Calendar

The following is a running, updated calendar of all correspondence, assignments and due dates for MTH 360 during the COVID-19 online learning phase of the course.


Saturday, May 2

• Individual Emails sent returning homework and announcing Monday, May 4 as the deadline to turn in the last homework assignment for the semester: Problem 10.5.10.
• Email sent announcing Zoom information for Office Hours on Tuesday, 5/5 at 9:30 AM.

Thursday, April 30

• Video 8, Part 2:  Example of Least Squares Estimates in Linear Regression posted. This is the last instructional video of the semester.
• Email sent announcing video, attaching data for the video and attaching review sheet for material since Exam 3.
• Review Sheet for Material Since Exam 3 posted to D2L.

Tuesday, April 28

• Video 8, Part 1: Regression and the Method of Least Squares posted
• Email announcing video and clarifying final homework duties sent

Monday, April 27

• Video 7, Part 2: Example of the Chi Square Test for Independence posted 
• Homework Assigned: 10.5:  1, 3, 5, 8, 10
• Email sent announcing video and homework assignment
• Example used in Video 7, Part 2 posted to D2L.
• Individual Emails sent returning Exam 3

Saturday, April 25

• Video 7, Part 1: Contingency Tables and The Chi-Square Test for Independence posted 
• Email sent announcing video and giving reminder of Problem 9.3.3a with Excel work due Monday, 4/27 at Noon.

Friday, April 24

• Email sent announcing homework due Monday, 4/27 at Noon:  Problem 9.3.3a. Use Excel to obtain rejection region and p-value.
• Email sent announcing Final Exam on Thursday, May 7 from 1:30 to 6:30 PM.

Thursday, April 23

• Video 6, Part 3: Example of Two Approaches to Large Sample LRT's (Comparing Two Proportions) posted 
• Homework Assigned: 9.4.2 (both approaches), 9.4.5 (both approaches), 9.4.10 (do only what is asked), 9.5.9, 9.5.10
• Email sent announcing video, homework assignment, and announcing that homework pickup will occur on 4/24.

Wednesday, April 22

• Video 6, Part 2: Large Sample Approaches to LRT's posted
• Email sent announcing video as well as past and future Section 9.4 homework

Tuesday, April 21

• Video 6, Part 1: The Likelihood Ratio Test for Comparing Two Proportions posted
• Homework Assigned:  Provide the detail for obtaining the three MLE's in Video 6, Part 1
• Email sent announcing video and assignment over Video 6, Part 1

Sunday, April 19

• Video 5, Part 2: Example of the F Test for Two Population Variances posted
• Homework Assigned: 9.3.2, 9.3.3a, 9.3.4, 9.5.6
• Email sent announcing video, assignment, and attaching example along with Excel instructions for using the F distribution.

Friday, April 17

• Exam 3 given between Noon and 4 PM

Thursday, April 16

• Zoom Office Hours held from 9:30 to 10:40 AM
• Email sent with instruction for the definition of  "complete solutions" on Exam 3.

Wednesday, April 15

• Video 5, Part 1: Analysis of Two Population Variances posted 
• Email sent announcing video, providing Zoom info for Thursday 4/16 Office Hours and reminder of Exam 3.

Tuesday, April 14

• Zoom Office Hours held from 9:30 to 10:45 AM
• Email sent attaching Key to HWK Worksheet that the One Sample T Test is a LRT

Monday, April 13

• Supplement to Video Series 4: The Behrens-Fisher Problem posted
• Email sent announcing video and reminder of Zoom Office Hours for 4/14 at 9:30 AM
• Individual emails sent returning graded 7.4.11 and 7.4.20

Saturday, April 11

• Email sent with Conceptual Review Sheet for Exam 3 and Zoom info for Office Hours on Tuesday, 4/14 at 9:30 AM.
• Conceptual Review Sheet Posted to D2L.

Friday, April 10 (End of Material Covered on Exam 3)

• Video 4, Part 4: Example of a Two Sample Pooled T-Test and Associated CI posted 
• Assigned Problems From Section 9.2 and 9.5:  9.2.1, 9.2.7, 9.2.8, 9.2.10, 9.2.15, 9.5.1, 9.5.2
• Email sent announcing video, providing example to use in video and announcing assignment listed above.
• Individual emails sent returning graded 6.5.1 and 7.3.4

Wednesday, April 8

• Video 4, Part 2:  The Test Statistic and the Null Distribution of the Two Sample Pooled T Test posted. 
• Video 4, Part 3: The Confidence Interval for the Difference in Population Means posted 
• Video:  Information about MTH 360 Exam 3 posted 
• Email sent announcing videos and a reminder of due dates
• Email sent discussing assessment survey results
• New blog post containing assessment survey results

Monday, April 6

• Video 4, Part 1:  Pooling & Variance Within Samples vs. Across Samples posted 
• Problem 7.5.17 with p-values due Tuesday, April 7
• Homework Worksheet over Proof that the one-sample T-test is a LRT due Thursday, April 9
• Exam 3 announced for Friday, April 17 from Noon to 4 PM. 
• Email sent announcing video post, assignments and upcoming exam
• Blog post announcing Exam 3

Friday, April 3

• Email sent returning old homework
• Email sent with handout "Introduction to Chapter 9"

Wednesday, April 1 (End of Chapter 7 Coverage)

• Video 3, Part 3:  The T Test is a Likelihood Ratio Test (Critical Region) posted
• Email sent announcing video post and reminder of HW due today

Tuesday, March 31

• Email sent about university drop date being officially extended to April 30
• Video 3, Part 2:  The T Test is a Likelihood Ratio Test (Algebra) posted
• Email sent announcing video post and reminder of HW due 4/1

Monday, March 30

• Online Question & Answer Chat tonight at 9 PM - here at the blog website
• Video 3, Part 1:  The T Test is a Likelihood Ratio Test posted 
• Homework Problems 7.4.11 and 7.4.20 requested in separate files by email before or on Wednesday, 4/1.
• Email sent announcing video post, chat reminder and request for homework to be sent in.
• Individual emails sent with Exam 2 grades and approximate current grade in course

Friday, March 27

• Video 2, Part 2: Example of Test and CI for Population Variance posted
• Assigned Problems from Section 7.5: 9a,10,11,16,17
• Email sent announcing video post, Section 7.5 HWK and plans for Chat.  Problem 7.3.4 requested to be sent in.

Wednesday, March 25

• Video 2, Part 1:  Inference for the Population Variance posted [Beginning Section 7.5]
• Email sent announcing video post and attachment with example for Video 2, Part 2 included.  This part of the video will be posted Friday, 3/27.  Chi Square chart also sent as attachment.

Monday, March 23

• Blog created
• MTH 360 Instagram Account Added [follow at dmilleratsfasu] (sent out email to announce insta, blog, chat)
• Video 1, Part 3: Example of T-test and CI for One Population Mean posted
• Email sent out that:  announced the video being posted and made assignment from Section 7.4, Three attachments:  T table, Example of T-Test and CI that is used in video, Handout on T-Test being unreliable when data are skewed
• Assigned Problems from 7.4: 7,8,10,11,19,20
• Deadline to Submit 6.5.1.  This problem is now DUE.
• Section 7.4 of Larsen and Marx uploaded to D2L
• T Table uploaded to D2L along with Example Handout from Video 1, Part 3 and the Handout on the T-test being unreliable when data are skewed.

Friday, March 20

• Video 1, Part 2: Does the T statistic have a T Distribution? posted 
• Email sent announcing the video
• D2L updated with reminder of assignments from 3/18, 3/19 and 3/20

Thursday, March 19

• Email sent with a timeline for work to be done on 3/19 and 3/20.  Problems 7.3.2 and 7.3.4 assigned.
• Section 7.3 of Larsen and Marx uploaded to D2L
• Handout:  "Reflections on the T Distribution" uploaded to D2L

Wednesday, March 18

• Video 1, Part 1: Definition of a T Random Variable posted
• Email sent announcing video and Intro to Chapter 7 handout attached.
• Requested to send solution of Problem 6.5.1 which was assigned before Spring Break

Monday, March 16

• Video 0:  Introduction to Online Learning Phase of MTH 360 posted
• Email sent announcing the YouTube Channel and everyone requested to "Check In"

Problems From Text Assigned

The following is a list of MTH 360 problems assigned from Larsen and Marx during the Spring 2020 COVID-19 remote learning period:

Problems are eligible to be called for by email one week after the dates assigned which are listed here.

Tuesday, March 3:                    6.5 |  1,2,3,4
Thursday, March 19:                7.3 |  2,4
Monday, March 23:                  7.4 | 7,8,10,11,19,20
Friday, March 27:                     7.5 | 9a,10,11,16,17
Week of March 30 - April 3:    No Larsen & Marx problems assigned.  HW is to learn proof in videos.
Monday, April 6:                      Worksheet over Proof that One-Sample T-test is a LRT (Due 4/9)
Friday, April 10:                       9.2 |  1,7,8,10,15
                                                  9.5 |  1.2

(End of Homework That "Counts" Toward Exam 3 preparation)

Sunday, April 19                       9.3 |  2, 3a, 4
                                                 9.5 |  6
Tuesday, April 21                     Provide the detail for the three MLE's obtained in Video 6, Part 1
Thursday, April 23                     9.4 | 2 (both approaches), 5 (both approaches), 10 (do only what is asked)
                                                  9.5 | 9, 10

Monday, April 27                      10.5 | 1, 3, 5, 8, 10
Wednesday, April 29:               Be Familiar With Example From Video 8, Part 2

(End of Homework For the Semester)

Survey Results. Course Structure For The Rest of the Semester

MTH 360,

All 12 students in MTH 360 have completed the assessment survey and reported to me.  I have included a formula in my gradebook that boosts everyone’s homework average by 2.5 points.  I still plan to drop one homework score in addition to this bonus.

Here are the results of the survey and my comments about course structure changes going forward.  The survey took an average of 4 minutes and 21 seconds to complete

Question 1:  How would you rate approach on a scale of 1 to 10 (10 best)?

Average Response:  8.8 out of 10.

Question 2:  What is your main opinion about mode of content delivery?

Stick with You Tube Videos: 9

Change to Fixed Zoom Meetings: 0

Doesn’t Matter: 3

As a result of this question, I will continue to deliver all content by YouTube and we will not have scheduled live Zoom classes.

Question 3: Length of YouTube Videos

Stick to an average of 15 minutes:  11

Make Them Shorter: 0

Make Them Longer: 1

Just do one long one a week: 0.

As a result of this question, the length of the YouTube videos will not change.  They will be targeted to average 15 minutes.

Question 4: If we Zoom, I prefer Zoom at what times?

During scheduled class time: 8

Late Afternoon: 3

Night: 1

As a result of this question, anything we do in Zoom will happen on Tuesday/Thursday at 9:30 AM.

Question 5: How many Zooms per week if we Zoom?

Two per week: 10

One long one each week: 1

Three per week: 1

Every day of work week: 0

As a result of this question, anything we do in Zoom will happen on Tuesday/Thursday at 9:30 AM.

Question 6: Office Hours

Keep it by email anytime: 8

Zoom at fixed time: 3

Doesn’t Matter: 1

As a result of this question, the primary office hour style will remain thru email and you are welcome to email at any time.  However, since there was mild interest in Zoom as an office hour option, we will have Zoom live office hours on the following days and times:

Tuesday, April 14 at 9:30 AM

Thursday, April 16 at 9:30 AM

Tuesday, April 28 at 9:30 AM

Thursday, April 30 at 9:30 AM

Tuesday, May 5 at 9:30 AM

These time WILL NOT change and no additional times will be added to them. More details including Zoom meeting codes and passwords will be sent later.

Question 7:  Chat Sessions

Good Idea Once a Week: 7

Chat was at night is why I didn’t show: 3

Chats are lame: 2

Comment: Despite the majority thinking it is still a good idea, because of the open office hours and scheduled Zoom sessions, chats have been eliminated.

Question 8: Open Comments

Thank you for the many detailed comments in this section.  Here are my responses to a few cherry-picked statements.

Student: “When I get confused or stuck on a little part I find it difficult to type out my problem especially if I'm not sure where I'm messing up. I know that you can't sit next to us and look at our paper and go from that but maybe we could do live Zoom meetings in place of our study sessions we were doing on campus.”

Dr. Miller:  Yes, this is why we will go to a few Zoom office hours. This seems reasonable.

Student: “Have one or two videos aside from lectures in which you just work out problems.”

Dr. Miller:  Ask questions during live Zoom office hours or talk with me via email.  I’m comfortable with the amount of videos being made staying the same.

Student: “Dr. Miller has made this transition to online classes one of the easiest. I like the blog where everything is organized and it says what e-mails were sent out when.”

Dr. Miller: Thank you.  Several of you said things like this and I appreciate it.  I am a HUGE fan of the blog.  Anyone not checking it to stay organized should be reading it daily.

Student: “I do not believe that it would be necessary (really in most cases) to hold live lectures.  Just because we have that technology doesn’t mean that it’s the “right” way to do it”

Dr.  Miller:  Bingo.  This comment wins the internet.

Student: “can we make things due during or actual class meeting time(TR), our previous assignments have been due the day we normally don’t have class(MWF).”

Dr. Miller:  I thought really hard about this, but I just don’t think I can do it.  The COVID-19 period pretty much eliminated the concept of daily structure for all of us.  We all need the flexibility to study and work at the times that we dictate.  I’m more than open to being flexible with each of you individually, but to only make things due on TR is too rigid in my opinion.  I’m going to continue to use every day of the week as a potential video day or due date, while trying to space them out to the best degree I can.

Student: “The overall structure is dependent on my time and my effort. Unlike other courses they are more strict and on schedule but this course being flexible gives some relief.”

Dr. Miller:  This is really what I am/was going for.  I know not EVERYONE sees it this way, but it is clear that this is the majority thought and so we’ll stick by this flexibility the best we can.

Thank you for all of your input.  You are welcome to send me any other comments by email at any time!

Exam 3: Friday, April 17

Exam 3 for MTH 360 will be conducted remotely on Friday, April 17 from Noon until 4 PM.  The exam will cover Section 6.5, Chapter 7 and the first part of Section 9.2.

The exam will be open notes.  Students may use notes they have taken in class, notes they have taken from videos, the videos themselves and homework problems / text on the exam.

The exam will be sent out via email at Noon and students will have to submit their scanned solutions by email with a time stamp no later than 4 PM.  If the time stamp on the returned email is later than 4 PM, then students will be docked points proportional to the delay.

Students should roughly allot three hours for the exam and one hour for "processing" just to be safe.  It is recommended that students use an app such as Microsoft Lens for scanning the multiple pages of the completed exam.  Microsoft Lens can scan multiple pages and then store the document as one PDF file.

It is the students FULL RESPONSIBILITY to know how to scan multiple pages and collect them into one document BEFORE BEGINNING THE EXAM.

It is the students FULL RESPONSIBILITY to know how to take the scanned document and save it locally in such a way that it can be attached in an email.

Using Microsoft Lens to take pictures of several pages of work, organizing them into one file and returning it to Dr. Miller by email should take approximately 5-10 minutes, but students should plan for longer times than this so that they do not miss the 4 PM deadline.

It is the students FULL RESPONSIBILITY to secure a quiet, productive environment in which to take the exam.  Consider your location and surrounding for the exam NOW and secure the best environment for test-taking NOW well in advance of April 17.

More information about the exam will be provided in a video posted during the week of April 6-April 10.

Welcome to our MTH 360 Blog... A Supplemental Tool

Hi MTH 360 Crew,

I created this simple blog to be a place that could help us stay organized.  I'll create short posts with hints from questions that I have received, announcements and just other general supplemental advice as we go through this online learning period.

One thing that will be included is a running post that will function as a calendar for our class.  Many of you have already expressed to me that it is really tough to keep up with all the emails that you are getting from all your instructors.  I'll help with that by having a class calendar containing a running update of all communication, email dates, assignment dates, video posting dates and due dates.  You can always click on the calendar link which is over on the right margin to get to our calendar.

Also, this blog will host our "Office Hour Chats" that will allow you to post questions in real time and read my answers live.  The live chats are powered by a group called "JotCast" that I have worked with on the athletic side of the university.  They have graciously allowed us to use their software for free here at this blog so I want to thank them for that.  The chats will be archived in these posts, so you can always go back and re-read your peers questions and my answers along with our discussion.

Keep working hard and check back here from time to time.  I'll always announce chats and assignments by email, but I hope this is just another SIMPLE tool that can help keep us connected!

--Dr. Miller