Course Syllabus
Statistics in News
Gen Ed Quantitative Literacy
Course Code: 0826,
Section: 750,
CRN: 52403
Fall, 2025
Instructor: Priya Kansal
The course syllabus will provide you with the course schedule, course objectives, explanations of assignments and assessments, grading policies, and instructor contact information. Please read it carefully. You should have a deep familiarity with the schedule and process of the course.
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Basic Course Information
General Education
This course fulfills the General Education area of Quantitative Literacy
Meeting Time and Location
Every Tuesday and Thursday from 5:40 PM JST to 7:40 PM JST Virtually on Zoom
Link: - JOIN HERE
Emergency Meetings
In the event that we are unable to meet online, such as due to emergency situations, expect a Canvas announcement directing you to a Zoom meeting or providing other guidance.
Instructor Information
My Name: Dr. Priya Kansal
Please refer to me as Priya. My pronouns are She/her.
My Contact Information
Please reach out to me at any time for assistance with the course or just to chat about the field or navigating university life. The best way to reach me is to email me at priya.kansal@tuj.temple.edu. I will generally respond within 24 hours, Monday through Friday. Please do not send a follow-up email before 24 hours have passed.
My Office
Online : https://temple.zoom.us/j/93814254743
Student Drop-In Hours
Seeking out individual assistance from the instructor is a normal part of the learning process. I set aside 16:00 to 17:30 on Tuesday for you to join me in Zoom meeting room ( https://temple.zoom.us/j/93814254743). We can discuss the course content, your progress on the assessments, your future in the field, or anything else you need to talk about. If my regular Drop-In Hours don’t fit your schedule, please email me to make an appointment. I want to help you succeed!
Purpose of the Course
Overall Purpose
This General Education Quantitative Literacy course expands the breadth of your knowledge and skills, adding to the depth acquired in your major. This course emphasizes the critical competencies of critical thinking towards the overwhelming world of information and news around you.
Overview of the Course
Ever feel overwhelmed by the amount of information we have access to? Not sure whom to believe? This course provides students with the skills and knowledge to discern truth from fiction (and what lies in between) as they engage in rich discussions on current events. Students learn how to understand, evaluate, and criticize information from surveys and scientific studies encountered in newspapers, magazines, textbooks, and scholarly journals. They learn how to distinguish between informative and misleading uses of statistics and make informed decisions in the face of complexity and uncertainty. The focus is on understanding statistics and statistical ideas, not on statistical methodology (although this is also part of the course). Numerous supportive examples taken from a variety of fields in the social, behavioral, and natural sciences accompany each method and concept.
Credit Hours: 4 (No extra credits are there in this course)
Learning Goals
Upon successful completion of this General Education course, you will be able to…
- Develop thinking and communication skills related to data analysis and statistical inference
- Recognize, use, and appreciate quantitative thinking with a focus on day-to-day events, information and news around you.
- Develop the ability to make informed judgments when looking at statistical reports/ data/ analysis
- Develop skills in identifying, accessing, and evaluating sources of information while reading or using statistical information.
- Perform simple mathematical computations associated with quantitative data and make inferences based on the results;
- Understand the various sources of bias and potential errors in the statistical reports/ news reports/data/ analysis.
All materials, activities, and assessments of this course are designed to help you achieve these goals. If at any time you feel that you are not making progress towards one of these goals, please reach out to me. It is my job to help you get there!
The Learning Environment
How Class Will Be Conducted
Most class sessions will combine a brief lecture and one or more learning activities based upon the assigned reading for the day. I will generally be available for a few minutes after class to discuss individual issues, but, as a courtesy to the next class to use our space, we may defer lengthy and/or serious matters to an appointment in my office.
Classroom Civility
It is important to foster a respectful and productive learning environment that includes all students in our diverse community of learners. Our differences, some of which are outlined in the University's nondiscrimination statement, will add richness to this learning experience. Therefore, all opinions and experiences, no matter how different or controversial they may be perceived, must be respected in the tolerant spirit of academic discourse.
Treat your classmates and instructor with respect in all communication, class activities, and meetings. You are encouraged to comment, question, or critique an idea, but you are not to attack an individual. Please consider that sarcasm, humor, and slang can be misconstrued in online interactions and generate unintended disruptions. Profanity should be avoided as should the use of all capital letters when composing responses in discussion threads, which can be construed as “shouting” online. Remember to be careful with your own and others' privacy. In general, have your behavior mirror how you would like to be treated by others.
For more information, please visit the IDEAL website.
Materials
For this course, we will be using Seeing Through Statistics 4th Edition with WebAssign Platform. All required materials can be obtained from the course Canvas and WebAssign. Every time you need to click on the WebAssign on your HOME Page at CANVAS. For the first time, you need to create a new account or login to you already existing Cengage account for course registration. Follow the CANVAS integrated WebAssign Registration Guide. You can access the WebAssign for free for 14 days, after that you need to buy Cengage WebAssign access code.
Book Detail:
· Seeing Through Statistics, WebAssign, 12 Months Digital Access (This is a Digital Product – Please take note of the access platform and access period.)
· ISBN: 9780357370001
· Author: Jessica M. Utts
· Edition: 4
· Access Platform: WebAssign/CANVAS
· Access Period: 12 Months
Where to buy from: https://www.cengageasiaestore.com/jp/9780357370001.html
· List Price：17,500 JPY (without tax)
· Discount code (58%): JPKBZD2025FA (Available till 2025/10/31)
· Price after discount- 7,350 JPY (before tax) 8,085 JPY (with tax)
How to Buy: Follow the instructions given here:
Purchasing Access Code from the Cengage Store
CAUTION –
- No refunds after purchase.
- Orders will NOT be canceled and you need to bear all the expenses in any case you purchased the same materials twice or without the coupon code.
Accessibility
It is important to me that every student has the opportunity to succeed in this course. Please reach out to me if any obstacle is in the way of your success.
Any student who has a need for accommodations based on the impact of a documented disability or medical condition should contact Disability Resources and Services (DRS) located in the Howard Gittis Student Center South, 4th Floor at drs@temple.edu or 215-204-1280 to request accommodations and learn more about the resources available to you. If you have a DRS accommodation letter to share with me, or you would like to discuss your accommodations, please contact me as soon as practical. I will work with you and with DRS to coordinate reasonable accommodations for all students with documented disabilities. All discussions related to your accommodations will be confidential. Students can learn more about the accommodation process and pre-register on the DRS website. Students may register at any time during the semester, but accommodations are not active until you register, so I recommend doing so as early in the semester as possible.
Information regarding accessibility for additional technologies is provided below:
Resources and Support
Sometimes the biggest factors impacting student success are things happening beyond the scope of the individual classroom. Temple provides a wide array of resources both to help you overcome academic challenges and those not directly related to the educational challenges of the course. Please reach out to me if you need help deciding which resources might be right for you.
Undergraduate Research Support
Disability Resources and Services
If you are experiencing food insecurity or financial struggles, Temple provides resources and support. Notably, the Temple University Cherry Pantry is in operation, as well as a variety of resources from the Division of Student Affairs.
Library Resources
Temple University Libraries provide resources to assist Temple students with their class projects and research needs. Visit the Libraries’ website to find millions of articles, books, video, and other resources, both in print and online.
The site also provides tutorials to help you start your research, as well as subject and course research guides to help you identify resources that may be particularly useful for this class.
Contact the library at any stage of the research process. You can chat with a librarian 24/7 or make an appointment with your subject librarian, who can help you explore a topic, craft a research question, and identify and cite sources.
Course Schedule
| Week | Class | Date | Topics | Readings | Assignments |
| 1 | 1 | Sep 2 (T) | Introduction | None | |
| 2 | Sep 4 (Th) | Benefits and risks of using Statistics | Chapter 1 | Home Assignment -1 | |
| 2 | 3 | Sep 9 (T) | Reading the News | Chapter 2 | Home Assignment -2 |
| 4 | Sep 11 (Th) | Measurements. Mistakes and Misunderstandings | Chapter 3 | Home Assignment -3 | |
| 3 | 5 | Sep 16 (T) | Getting a good Sample | Chapter 4 | Home Assignment -4 |
| 6 | Sep 18 (Th) | Experiments and Observational studies | Chapter 5 | Home Assignment -5 | |
| 4 | Sep 23 (T) | UG HOLIDAY - NO CLASS | |||
| 7 | Sep 25 (Th) | Summarizing and Displaying Data | Chapter 7 | Home Assignment -6 | |
| 5 | 8 | Sep 30 (T) | |||
| 9 | Oct 2 (Th) | Bell-Shaped Curves and others | Chapter 8 | Home Assignment -7 | |
| 6 | 10 | Oct 7 (T) | |||
| 11 | Oct 9 (Th) | Plots, Graphs and Pictures | Chapter 9 | Home Assignment -8 | |
| 7 | 12 | Oct 14 (T) | Mid-term exam | ||
| 13 | Oct 16 (Th) | Relationships Between Measurement Variables | Chapter 10 | Home Assignment -9 | |
| 8 | 14 | Oct 21 (T) | Relationships can be deceiving | Chapter 11 | Home Assignment -10 |
| Oct 23 (Th) | UG HOLIDAY - NO CLASS | ||||
| 9 | 15 | Oct 28 (T) | Relationships between Categorical Variables | Chapter 12 | Home Assignment -11 |
| 16 | Oct 30 (Th) | Statistical Significance | Chapter 13 | Home Assignment -12 | |
| 10 | 17 | Nov 4 (T) | Project Preparation | ||
| 18 | Nov 6 (Th) | Mini Project Presentations | |||
| 11 | 19 | Nov 11(T) | Mini Project Presentations | ||
| 20 | Nov 13(Th) | Understanding Economics News | Chapter 18 | Home Assignment -13 | |
| 12 | 21 | Nov 18 (T) | Rejecting Chance- Hypothesis Testing | Chapter 22 | Home Assignment -14 |
| 22 | Nov 20(Th) | ||||
| 13 | 23 | Nov 25 (T) | Hypothesis Testing and Case studies | Chapter 23 | Home Assignment -15 |
| 24 | Nov 27 (Th) | ||||
| Nov 28- Dec 6 | Study Days | ||||
| Dec 9(T) | Final Exam | 16: 30-18:30 |
Grading & Assessment Guidelines
Grading Scale
|
Percentage |
Letter Grade |
|---|---|
|
94-100 |
A |
|
90-93 |
A- |
|
87-89 |
B+ |
|
84-86 |
B |
|
80-83 |
B- |
|
77-79 |
C+ |
|
74-76 |
C |
|
70-73 |
C- |
|
67-69 |
D+ |
|
64-66 |
D |
|
61-63 |
D- |
|
0-60 |
F |
Course Minimum Grade
A grade of “C-” or better is required in all GenEd courses for you to satisfy a General Education requirement.*
Assessment Summary
The assessments in this course have been created for two reasons: (1) For you to demonstrate your progress towards the learning goals for the course and receive useful feedback. (2) For you to practice skills and develop ways of thinking that will be of use to you in the future.
| Assignment | Description | Weightage |
| Class Participation | Class presence and participation points are given to encourage your active class participation and discussion. You will be rewarded with a perfect score as long as you regularly come to class and actively contribute to the class discussions. You are expected to send a brief email to me in case you plan to miss the lecture. Repeated late arrivals can lower your grade. | 20% |
| Home Assignments | Students will receive weekly/bi-weekly home assignments through WebAssign. In case a student is unable to submit the assignment on time they should inform me immediately to avoid penalty. For every extension asked for uinformed missing assignment, there would be 3% deduction from the earned score. | 30% |
| Class presentation | Presentations will be graded for their content, the quality of preparation, and the extent to which the presentation engages in the class in a meaningful discussion. Each group member is expected to contribute to the presentation. | 10% |
| Mid-term exam | The mid-term exam will consist of two sections (i) multiple choice/ short answer questions, (ii) problem solving, application of theory. Students who are late or who miss either of the exams without a valid reason will not be given the opportunity for a make-up and will receive an automatic grade of zero. | 20% |
| Final exam | The final exam will consist of two sections (i) multiple choice/ short answer questions, (ii) problem solving, application of theory. Students who are late or who miss either of the exams without a valid reason will not be given the opportunity for a make-up and will receive an automatic grade of zero. | 20% |
Late Submissions/Missed Exams & Quizzes
Life gets in the way for all of us from time to time. Please notify me if you may miss a deadline or an exam/quiz as soon as possible. Please do not delay in informing; as soon as you suspect a problem, let me know. Depending on the timing and the specific assessment, I may ask you to give me a copy of your current draft. Whether you will be given an additional opportunity to complete the assessment will be decided on a case-by-case basis.
Class Attendance & Participation
Your attendance and participation are expected at all our class meetings. The classroom is an inherently social environment where we are all mutually responsible for each other’s learning. I encourage you to make friends so that, in the event that you must miss class, you can borrow someone’s notes for the session. Furthermore, if you miss class, we lose your perspective in classroom discussions and learning activities. If unforeseen circumstances cause you to miss multiple sessions, please contact me as soon as possible to discuss the situation.
School-Life Conflict
Many unpredictable things can happen over the course of a semester. If you find yourself struggling to balance your education and your other commitments, please reach out to me immediately so that we can work together to build a plan for your success. Some of the resources in the next section may also be of use to you.
Attendance and Your Health
To achieve course learning goals, students must attend and participate in classes, according to the course requirements. However, if you have tested positive for or are experiencing symptoms of a contagious illness, you should not come to campus or attend in-person classes or activities. It is your responsibility to contact me to create a plan for participation and engagement in the course as soon as you can, and to make a plan to complete all assignments in a timely fashion.
Religious Holidays
It is your right to observe religious holidays without impacting your opportunity to learn and succeed in this course. Please reach out to me at the start of the semester so that deadlines can be reviewed in advance of your religious observations. You will still be held responsible for course content and any assignments, but you will not lose points for attendance and participation on days important to your faith.
Caregiver Responsibilities
I have great respect for students who are pursuing their education while responsible for the care of children or other family members. Please contact me if you encounter challenges that require you to miss a class session or if your caregiving responsibilities are interfering with your success in the course. Together, we may be able to find some flexibility to support your learning.
Withdrawal
If you are considering withdrawing from the course after the add/drop date, please don’t make that decision alone! Withdrawing from the course without talking to me first eliminates the possibility of finding a path to success for you. Furthermore, it is extremely important that you consult your academic advisor before withdrawing. They will be able to walk you through how the withdrawal would impact your progress towards your degree and your graduation date.
Please check the academic calendar for the last day to withdraw from a course.
Incomplete
A student will be eligible for a grade of “Incomplete” only if the student: 1) has completed at least 51% of the work at a passing level, 2) is unable to complete the work for a serious reason beyond their control, and 3) files a signed agreement with the instructor outlining the work to be completed and the time frame in which that work will be completed. The student is responsible for initiating this process, and all incomplete forms must be sent to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs prior to the start of study days in that semester.
Please refer to the following for further details: Temple University’s Incomplete Policy. (Policy #02.10.13).
Technology Guidelines
Technology Requirements
To participate in this course, you will need the equipment, software, and internet access necessary to reliably use Zoom and Canvas, as well as “productivity tools” like word processors and slide show creators.
Limited resources are available for students who do not have the technology they need for class. Students with educational technology needs, including no computer or camera or insufficient Wifi access, should submit a Student Technology Assistance Application located in TUPortal and linked from the Dean of Students Support and Resources. The University will endeavor to meet needs, such as with a long-term loan of a laptop or Mifi device, a refurbished computer, or subsidized internet access.
Note that there are technology resources available for students, including on-campus computers available for student use, the Tech Center computer labs and free laptop and battery borrowing at Charles Library, software that is available for free download and other specialty software that may be available for remote access through ITS.
Technical Support
For a listing of technical support services available to Temple University students, see the Tech Support page.
Live Chat or Request Help: help.temple.edu
Phone: 215-204-8000
Email: help@temple.edu
Website: its.temple.edu
Location: The TECH Center, Room 106
Technology Usage
Excellence in any endeavor requires attention. To that end, we need to be mindful of the unnecessary use of technology in the class. To avoid distracting yourself or others, please only use your laptop, phone, or other device for activities relevant to the course. If you find yourself needing to take a call or participate in a text, please excuse yourself from the classroom and return as soon as you are able.
Class Recording
Our Zoom meetings will be recorded, and you will have access to these through the end of the course. These recordings are intended to be for University academic and research purposes only. Individuals are not permitted to record, copy, publish, or redistribute audio or video recordings of any portion of the session to individuals who are not associated with the University without the express permission of the host/faculty member and of any other meeting participants who are recorded. Distribution without permission could be a violation of various privacy laws, including FERPA, as well as the Pennsylvania Wiretapping and Electronic Surveillance Control Act, and possibly copyright law.
Attending Zoom meetings using an AI proxy is not allowed.
Privacy and Data Protection
Please see the links below to become familiar with the privacy policies for each of the following:
AI Policies
The use of generative AI tools (such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Microsoft CoPilot, etc.) are not permitted in this class; therefore, any use of AI tools for work in this class may be considered a violation of Temple University’s Academic Honesty policy and Student Conduct Code, since the work is not your own. The use of unauthorized AI tools will result in penalty
Academic Guidelines
Academic Freedom
Freedom to teach and freedom to learn are inseparable facets of academic freedom. I have the freedom and responsibility to design and facilitate our learning environment to best achieve the promise of the course as outlined in its official description. You have the responsibility to engage with the course in good faith and freedom from mistreatment when your opinion differs from mine. Note that it is not an abuse of this freedom for me to require that you support relevant opinions with clear argumentation and solid evidence. For more on academic freedom, consult the official Temple policy on the matter.
Academic Integrity
Temple University believes strongly in academic honesty and integrity. Plagiarism and academic cheating are, therefore, prohibited. All work you submit for assessment should be your own efforts. For more on this topic, consult the relevant portions of Temple Bulletin and the Student Conduct Code.