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Course 2018-2019 a.y.

30001 - STATISTICA / STATISTICS

Department of Decision Sciences

For the instruction language of the course see class group/s below

Go to class group/s: 21 - 22

BIEF (8 credits - I sem. - OBBC  |  SECS-S/01)
Course Director:
PIERO VERONESE

Classes: 21 (I sem.) - 22 (I sem.)
Instructors:
Class 21: MAURIZIO POLI, Class 22: EMILIO GREGORI

Class group/s taught in English

Class-group lessons delivered  on campus

Mission & Content Summary
MISSION

In the last decade an unprecedented revolution has taken place in the collection of and accessibility to all types of data: in the last two years, for example, there has been a 90% increase in the amount of data produced in the world. The possibility of collecting such a huge mass of data does not mean however a direct increase in the knowledge on the various phenomena; indeed the opposite is possible. Besides the relevant technical problems due to huge dataset processing (big-data), an accurate analysis of such data cannot avoid taking into account, for example, their different natures, their complexity, their inter-relationships, etc. Therefore, the course is meant to provide the first essential theoretical and applied instruments to carry out a rigorous statistical analysis. In particular, the student learn not only to extract information from data, but also to assess the reliability of such information.

CONTENT SUMMARY

The course covers the following broad areas:

  • Collection, management and summary of data using frequency distributions, graphical representations and indexes.
  • Study of the relationship between two variables.
  • Statistical inference and sampling variability.
  • Theory of point estimation and confidence intervals.
  • Hypothesis testing.
  • Simple regression model and brief introduction to the multiple regression model.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILO)
KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...
  • Recognize different types of data.
  • Understand the difference between the tools of descriptive and inferential statistics, and identify the most suitable approach for the problem at hand.
  • Recognize simple statistical models.
APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...
  • Properly summarize a dataset.
  • Estimate, and test hypotheses on, the unknown parameters of a population on the basis of sample data.
  • Build simple statistical models, as regression models, aimed at studying the relationships  between variables of interest.
  • Use the R software to find the solutions to the aforementioned problems.

Teaching methods
  • Face-to-face lectures
  • Exercises (exercises, database, software etc.)
  • Case studies /Incidents (traditional, online)
DETAILS

Beyond the traditional classroom lectures, the teaching method adopts practical sessions using the statistical software R to solve the problems previously illustrated. More specifically, during these sessions students use their pc’s to solve several problems together with the instructor. A real-world dataset is used throughout all the course, thus providing an exhaustive example (with respect to the course contents) of a practical statistical analysis.


Assessment methods
  Continuous assessment Partial exams General exam
  • Written individual exam (traditional/online)
  •   x x
    ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS

    The assessment method, equal for attending and not-attending students, considers two alternative ways: 1) three partial exams, 2) a general exam.

    1. Two partial exams are traditional written exams, while in the third one, using the R software, the students are asked to conduct a short data analysis session to answer some questions. This last partial exam is worth at most 4 points that are added to the average grade (at most 27/30) of the remaining two partial exams.

    2. A general written exam (at most 31/30). The exam contains explicit questions on the code of the R software, on its working principles and on the interpretation of its output. The R-related questions are worth 4 points. A total grade of 31/30 is equivalent to 30/30 cum laude.

    Both forms of the exam aim at assessing:

    • The ability to identify the proper methodology to solve a given problem.
    • The understanding of the logic underlying a certain procedure.
    • The ability to compute appropriate statistical measures with both a pocket calculator and a statistical software.
    • The ability of suggesting and implementing with R a statistical model, consistent with both the assumptions stated and the data at hand.
    • The ability to understand the output from the software.

    Teaching materials
    ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
    • P. NEWBOLD, W.L. CARLSON, B. THORNE, Statistics for Business and Economics, Pearson/Prentice Hall, 8th global edition. 
    • Additional Material Document on, Frequency Distributions, available on the Bboard platform.

    • Specific material on the use of the R software are available on the Bboard platform since the beginning of the course.
    Last change 18/06/2018 08:31