Updated: February 20, 2013.
Below is an edited version of a document
I posted on January 14, 2013, concerning the online
section of Statistics 371 that I will be teaching in
Summer 2013. In addition to reading the material
below I have created two .pdf files that
you might find interesting.
The first such file presents an overview of the course.
Click on the link below to see it.
After you read the above-linked document, you will know
that a key component of the course will be the 23 chapters
of the Course Notes. The link below will take you
to the first two chapters of the Course Notes to give
you an idea of what you will be asked to do in the course.
January 14, 2013
Greetings. I will be teaching a section of Statistics 371
during the eight week general session:
Monday, June 17, 2013, to Friday, August 9, 2013.
The above dates are somewhat misleading because the course
will be offered ONLINE. The purpose of this document is
to give you a very brief overview of how the course will work.
1. It is my understanding that enrollment begins on April 1.
If you plan to enroll or are considering enrolling, I would
appreciate your sending me an email to that effect. My email
address is:
wardrop@stat.wisc.edu
In particular, if your summer travel/work plans require you to
KNOW whether there will be space for you in the class, please
let me know. I CAN promise to save, say, five or fewer spaces;
I MIGHT NOT be able to promise to save 30 spaces. (The target
enrollment is 48 students.)
2. As you will note from the timetable, the course meets
on Thursdays only, from 4:00--6:00 PM in room 410 of Wendt
Library. This weekly meeting is OPTIONAL. It will be run
as a very informal discussion. Essentially, the TA and I will
move around the room answering questions about the course material,
especially the homework.
3. I have deleted the original item 3 because it is contained
in the first .pdf file above.
4. I have deleted the original item 4 because it is contained
in the first .pdf file above.
5. Three experts in online teaching from the Department of
Continuing Studies at UW--Madison are helping me with the
development of this course. As a result, some of my descriptions
of the course in this document are works-in-progress. We will
definitely have face-to-face office hours; we will definitely
answer questions via email and, perhaps, via some kind of
chat room. I don't know the details yet.
6. I have taught introductory Statistics for 38 years and
more than 10,000 students have successfully completed one
of my courses. I am good at teaching introductory Statistics.
I have no experience, however, at teaching an online course,
but I have a plan.
As famed pugilist Mike Tyson once said:
Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the face.
Whereas I hope that I WON'T literally be punched in the face,
I do anticipate that unforeseen problems will arise this summer.
All I can say is that I am determined, with your help and feedback,
to make the course a success.
Bob Wardrop