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FIT1006 Business information analysis - Semester 1 , 2008

Unit leader :

John Betts

Lecturer(s) :

Clayton

  • John Betts

Introduction

Unit synopsis

This unit is designed to give students an introduction to statistical and quantitative methods within a business-related framework and to provide students with a sound foundation for more advanced statistical and quantitative studies. The course will provide opportunities for the student to gain skills in the presentation of business and economic data, the use of frequency distributions, measures of central tendency and dispersion, principles of probability, use of probability distributions, sampling theory, estimation, hypothesis testing, regression analysis, the use of indices and forecasting methods.

Learning outcomes

At the completion of this unit, students will have

Knowledge of

1. Typical sources of data such as: market research surveys, mandatory reporting, census and Consumer Price Index, commercial sources.

2. Sampling techniques, sampling error.

Understanding of

3. Fundamental statistical concepts such as: probability, mathematical expectation, the Central Limit Theorem, hypothesis testing, correlation and regression.

Skills in:

4. Techniques for basic statistical analysis including: the calculation of summary statistics, graphic display of data including stem-and-leaf plots, boxplots and histograms.

5. Calculations required for problems based on concepts given in (3)

6. Calculation of probabilities by: direct calculation from probability distribution, use of tables and spreadsheets.

7. The use of computer software (eg SYSTAT) to perform all statistical techniques covered.

8. Communicating the results of descriptive statistical analysis through a written report.

Workload

The workload commitment for this unit is: two one-hour lectures per week, one one-hour tutorial per week, approximately nine hours private study and reading per week. Students may need to use the university laboratories to access statistical software during private study.

Unit relationships

Prerequisites

This is a first year unit with no prerequisites.

Relationships

FIT1006 is a core unit in the Bachelor of Business Systems and the Bachelor of Business Information Systems.

You may not study this unit and ETC2010, ETF2211, ETW1000, ETW1010, ETW2111, ETW1102, ETX1100, ETX2111, ETX2121, MAT1097, ETC1000, ETC1010 in your degree.

 

Continuous improvement

Monash is committed to ‘Excellence in education' and strives for the highest possible quality in teaching and learning. To monitor how successful we are in providing quality teaching and learning Monash regularly seeks feedback from students, employers and staff. Two of the formal ways that you are invited to provide feedback are through Unit Evaluations and through Monquest Teaching Evaluations.

One of the key formal ways students have to provide feedback is through Unit Evaluation Surveys. It is Monash policy for every unit offered to be evaluated each year. Students are strongly encouraged to complete the surveys as they are an important avenue for students to "have their say". The feedback is anonymous and provides the Faculty with evidence of aspects that students are satisfied and areas for improvement.

Student Evaluations

The Faculty of IT administers the Unit Evaluation surveys online through the my.monash portal, although for some smaller classes there may be alternative evaluations conducted in class.

If you wish to view how previous students rated this unit, please go to http://www.monash.edu.au/unit-evaluation-reports/

Over the past few years the Faculty of Information Technology has made a number of improvements to its courses as a result of unit evaluation feedback. Some of these include systematic analysis and planning of unit improvements, and consistent assignment return guidelines.

Monquest Teaching Evaluation surveys may be used by some of your academic staff this semester. They are administered by the Centre for Higher Education Quality (CHEQ) and may be completed in class with a facilitator or on-line through the my.monash portal. The data provided to lecturers is completely anonymous. Monquest surveys provide academic staff with evidence of the effectiveness of their teaching and identify areas for improvement. Individual Monquest reports are confidential, however, you can see the summary results of Monquest evaluations for 2006 at http://www.adm.monash.edu.au/cheq/evaluations/monquest/profiles/index.html

Unit staff - contact details

Unit leader

Dr John Betts
Senior Lecturer
Phone +61 3 990 55804

Lecturer(s) :

Dr John Betts
Senior Lecturer
Phone +61 3 990 55804

Additional communication information

Dr John Betts

Room 110, Building 63, Clayton Campus

Phone: 99055804

Email: john.betts@infotech.monash.edu.au 

Teaching and learning method

Statistical concepts and techniques will be introduced during lectures. Tutorials will be used to reinforce practical skills, which include manual calculations and the use of computer software for statistical analysis. Each lecture will be accompanied by designated reading which students are expected to have completed beforehand.

Tutorial allocation

On-campus students should register for tutorials/laboratories using Allocate+.

Communication, participation and feedback

Monash aims to provide a learning environment in which students receive a range of ongoing feedback throughout their studies. You will receive feedback on your work and progress in this unit. This may take the form of group feedback, individual feedback, peer feedback, self-comparison, verbal and written feedback, discussions (on line and in class) as well as more formal feedback related to assignment marks and grades. You are encouraged to draw on a variety of feedback to enhance your learning.

It is essential that you take action immediately if you realise that you have a problem that is affecting your study. Semesters are short, so we can help you best if you let us know as soon as problems arise. Regardless of whether the problem is related directly to your progress in the unit, if it is likely to interfere with your progress you should discuss it with your lecturer or a Community Service counsellor as soon as possible.

Unit Schedule

Week Topic Key dates
1 Introduction. Surveys and data collection.  
2 Graphical presentation of data. Measures of centre.  
3 Measures of dispersion. Introduction to Excel and SYSTAT.  
4 Analysing Data. Writing a statistical report. Introduction to probability.  
Mid semester break
5 Probability. Probability distributions.  
6 Binomial and Poisson distributions. The Normal distribution. Assignment due during this week
7 Correlation and regression.  
8 Index numbers. Test scheduled for this week
9 Theoretical sampling distributions.  
10 Estimation.  
11 Hypothesis testing.  
12 Categorical data. Time series analysis.  
13 Time series analysis. Revision.  

Unit Resources

Prescribed text(s) and readings

Selvanathan et al, "Australian Business Statistics", Abridged Fourth Edition, Nelson 2007.

Text books are available from the Monash University Book Shops. Availability from other suppliers cannot be assured. The Bookshop orders texts in specifically for this unit. You are advised to purchase your text book early.

Recommended text(s) and readings

Selvanathan et al, "Australian Business Statistics", Abridged Fourth Edition, Nelson 2007.

A good non-mathematical text is:Statistics Without Tears, Derek Rowntree, Penguin, Harmondsworth, 1981.

 

Required software and/or hardware

Students will use SYSTAT and Microsoft Excel to perform computer-based statistical calculations. Thes applications are available in the university's computer laboratories.

Equipment and consumables required or provided

On-campus students may use the facilities available in the computing labs. Information about computer use for students is available from the ITS Student Resource Guide in the Monash University Handbook.

Study resources

Study resources we will provide for your study are:

  • Detailed lecture outline.
  • Summary of each lecture's powerpoint presentation as a pdf.
  • Tutorial outline and questions to be attempted as a pdf.
  • Data files, sample Excel spreadsheet and SYSTAT files.
  • Miscellaneous teaching applications.
  • Solutions to selected exercises.

All the above resources are available on MUSO.

Library access

The Monash University Library site contains details about borrowing rights and catalogue searching. To learn more about the library and the various resources available, please go to http://www.lib.monash.edu.au.  Be sure to obtain a copy of the Library Guide, and if necessary, the instructions for remote access from the library website.

Monash University Studies Online (MUSO)

All unit and lecture materials are available through MUSO (Monash University Studies Online). Blackboard is the primary application used to deliver your unit resources. Some units will be piloted in Moodle.

You can access MUSO and Blackboard via the portal (http://my.monash.edu.au).

Click on the Study and enrolment tab, then Blackboard under the MUSO learning systems.

In order for your Blackboard unit(s) to function correctly, your computer needs to be correctly configured.

For example :

  • Blackboard supported browser
  • Supported Java runtime environment

For more information, please visit

http://www.monash.edu.au/muso/support/students/downloadables-student.html

You can contact the MUSO Support by: Phone: (+61 3) 9903 1268

For further contact information including operational hours, please visit

http://www.monash.edu.au/muso/support/students/contact.html

Further information can be obtained from the MUSO support site:

http://www.monash.edu.au/muso/support/index.html

If your unit is piloted in Moodle, you will see a link from your Blackboard unit to Moodle at http://moodle.med.monash.edu.au.
From the Faculty of Information Technology category, click on the link for your unit.

Assessment

Unit assessment policy

To pass this unit, a student must obtain :
  • 40% or more in the unit's examination and
  • 40% or more in the unit's non-examination assessment
     and
  • an overall unit mark of 50% or more
If a student does not achieve 40% or more in the unit examination or the unit non-examination assessment then a mark of no greater than 44-N will be recorded for the unit.

Assignment tasks

  • Assignment Task

    Title : Written assignment.

    Description :

    To be advised in lectures. Handout will be available on MUSO.

    Weighting : 15%

    Criteria for assessment :

    To be advised in lectures. Handout will be available on MUSO.

    Due date : 10th April

  • Assignment Task

    Title : Test during lecture.

    Description :

    To be advised in lectures.

    Weighting : 25%

    Criteria for assessment :

    To be advised in lectures. Sample tests will be available on MUSO.

    Due date : 24th April

Examinations

  • Examination

    Weighting : 60%

    Length : 2 hours

    Type ( open/closed book ) : Closed book

Assignment submission

Assignments will be submitted into an assignment box in the foyer, level 1, Building 63.

Assignment coversheets

Coversheets can be obtained from the "Student assignment coversheets" ( http://infotech.monash.edu.au/resources/student/assignments/ ) page on the faculty website. Printed coversheets can be collected from the faculty office.

University and Faculty policy on assessment

Due dates and extensions

The due dates for the submission of assignments are given in the previous section. Please make every effort to submit work by the due dates. It is your responsibility to structure your study program around assignment deadlines, family, work and other commitments. Factors such as normal work pressures, vacations, etc. are seldom regarded as appropriate reasons for granting extensions. Students are advised to NOT assume that granting of an extension is a matter of course.

Late assignment

Assignments received after the due date with out prior arrangement will be subject to a penalty of 2 marks per day. (The assignment is out of 20 marks.)

Return dates

Students can expect assignments to be returned within two weeks of the submission date or after receipt, whichever is later.

Assessment for the unit as a whole is in accordance with the provisions of the Monash University Education Policy at http://www.policy.monash.edu/policy-bank/academic/education/assessment/

Assignments will be returned in tutorials.

Plagiarism, cheating and collusion

Plagiarism and cheating are regarded as very serious offences. In cases where cheating  has been confirmed, students have been severely penalised, from losing all marks for an assignment, to facing disciplinary action at the Faculty level. While we would wish that all our students adhere to sound ethical conduct and honesty, I will ask you to acquaint yourself with Student Rights and Responsibilities (http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/about/committees-groups/facboard/policies/studrights.html) and the Faculty regulations that apply to students detected cheating as these will be applied in all detected cases.

In this University, cheating means seeking to obtain an unfair advantage in any examination or any other written or practical work to be submitted or completed by a student for assessment. It includes the use, or attempted use, of any means to gain an unfair advantage for any assessable work in the unit, where the means is contrary to the instructions for such work. 

When you submit an individual assessment item, such as a program, a report, an essay, assignment or other piece of work, under your name you are understood to be stating that this is your own work. If a submission is identical with, or similar to, someone else's work, an assumption of cheating may arise. If you are planning on working with another student, it is acceptable to undertake research together, and discuss problems, but it is not acceptable to jointly develop or share solutions unless this is specified by your lecturer. 

Intentionally providing students with your solutions to assignments is classified as "assisting to cheat" and students who do this may be subject to disciplinary action. You should take reasonable care that your solution is not accidentally or deliberately obtained by other students. For example, do not leave copies of your work in progress on the hard drives of shared computers, and do not show your work to other students. If you believe this may have happened, please be sure to contact your lecturer as soon as possible.

Cheating also includes taking into an examination any material contrary to the regulations, including any bilingual dictionary, whether or not with the intention of using it to obtain an advantage.

Plagiarism involves the false representation of another person's ideas, or findings, as your own by either copying material or paraphrasing without citing sources. It is both professional and ethical to reference clearly the ideas and information that you have used from another writer. If the source is not identified, then you have plagiarised work of the other author. Plagiarism is a form of dishonesty that is insulting to the reader and grossly unfair to your student colleagues.

Register of counselling about plagiarism

The university requires faculties to keep a simple and confidential register to record counselling to students about plagiarism (e.g. warnings). The register is accessible to Associate Deans Teaching (or nominees) and, where requested, students concerned have access to their own details in the register. The register is to serve as a record of counselling about the nature of plagiarism, not as a record of allegations; and no provision of appeals in relation to the register is necessary or applicable.

Non-discriminatory language

The Faculty of Information Technology is committed to the use of non-discriminatory language in all forms of communication. Discriminatory language is that which refers in abusive terms to gender, race, age, sexual orientation, citizenship or nationality, ethnic or language background, physical or mental ability, or political or religious views, or which stereotypes groups in an adverse manner. This is not meant to preclude or inhibit legitimate academic debate on any issue; however, the language used in such debate should be non-discriminatory and sensitive to these matters. It is important to avoid the use of discriminatory language in your communications and written work. The most common form of discriminatory language in academic work tends to be in the area of gender inclusiveness. You are, therefore, requested to check for this and to ensure your work and communications are non-discriminatory in all respects.

Students with disabilities

Students with disabilities that may disadvantage them in assessment should seek advice from one of the following before completing assessment tasks and examinations:

Deferred assessment and special consideration

Deferred assessment (not to be confused with an extension for submission of an assignment) may be granted in cases of extenuating personal circumstances such as serious personal illness or bereavement. Information and forms for Special Consideration and deferred assessment applications are available at http://www.monash.edu.au/exams/special-consideration.html. Contact the Faculty's Student Services staff at your campus for further information and advice.