All assignments use the same set of 12 numbers that you collect. Collect 12 numbers in the same way from the same source, one a day for 12 days or 12 hours. Use whatever sort of number you like: daily temperatures, stock prices, body weight, etc. but all 12 must be real data, collected in the same way. Record the date or time and that score. The point is to have 12 numbers that have a time order of when they were collected.
(Clicking on the Excel options shown below will cause a download that can be saved on your own hard disk or other storage device for use. See the Note below if you have trouble.)
Assignment 1 / Z scores
Note: If you are prompted for a password, click "cancel". Then, do a right click on the link you want and choose "Save Target As...". Save the file with a name like "MyNameStat1.xls" Look where you are saving it. My Documents would be a good place. Then open Excel and open MyNameStat1 in Excel. Do your work and re-save, not with Save As, just Save. Or, hit the appropriate icon to save your figures to your storage device (ie: flashdrive, floppy, CD, etc.) Then, email the file to me as an attachment.
There are explanatory comments that pop up in any cell with a small red triangle in the upper right cell corner.
Assignment 2-4 / Two Graphs: Size and Time
When you download this Excel file, you can use the "Name Box" immediately above the worksheet columns at the top, in the upper left corner. Click on the word "assignments" and a list of the results of the Assignments 2-4 will appear. Selecting a name in the box will zoom you to that part of the worksheet.
Because Excel is so powerful, it seems better to insert the necessary commands into the #2-4 file above for the graphs of the distribution and the data over time. Sending me the #2-4 file completes Assignments 2 to 4. But, you can use the time saved to explore the file to see where all the results are. You can also learn to make Excel calculate for you. The downloads listed below for Assignments 5, 6 and 7 will not do any of the work for you. You can either make Excel do that work or do it with a calculator. Learning to make Excel do the work is the better choice, since that will provide you with a tool considerably more powerful than a calculator. Click here for some tips on making Excel work for you.
(Information only) Probability Statements - Simple statements of probability include "The probability of rain today is 60%." For a little exercise in constructing such statements regarding drawing a score from your set of scores, we have Assignment 3. You do not need to send this to me in the Excel section of the class since both #3 and #4 are covered in Excel download 2 above. This is included here for information only. Note that the third question is helpful in Assignment 5 below.
Assignment 5 / 2x2 Contingency Table Using Chi-Squared
Assignment 5 requires you to sort your 12 scores into 4 groups. The work is based on the number of scores in each of the four groups. Click here for help if you are perplexed by Assignment #5.
Assignment 6 / Analysis of variance (ANOVA)
Use the Assignment 1 data in the same order of occurrence used in that assignment for this one. (Note: Excel '97 and more recent versions include an "add-in" called "Data analysis." You can add it by selecting "Add-ins..." under Tools and choosing "Data Analysis." Once added in, the last choice on the Tools menu will be Data Analysis. Data Analysis includes many statistical operations, including one-way ANOVA [Excel labels this "single factor anova"], correlation and regression plus many other techniques.. Excel's Data Analysis can do Assignments 6 and 7 and much else besides.)
This statistical technique compares the variation within 2 or more groups with the variation between them to evaluate the statistical significance of any differences between the group means. Click here for a Statistics Table for finding the critical F that your data must surpass to be statistically significant.
Assignment 7 / Correlation and Regression
Correlation is a statistical procedure to evaluate the fit of a well-chosen straight line to the points on a scattergram type of chart. The points each show the values of 2 variables for one individual. Regression is the further step of calculating the equation of the best straight line and the evaluation of the errors of prediction made by assuming a linear relation between the two variables being studied.