Learning objectives
The course of Statistics for experimental and technological research is designed to introduce the student to the basics of statistical thinking and its application in practice. The topics are geared to concrete problems of analysis and research and deal in particular with situations and cases drawn from the medical literature.
The course aims to give students the statistical tools needed to describe and analyze the data, extract useful information and make informed decisions.
Particolar efforts will be put on the principles of experimental design, power analysis and sample size determination.
Special emphasis will be given to statistical reasoning, interpretation and decision-making process. We will insist more on the conceptual understanding that the mechanical calculation, especially in light of the wide range of software available for analysis. The theory will be made explicit by means of practical exercises and teaching cases, therefore, the ultimate goal of the course is that the student learn "how to do" as well as knowing.
Prerequisites
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Course unit content
The first part of the course will introduce the basics of statistical planning and experimental design.
Principles of probability and combinatorial analysis needed later in the course will be recalled, as well as the major probability distributions. Elementary descriptive statistics will be reviewed.
The second part of the course will review the principle of univariate statistical inference.
Sampling distribution. Type I and II errors. Power of a test and operating curve.
Parametric test : Student t-test, analysis of variance. Non-parametric test: Wilcoxon test, Mann-Whitney test, Kruskal-Wallis test, Friedman test, median test, Chi-square test, Fisher’s exact test.
The final part of the course will be an overview of multivariate statistics. Principal component analysis, Discriminant analysis, Classification and cluster analysis.
Full programme
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Bibliography
1) Lecture notes
2) M.M. Triola, M.F. Triola : Fodamenti di Statistica - Ed. Pearson
3) W.W. Daniel : Biostatistica – Ed. Edises
3) Internet resources and links
Teaching methods
During classroom lectures, the topics contained in the program of the
module will be illustrated and commented.
At the end of each topic classroom exercises explaining the application of the theory in practice will follow. The formal procedure and the step by step execution of the necessary calculations will be described. Both manual solution and computer calculation will be shown.
The students will be particularly encouraged to use the open source softwares.
The course will be held through lectures to Students either in the classroom (“in presenza”) or possibly in synchronous-streaming (“in telepresenza”) on the Teams platform. Therefore, the opportunity of Student/Teacher interaction will be preserved both face to face and remotely, by the simultaneous use of the Teams platform.
Lectures will be supported by slide presentations, which will be available to students on the Elly platform (https://elly2020.medicina.unipr.it).
Assessment methods and criteria
The achievement of the objectives of the module will be assessed
through a written examination (in presence or remotely), mainly consisting in open/multiple response questions on the
topics of the course. This will allow to ascertain the knowledge and the
understanding of both the theoretical bases and their consequences.
The written examination will include the resolution of problems, to assess the
achievement of the ability to apply the acquired knowledge to a
simulated biological or medical situation.
The exam will be performed together with medical statistics and system of information processing.
Other information
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