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Overview

Course Prescription

Examines the uses, limitations and abuses of statistical information in a variety of activities such as polling, public health, sport, law, marketing and the environment. The statistical concepts and thinking underlying data-based arguments will be explored. Emphasises the interpretation and critical evaluation of statistically based reports as well as the construction of statistically sound arguments and reports. Some course material will be drawn from topics currently in the news.

Course Overview

STATS 150 aims to prepare anyone, regardless of whether or not they have any background in statistics, to become a critical consumer of statistical information. STATS 150 will be useful for aspiring journalists, politicians, political scientists, sociologists, lawyers, public communicators, health personnel, conservationists, environmental scientists, business people, marketers, engineers, and scientists. It examines the uses, limitations, and abuses of statistical information in a variety of activities such as polling, public health, sport, law, marketing, and the environment. The statistical concepts and thinking underlying data-based arguments will be explored. The interpretation and critical evaluation of statistically-based reports as well as the construction of statistically sound arguments and reports will be emphasised. Some course material will be drawn from topics currently in the news.

Key Topics

  • Topic 1 - Introduction to Media Reports (Week 1)
  • Topic 2 - Surveys & Polls (Weeks 2 & 3)
  • Topic 3 - Experimental and Observational Studies (Week 4)
  • Topic 4 - Risk (Weeks 5 & 6)
  • Topic 5 - Media Reports (Weeks 7-9)
  • Topic 6 - Statistical Reasoning (Weeks 10-12)

Workload Expectations

This course is a standard 15-point course and students are expected to spend 150 hours per semester involved in each 15-point course that they are enrolled in.

For this course, a typical weekly workload includes:

  • Learning Activities: There are 3 hours of lectures and a 1-hour tutorial every week.
  • Self-Directed Time: Students are also expected to spend 3 hours per week reading and thinking about the lecture content as well as 5-6 hours working on assignments/quizzes and/or preparing for the test/exam.

Locations and Semesters Offered

LocationSemester
City

Teaching and Learning

Campus Experience

Lectures will be available as recordings.

Tutorials will not be available as recordings.

Participation is expected at scheduled tutorials to receive credit.

The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable.

Attendance in person will be required for any on-campus test and exam.

Learning Resources

Taught courses use a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas to provide students with learning materials including reading lists and lecture recordings (where available). Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

Additional Information on Learning Resources

Coursebook:

  • The course notes are available online via Canvas

Equipment:

  • Students should have access to a basic scientific (or graphics) calculator

Textbook:

  • There is no required textbook

Recommended Reading:

  • Blastland, M., & Dilnot, A. (2009). The Numbers Game: The Commonsense Guide to Understanding Numbers in the News, in Politics, and in Life. Gotham Books, New York, NY.
  • Utts, J. M. (2024). Seeing through statistics. Cengage Learning.

Copyright

The content and delivery of content in this course are protected by copyright. Material belonging to others may have been used in this course and copied by and solely for the educational purposes of the University under license.


You may copy the course content for the purposes of private study or research, but you may not upload onto any third-party site, make a further copy or sell, alter or further reproduce or distribute any part of the course content to another person.

Learning Continuity

In the event of an unexpected disruption, we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and course assessment continues to meet the principles of the University’s assessment policy. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator/director, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the university website for information about how to proceed.

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed for potential plagiarism or other forms of academic misconduct, using computerised detection mechanisms.

Similarly, research students must meet the University’s expectations of good research practice. This requires:

  • Honesty - in all aspects of research work
  • Accountability - in the conduct of research
  • Professional courtesy and fairness – in working with others
  • Good stewardship – on behalf of others
  • Transparency – of research process and presentation of results
  • Clarity - communication to be understandable, explainable and accessible

For more information on the University’s expectations of academic integrity, please see the Academic Conduct section of the University policy hub.

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about taught courses is made available to enrolled students in Canvas.

Students may be asked to submit assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. In exceptional circumstances changes to elements of this course may be necessary at short notice. Students enrolled in this course will be informed of any such changes and the reasons for them, as soon as possible, through Canvas.


Assessment and Learning Outcomes

Additional Information on Assessment

Must achieve 45% in the final exam, in addition to 50% overall, to pass the course.

Special Requirements

Participation is required for the tutorial component of coursework.

The mid-semester test will be held in the evening. The date and time will be advised on Canvas at the beginning of the semester. It will most likely be in Week 7 (after the mid-semester study break).

Course Learning Outcomes

CLO #OutcomeProgramme Capability Link
1
2
3
4
5
6

Assessments

Assessment TypeAssessment PercentageAssessment Classification

Assessment to CLO Mapping

Assessment Type123456

Student Feedback, Support and Charter

Student Feedback

Feedback on taught courses is gathered from students at the end of each semester through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions. Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students. In addition, class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

Additional Information on Student Feedback

Student feedback is always welcome. In response to feedback, we introduced several quizzes to the course to encourage student engagement and we plan to introduce several more. We also plan to introduce drop-in sessions covering student-requested topics.

Class representatives

Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.

Tuākana

Tuākana is a multi-faceted programme for Māori and Pacific students providing topic specific tutorials, one-on-one sessions, test and exam preparation and more. Explore your options at Tuakana Learning Communities.

Additional Information on Tuākana

Tuākana Statistics is the Māori and Pasifika community of learning in the Department of Statistics. We offer the following support to our Māori and Pasifika students: drop-in sessions for coursework assistance, and study wānanga for the test and exam. For more information, contact Susan Wingfield (s.wingfield@auckland.ac.nz).

Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.

Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website.

Wellbeing

We all go through tough times during the semester, or see our friends struggling. There is lots of help out there - please see the Support Services page for information on support services in the University and the wider community.

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed work is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due. If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page. This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter.

Student Academic Complaints and Disputes

Students with concerns about teaching including how a course is delivered, the resources provided, or supervision arrangements, have the right to express their concerns and seek resolution. The university encourages informal resolution where possible, as this is quicker and less stressful. For information on the informal and formal complaints processes, please refer to the Student Academic Complaints Statute in the Student Policies and Guidelines section of the Policy Hub.