Summer distance ed. course focuses on statistics

The mathematics, computer science and statistics department's first online course, Introduction to Statistics, will be offered during BU's second summer session, from Tuesday, July 1, to Friday, Aug. 8. The course will be held on Mondays and Wednesdays from 6 to 9:20 p.m. Summer course scheduling is based on a first-come, first-served basis. A limited number of seats are available for this course.

The course will be taught using the software programs Wimba and Blackboard. Students must be familiar with an Internet browser and will be required to have a high-speed Internet connection, speakers and a microphone or a headset with a microphone. A textbook and notebook are required; students will also be required to purchase and use the statistical software Minitab.

The course will provide an introduction to descriptive and inferential statistics. Topics covered will include numerical and graphical summary procedures, basic probability concepts, discrete and continuous random variables, the Central Limit Theorem, confidence intervals and hypothesis tests. Stephen Kokoska, professor of mathematics, computer science and statistics, will be the course instructor. For more information about the online course, contact Kokoska by e-mail or visit his web page.

BU will offer more than 450 course sections at the campus during three summer sessions - May 19 to 27, July 1 to Aug. 8 and May 19 to Aug. 8. Credits earned during summer college may apply toward a BU degree or transfer to another college or university. A complete list of summer courses is available at here.