STAT 157: Administration and deadlines
Instructor: David Aldous
GSI None.
Class time: MW 4.00-5.30 in room 9 Evans.
Office Hours Fridays 9.30 - 11.30 in 351 Evans
email aldous@stat.berkeley.edu (put "STAT 157" in subject)
Schedule
In lectures I will treat about 20 different topics, these topics
chosen to illustrate the diversity of contexts where probability arises.
- During the first few weeks, students will do a
"reading project" (see below) in order to
give a short talk on February 10 or 17 or 22.
- Then students will work on their "course project" (see below)
which may or may not be related to their reading project.
- During the final classes
(starting around April 20 and
running through RRR week), students will present their
projects in class; and turn in a written version by the end of RRR week (May 6).
Reading project
Start by reading something -- browse the online resources
and the
book list -- on the general theme
"probability in the real world".
Choose one interesting idea from what you've read.
Almost surely the idea wasn't original to the particular author you're reading;
so dig deeper into the background -- what actual published evidence is there for the
asserted fact?
Plan a 6 minute talk to the class -- what is the idea and what evidence is there for
its correctness?
You'll want to write out and practice your talk (note time),
but you don't need to hand in the write-up.
Maybe helpful to imagine you're doing a 6 minute slot on a PBS television science
program.
This should be a
"chalk talk" not a laptop presentation. If you want to make a handout of data,
graphics etc, then e-mail to me 1 day in advance and I will make copies for the class.
Deadline for giving me a title is Monday February 8.
If you want help in choosing a topic, visit me during office hours or make appointment.
Students will be asked to give brief comments on other students' talks, so
check these criteria.
Creativity clause
In both the reading project and the course project I intend to be flexible and to
encourage creativity in project choice.
If you want to do something in a different style than suggested here, come talk to
me and I'll probably allow it.
Course project: content
An ideal project takes some piece of theory which uses probability to make
predictions about something in the real world, and then gets
"new data" to test the theory.
Here "new" means "not used for the same purpose before"; it might be collected by
the student or it might be out there on the Internet for some other reason.
Reading material from the
online resources
is a good way to start thinking about a topic; and check my list of
some possible course projects.
You must talk to me about your course project by
Monday 14 March.
The sooner the better!
Best to come after you have thought of an outline but before you have spent too
much time working on it. If you can't get started, come to me for ideas. As well as
office hours, you can schedule an appointment with me at some other time.
Yes, you may collaborate on projects.
But I expect a 3-person team to do 3 times as much!
Course Project: format
You present the project as both
- a 15-minute (exact time to be announced later) presentation in class (starting April 20)
- a write-up, turned in to me by the end of RRR week (May 6).
For the in-class presentation you may (if you wish) use a laptop.
Or you may do a chalk talk
(in which case,
if you want to make a handout of data,
graphics etc, then e-mail to me 1 day in advance and I will make copies for the class.
But don't
copy a complete write-up).
The write-up should be in usual "term paper" form -- that is, grammatical English
sentences
not Powerpoint slides.
But I'm looking for clear exposition rather than a literary masterpiece.
Email the write-up to me as PDF.
I will post a few of the best write-ups on the course web site --
see this page for old ones.
Grading
Based (a little) on class attendance and reading project, but mainly on course project.
- To get a C: cut half the classes and do a half-hearted course project.
- To get a B: attend almost all classes and put some real effort into course project.
- To get an A: same as B, but with unusual creativity on the choice or execution of course project.