Reading materials | Weekly Q&A | Lecture notes

Key concepts

  • Discrete and continuous variables
  • Probability: \(\frac{Number of favorable cases}{Total number of cases}\)
  • Normal probability distribution
  • Z-scores, also reflect on mean and standard deviation
  • Binominal probabilities
  • Distribution tables

Before class

Required readings

  • Meier, K. J., Brudney, J. L., & Bohte, J. (2014). The Normal Probability Distribution. In Applied Statistics for Public and Nonprofit Administration.
  • Meier, K. J., Brudney, J. L., & Bohte, J. (2014). The Binomial Probability Distribution. In Applied Statistics for Public and Nonprofit Administration.
  • Quick scan: Meier, K. J., Brudney, J. L., & Bohte, J. (2014). Some Special Probability Distributions. In Applied Statistics for Public and Nonprofit Administration.
  • Klein, G., & Dabney, A. (2013). The Cartoon Introduction to Statistics (First edition). Hill and Wang, a Division of Farrar, Straus and Giroux., Chapters 8

Video illustrations that are more accessible

You can find more videos to help you comprehend, here is a few.

The last banana: A thought experiment in probability

Binomial distributions | Probabilities of probabilities, part 1

Bayes theorem, the geometry of changing beliefs

In class

  • Lecture on key concepts and frameworks (45 min).
  • Group activity: Applying statistics (30 min)
  • In class practice (1h):
    • Paper practice
    • In-class practice
  • Assignment catch-up:
    • Qualitative Group Project (15 min).
    • Quantitative Test (15 min).

After class