What This Document Is
This document contains commentary and guidance from Professor Wardrop for STAT 371, an introductory statistics course at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. It outlines the instructor’s approach to the course, detailing the relationship between course notes, lectures, homework assignments, and examinations. It’s essentially a roadmap to successfully navigating the learning process within this specific statistics offering. The document reflects a thoughtful, and evolving, teaching philosophy.
Why This Document Matters
This resource is invaluable for students enrolled in or considering enrollment in STAT 371. It’s best reviewed *before* the semester begins and revisited throughout the course. Understanding the instructor’s expectations regarding preparation, lecture engagement, and the connection between different course components can significantly improve your learning experience and performance. It’s particularly helpful for students who want to proactively understand how to best utilize all available resources.
Common Limitations or Challenges
This document doesn’t contain the actual course content – the statistical formulas, methods, or problem sets. It won’t teach you statistics directly. Instead, it focuses on *how* the course is structured and *how* to approach learning the material. It also acknowledges that the course is a work in progress, meaning some aspects may be refined as the semester unfolds. It doesn’t provide solutions to problems or worked examples, only describes where those can be found.
What This Document Provides
* An overview of the core learning materials used in the course.
* Insight into the instructor’s expectations for student preparation and participation.
* Details regarding the weighting and structure of homework assignments.
* Important dates for midterm and final examinations.
* Clarification on permitted materials during exams.
* Guidance on how lecture examples relate to homework and exams.
* A description of the role of Teaching Assistants in the course.
