Learning objectives
At the end of the course students should be able:
- to understand the nature of a variable by assessing its distribution;
- to apply descriptive statistics techniques in order to properly present a dataset.
Prerequisites
Knowledge of basic mathematics, basic knowledge of English.
Course unit content
Introduction to Statistics and methods for collecting data. Population and sample. Types of variables. Descriptive statistics: parameters that summarize data. Measures of central tendency (mean, median, mode), dispersion (variance, standard deviation), the coefficient of variation (CV), percentiles and their use.
Full programme
To see Contents.
Bibliography
Classroom slides (uploaded during the course) are the reference point for the exam.
Some further reference books:
- SA Glantz - Statistica per discipline biomediche - McGraw-Hill.
- WW Daniel and CL Cross: Biostatistica, concetti di base per l’analisi statistica delle scienze dell’area medico-sanitaria, Ed. EdiSES.
- M.M Triola, M.F. Triola: Fondamenti di Statistica, Ed. Pearson.
Teaching methods
During the classroom lectures the topics of the module program will be illustrated and commented. Theory will be accompanied by examples and simulations that will illustrate its practical use. Furthermore, the use of specific software will permit to do and solve directly them. Each theory argument with mathematical formulae will be explained with the use of simple and practice examples, so that the student can focus his/her attention on basic concepts more than the formulae themselves. Furthermore, the use of open source software will allow the student to repeat the descriptive statistical evaluations treated during classes for a better comprehension of their use and meaning. Several technical terms will be used both in Italian and in English, so that the student can read on his own the international scientific literature, particularly in the field of clinical medicine.
Lectures will be held on-site in compliance with safety standards. Supporting material will be available on the specific, student-reserved platform (Elly) and will include slide presentations.
Assessment methods and criteria
The verification of the achievement of module objectives is a written, consisting of a multiple choice test about theory and simple exercises. By this way, it is possible to assess the student’s knowledge and understanding of both theory and practice principles and their application in medical and biological field using current examples. The grade, in 30/30, will weight on the basis on the number of credits of the module respect to the total number of credits of the integrate course.
Other information
None.
