunyu, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Sociology

Class Meeting: Th, 11:00AM – 12:15PM, on Zoom (Meeting ID: 92472011555 Passcode: Median$)
Lab: Online and asynchronous
Office Hours: On Zoom by appointment
Phone: (518) 937-6918
E-mail: [email protected] (please put “SOC 351/551” in the email subject line)

Course Overview

This course provides a general introduction to statistical techniques for analyzing social science data.
Familiarity with statistics is important for the informed citizen because many social policy debates center
on the use of statistical information. Statistics is also a necessary tool for those interested in social
research, an increasingly important source of employment opportunities for social science majors.

Students will learn techniques for summarizing data, examining relationships among variables,
generalizing from samples to populations, and testing statistical hypotheses.

Learning activities of this course will include lectures, in-class exercises, lab activities, homework
assignments, and exams.

The laboratory portion of the course is designed to complement the lectures by letting students gain
hands-on experience carrying out various kinds of statistical exercises. The main activities will be
computer-intensive and will take place in the UWSP remote computer lab. Students will learn how to use
SPSS Statistics, a widely used statistical software for social scientists. We will mainly be using SPSS to
analyze data from the General Social Survey (GSS).

This course is required for Sociology and Social Work majors.

Prerequisites

MATH 90 or equivalent, and SOC 101; or instructor consent.

Generally if you can add, subtract, multiply, and divide, and follow simple rules of logical deduction, then
you have the tools necessary to succeed in this course. However, it is imperative that you keep up with
the progress of the course at all times! Due to the extremely technical and cumulative nature of this
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course, once you fall behind, it will be very difficult to catch up. Therefore, regular attendance,
meticulous notes, and timely completion of class and lab tasks and assignments are essential.

Social Work Competency

All aspects of this course help students work toward the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE)
competency of “practice-informed research and research-informed practice” for accredited social
work programs:

➢ Engage in practice-informed research and research-informed practice.

Social workers understand quantitative and qualitative research methods and their respective roles
in advancing a science of social work and in evaluating their practice. Social workers know the
principles of logic, scientific inquiry, and culturally informed and ethical approaches to building
knowledge. Social workers understand that evidence that informs practice derives from
multi-disciplinary sources and multiple ways of knowing. They also understand the processes for
translating research findings into effective practice.

Course Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

1. Demonstrate appreciation for when, why, and how social statistics are used;
2. Articulate the basic concepts and methodological procedures of data analysis, as well as the logic
underlying those procedures;
3. Process, analyze, and interpret data for the social sciences [e.g., the General Social Survey (GSS)
data];
4. Use statistical software (e.g., SPSS) to conduct basic data analysis;
5. Apply critical thinking to engage in analysis of quantitative research methods and research
findings;
6. Use and translate quantitative research evidence to inform and improve practice, policy, and
service delivery;
7. Use practice experience and theory to inform scientific inquiry and research.

Course Structure

This course will be delivered entirely online. Most of the coursework will be delivered through the course
management system Canvas. You will use your UWSP account to login to the course from the Canvas
Login Page. If you have not activated your UWSP account, please visit the Manage Your Account page to
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do so. In addition, students shall also participate in Zoom class meetings. Instructions on how to install
and use Zoom are available at https://www.uwsp.edu/infotech/Pages/Tutorials/Zoom/Zoom.aspx

This course consists of 12 weeks of substantive learning. Each week’s learning consists of the following
components:
1. Asynchronous lecture: Students shall study the lecture slides and video in Canvas. Students must
complete this task before Thursday 11:00AM in order to be prepared for the Zoom class
meeting.
2. Asynchronous lab: Students shall follow the lab video tutorials in Canvas and complete the same
activities through the UWSP remote computer lab at remotelab.uwsp.edu [see “Grading” →
“Homework Assignments (45 points)” for more information on the UWSP remote lab]. Students
must also complete this task before Thursday 11:00AM in order to be prepared for the Zoom
class meeting.
3. Synchronous Zoom class meeting: On every Thursday 11:00AM-12:15PM, the class shall meet
live on Zoom (Meeting ID: 92472011555 Passcode: Median$). During the Zoom class meetings,
the instructor will mainly lead students to work on exercises and practice problem solving; the
instructor can also answer students’ questions during the Zoom sessions. However, the Zoom
class meetings will not be used for the instructor’s lectures or labs. Therefore, it is essential that
students must have already completed the aforementioned task 1 (asynchronous lecture) and
task 2 (asynchronous lab) in advance. The Zoom class meetings will be recorded and shared
with the class afterwards, so students are advised to be discreet about their own appearance and
behavior as well as their background environment when using their webcams so that they can
protect their privacy and also minimize distractions during the Zoom meetings.
4. Homework assignment: Each week students will receive a new homework assignment. The due
date for the weekly assignments shall always be Tuesday in the following week [see “Grading”
→ “Homework Assignments (45 Points)” for more information].

In addition to the weekly substantive learning, there will be three (3) exams throughout the semester: two
midterm exams and one final exam [see “Grading” → “Exams (55 Points)” for details].

Additional Communication Expectations for Students

➢ Professional and respectful tone and civility are used in communicating with fellow learners and
the instructor.
➢ Written communication, both formal and informal, uses Standard English rather than popular
online abbreviations and regional colloquialisms.
➢ Spelling and grammar are correct.
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Grading

A student’s final course grade is based entirely on the “TOTAL POINTS” s/he has earned over the
semester. The “TOTAL POINTS” are simply the total crude points a student has accumulated from
assignments and exams, plus optional bonus points if applicable (also see the “Grading Scale” section
below about the calculation of a student’s “TOTAL POINTS”).

A student’s max total points consist of the following:

➢ Homework Assignments 45 Points

➢ Exams 55 Points
❖ 1st exam 15 points
❖ 2n exam 20 points
❖ Final exam 20 points

Max Total = 100 Points

Homework Assignments (45 Points)

There will be 12 weekly homework assignments throughout the semester. Some of the assignment tasks
are about manual calculations, while others involve using a computer and the SPSS software to analyze
real-life datasets.

Students can get access to the SPSS software by connecting their home computers to the UWSP remote
computer lab at remotelab.uwsp.edu. Students can refer to the instructor’s video tutorial in Canvas →
“09/02 - 09/06: Introduction to the Course” module → “Lab: Introduction” on how to get connected to the
UWSP remote lab. Additional information on the UWSP remote lab is available at
https://www.uwsp.edu/infotech/Pages/ComputerLabs/Remote-Lab.aspx

All the needed datasets and documentation will be made available in Canvas → “Data” module.

All weekly assignments will be due on Tuesday in the following week.

Exams (55 Points)

There will be three (3) exams: two midterm exams and one final exam. All exams will be open-book
exams. The exam questions will be based on lectures, reading, recorded videos, review exercises, lab
activities, and assignments.

The first two exams will be given in the middle of the semester and the exam arrangements will be
announced in advance. These two midterm exams may include multiple-choice questions, test problems,
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and SPSS application problems. The first midterm exam is worth 15 points and the second midterm exam
is worth 20 points.

The third and final exam will be given on Tuesday, December 15 at 2:45PM – 4:45PM, in Canvas. The
final exam will consist of 50 multiple-choice questions and is worth 20 points.

To help students prepare for the exams, the instructor will post review exercises for each unit in Canvas.
These review exercises are designed to help students digest and reinforce the class learning. Also
importantly, these review exercises are very closely tied to the exams, so students are highly
recommended to make good use of these review exercises when preparing for the exams.

Take careful note of the exam schedules, especially the date and time of the final exam, because the final
exam schedule is usually not the same as the regular class meeting schedule. NEITHER EARLIER NOR
MAKE-UP EXAMS WILL BE OFFERED EXCEPT IN DOCUMENTED CONFLICTS OR
EMERGENCIES.

Bonus Points (Optional)

There might be opportunities for students to earn extra credits/bonus points.

Grading Scale
Again, a student’s final course grade is based entirely on the “TOTAL POINTS” s/he has accumulated
over the semester. Thus, for calculating a student’s “TOTAL POINTS”, summation is the only
mathematical operation used; that is, the instructor will simply add up all the points a student has earned
from assignments and exams, plus optional bonus points if applicable. No percentage, proportion,
division, or any “out of (a base number)” concept is involved in the “TOTAL POINTS” calculation.

A student’s “TOTAL POINTS” will then be converted into her/his final course grade according to the
following scale:
A ...……...93.00 – 100.00 points C………....73.00 – 76.99 points
A-…….…..90.00 – 92.99 points C-………...70.00 – 72.99 points
B+……..…87.00 – 89.99 points D+…….….67.00 – 69.99 points
B…….…...83.00 – 86.99 points D..………..60.00 – 66.99 points
B-………...80.00 – 82.99 points F..………….0.00 – 59.99 points
C+………..77.00 – 79.99 points

Grade Posting
Students’ grade points from assignments and exams, plus optional bonus points if applicable, will be
posted in Canvas → “Grades” area as soon as they become available. A distinct grade item will also be
created in Canvas → “Grades” area to show a student’s “TOTAL POINTS” s/he has accumulated over the
semester. (Note: The “Total” column or other automatically generated columns in the “Grades” area of
Canvas will NOT be used, because they reflect some sort of percentage calculation, which is inconsistent
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with the grading system of this course. Please also see the preceding “Grading Scale” section for
explanation.) It is a student’s own responsibility to check Canvas regularly and to be kept informed of
her/his own grade status.

Textbook

The following book is required and has been ordered at the university bookstore:

Chava Frankfort-Nachmias, Anna Leon-Guerrero, and Georgiann Davis. 2020. Social Statistics for a
Diverse Society. 9th Edition. SAGE Publications, Inc.

Students can also access the textbook supplements at the student study website:
https://edge.sagepub.com/frankfort9e/student-resources

Additional Course Materials

Additional course materials (the instructor’s lecture slides, recorded videos, datasets and related
documentation, review exercises, assignments, etc.) will be made available in Canvas.

Additional Required Device

Each student shall get a calculator with the square and square-root functions. This can be either a
conventional standalone calculator like a regular scientific calculator, or a calculator application/app on a
computer/tablet/mobile device. A graphing calculator won’t be necessary.

The calculator will be used for class exercises, lab activities, homework assignments, and exams.

UWSP Technology Support

● Visit with a Student Technology Tutor

● Seek assistance from the IT Service Desk (Formerly HELP Desk)
o IT Service Desk Phone: 715-346-4357 (HELP)
o IT Service Desk Email: [email protected]
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Canvas Support

Click on the button in the global (left) navigation menu and note the options that appear:

Support Options Explanations

Use Ask Your Instructor a Question sparingly;
technical questions are best reserved for Canvas
personnel and help as detailed below.
Chatting with Canvas Support (Student) will
initiate a text chat with Canvas support. Response
can be qualified with severity level.
Contacting Canvas Support via email will allow
you to explain in detail or even upload a screenshot
to show your particular difficulty.
Calling the Canvas number will let Canvas know
that you're from UWSP; phone option is available
24/7.
Searching the Canvas guides connects you to
documents that are searchable by issue. You may
also opt for Canvas video guides.
If you have an idea for Canvas that might make
instructions or navigation easier, feel free to offer
your thoughts through this Submit a Feature Idea
avenue.
All options are available 24/7; however, if you opt to email your instructor, s/he may not be available
immediately.

● Self-train on Canvas through the Self-enrolling/paced Canvas training course

Protecting your Data and Privacy

UW-System approved tools meet security, privacy, and data protection standards. For a list of approved
tools, visit this website. https://www.wisconsin.edu/dle/external-application-integration-requests

Tools not listed on the website linked above may not meet security, privacy, and data protection standards.
If you have questions about tools, contact the UWSP IT Service Desk at 715-346-4357.

Here are steps you can take to protect your data and privacy.
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• Use different usernames and passwords for each service you use
• Do not use your UWSP username and password for any other services
• Use secure versions of websites whenever possible (HTTPS instead of HTTP)
• Have updated antivirus software installed on your devices

Expected Instructor Response Times

The instructor will attempt to respond to student emails within 24 hours. If you have not received a reply
from me within 24 hours please re-send your email.

Note: If you have a general course question (not confidential or personal in nature),
please post it to the Course Q & A Discussion Forum found on the course homepage. I
will post answers to all general questions there so that all students can view them.
Students are encouraged to answer each other's questions too.

The instructor will attempt to reply to and assess student discussion posts within 48 hours of discussions
closing.

The instructor will attempt to grade assignments within a week, however longer assignments may take me
longer to read and assess.

Online Classroom Etiquette

The classroom is a learning environment and an academic community. All members of this community,
students and instructor alike, have a special obligation to preserve an atmosphere conductive to the
freedom to teach and to learn. What is essential to preserve such freedom is a culture of respect that
honors the rights, safety, dignity, and worth of every individual. For that reason, all members of this
community are expected to show courtesy, civility, and respect for one another.

Part of that obligation to maintain a positive learning environment is to ensure that the behavior of any
individual does not disrupt the process of teaching and learning. Accordingly, students shall do their best
to minimize disruptions that can distract from their own learning and that of their peers.

The instructor reserves the right to mute a student or restrict a student’s access to Zoom class meetings
if the student behaves in a way that interferes with the academic or administrative functions of the
class.
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Diversity and Inclusion

UWSP supports an inclusive learning environment where diversity and individual differences are
understood, respected, and appreciated. These differences include race/ethnicity, gender, class, political
view, religion, color, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, age, marital or family status, as well as
personality, learning styles, and life experiences. It is these very differences among us that enrich our
learning environment and make us strong. We expect that students, faculty, administrators, and staff will
respect differences and demonstrate diligence in understanding how other peoples' perspectives, behaviors,
experiences, and worldviews may be different from their own.

Disabilities/Special Needs

UWSP is committed to providing reasonable and appropriate accommodations to students with

disabilities and/or special needs. If you have disabilities/special needs affecting your participation in the
course and wish to have special accommodations, please contact the Disability and Assistive Technology
Center (DATC) on the 6th floor of Albertson Hall (library) as soon as possible. DATC will then
coordinate with me in helping you receive the proper accommodations and auxiliary aids. DATC can be
reached at 715-346-3365 or [email protected]. You can also find more information here:
http://www.uwsp.edu/datc.

Academic Support

If a student finds it difficult to keep up with the class progress at any point during the semester, s/he is
recommended to seek help immediately from the instructor.

In addition, students may also use help from the tutor(s) at the Tutoring-Learning Center (TLC),
depending on the availability of the tutor(s). TLC can be reached at 715-346-3568 or
[email protected]. You can also find more information here: http://www.uwsp.edu/tlc. The tutoring
arrangement is to be made strictly between a student and TLC staff and does not necessarily involve the
instructor.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is central to the mission of this institution. Academic dishonesty in any form will not
be tolerated and will receive disciplinary sanctions per the UWSP policies. The UWSP policies regarding
student academic standards and disciplinary procedures can be found here:
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https://www.uwsp.edu/dos/Pages/Student-Conduct.aspx. If I observe academic misconduct, or if

suspicions of academic dishonesty are reported to me, I will request that the identified parties to discuss
the situation, and then the procedures set out in UWS/UWSP Chapter 14 will be followed.

(Continue to next page)

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COURSE OUTLINE

DATES TOPICS/ACTIVITIES READING

Univariate Analysis

09/02 – 09/06 Introduction to the Course Chapter 1.

Key Topics:
1. The Research Process
2. Independent and Dependent Variables
3. UWSP Remote Lab and SPSS
4. GSS Dataset and Codebook

09/07 – 09/13 Levels of Measurement Chapter 1.

Key Topics:
1. Levels of Measurement
2. Discrete and Continuous Variables
3. Descriptive and Inferential Statistics
A Basic Math Review
Key Topics:
1. Inequality Notations
2. Square and Square Root
3. Order of Operations
4. Solving Linear Equations

09/14 – 09/20 Organization of Information Chapter 2.

Key Topics:
1. Frequency Distributions: Frequencies, Proportions, and Percentages
2. Construction of Frequency Distributions by Level of Measurement
3. Grouped Data/Distributions: Stated Limits, Real Limits, Midpoints of
Class Intervals
4. Cumulative Distributions
5. Rates
6. Reading Statistical Tables
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09/21 – 09/27 Measures of Central Tendency Chapter 3.

Key Topics:
1. Mean, Mode, Median
2. Percentiles
3. The Shape of a Distribution
4. Choosing an Appropriate Measure of Central Tendency

09/28 – 10/04 Measures of Variability/Dispersion Chapter 4.

Key Topics:
1. The Importance of Measuring Variability/Dispersion
2. IQV, Range, IQR
3. Variance and Standard Deviation
4. Choosing an Appropriate Measure of Variability/Dispersion

10/05 – 10/11 *** 1st Midterm Exam ***

Bivariate Analysis

10/12 – 10/18 Bivariate Tables/Cross-Tabulation for Categorical Variables Chapter 9.

Key Topics:
1. Constructing a Bivariate Table
2. Analyzing a Bivariate Table
3. Properties of a Bivariate Relationship

10/19 – 10/25 Regression and Correlation for Interval-Ratio Variables Chapter 12.
Key Topics:
1. Linear Relationships
2. OLS Regression Line
3. R-Squared
4. Pearson’s Correlation Coefficient (r)
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Preparation for Inferential Statistics

10/26 – 11/01 The Normal Distribution (Part I) Chapter 5.

Key Topics:
1. Properties of the Normal Distribution
2. Areas under the Normal Curve
3. Standard (Z) Scores
4. The Standard Normal Table
5. Problem Solving

11/02 – 11/08 The Normal Distribution (Part II) Chapter 5.

Key Topics:
1. Problem Solving Continues

11/09 – 11/15 *** 2nd Midterm Exam ***

Inferential Statistics

11/16 – 11/22 Sampling and Sampling Distributions Chapter 6.

Key Topics:
1. Population and Sample
2. Probability Sampling
3. The Sampling Distribution
4. The Sampling Distribution of the Mean
5. The Central Limit Theorem

* 11/26 – 11/29 STUDENT VACATION! HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

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11/30 – 12/06 Estimation (Part I) Chapter 7.

Key Topics:
1. Estimation Defined
2. Confidence Level and Confidence Interval
3. Confidence Intervals for Population Means

12/07 – 12/13 Estimation (Part II) Chapter 7.

Key Topics:
1. Confidence Intervals for Population Proportions

12/15 *** Final Exam *** (Tuesday, 2:45PM – 4:45PM, Canvas)

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Unforeseen circumstances may necessitate changes in the course requirements and/or schedules.
Any changes will be announced in advance.
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