SC 331: Introduction to Biostatistics

The Aga Khan University

School of Nursing
BSc Nursing Degree Program
Class of G2012
Course Syllabus

Title: SC 331: Introduction to Biostatistics

Credit: 3; 2= Theory, 1=Tutorial

Placement: Spring Semester

Day & Time: Theory: Friday 0830-1030 hrs

Tutorial: Friday 1030-1330 hrs

Faculty: Dr Asho Ali (AA) (Course Coordinator) Ext: 5433

Ms Saima Hirani (SH) Ext: 5412

Email Addresses: asho.ali@aku.edu

saima.hirani@aku.edu

Course Description:
This course is an introduction to basic statistical principles and their application to qualitative
and quantitative research in health sciences. Rules governing use of descriptive and inferential
statistics will also be explored in this course.

Course Objectives:
By the end of this course the students will be able to:
1. State the definitions of various statistical terms.
2. Describe the various statistical methods used in health sciences.
3. Analyze the use of statistics in some selected research studies.
4. Explain the rules governing the use of:
4.1 Descriptive statistics
4.2 Measures of central tendency
4.3 Parametric measures
4.4 Inferential statistics.
5. Calculate statistical results for selected measures.

Teaching/Learning Strategies:
Interactive lectures, problem solving exercises, small group sessions and tutorials.

Course Expectations:
Pre-reading and preparation for each class
Attendance and participation in LCFs and tutorials
Successful completion of quizzes
Successful completion of home assignments
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 SC 331: Introduction to Biostatistics

Assessment Criteria:

1. Home assignments 20% (Every week)

2. In class quizzes (4) 40% (4 Quizzes; each of 10%)
3. Final examination 40% (Comprehensive Exam)

Attendance:
It is compulsory for the students to attend all the theory and tutorials sessions.

Home Assignments:
Homework will be assigned after every lecture and will be due at the beginning of the next
lecture. Home assignments will cover 20% of the total. Marks will be deducted for late
submission of assignments as per policy.

Tutorials:
Students are required to complete and show the tutorial assignments to the facilitator/s before
leaving the class.

In class quizzes:
There will be 4 quizzes (40% total). No quiz will be repeated. Non-attendance for any quiz will
be graded zero unless prior arrangements have been made with the course coordinator.

Final examination:
The final examination will cover the entire course and is allocated 40%. It will cover all the
course content which is covered till the last class. Scientific calculators will be allowed. Students
are advised to make full use of the review session prior to the final exam.

NOTE:
Students are required to bring scientific calculators and review basic mathematics for the
biostatistics course. Students failing the course will be allowed to sit a comprehensive make up
examination. Students in this instance will be given minimum passing score as per re-sit exam
policy.

Required Reading:

Kuzma, J.W. (2004). Basic Statistics for the Health Sciences. (4thed.). California: Mayfield.

Reference Readings:

Bluman, G. A. (2008). Elementary Statistics, A step by step approach (7th ed.) McGraw Hill

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Course Schedule / Content

Date Unit Content Faculty

March I Overview of course and course schedule. AA

Introduction to Biostatistics
04 - Identification of variable types and
variable scales (nominal, ordinal,
continuous).
Tutorial
March II Organizing and displaying data SH
Tables; frequency distributions: bar
11 graphs, histograms, frequency polygon;
cumulative frequency
Tutorial
March III Measures of central tendency and SH
dispersion
18 mean, median, mode
range, variance, standard deviation
Tutorial

March IV Quiz 1 (lecture 1-3) AA

25 The Normal distribution.
Standard normal distribution
Difference between sample and
population mean
Tutorial
April V The sampling distribution and the Central AA
Limit Theorem.
01 Tutorial

April VI Point & Interval Estimation. AA

Tutorial
08
April VII Quiz 2 (lecture 4-6) SH
15 Hypothesis testing: null & alternative
hypotheses; significance level
Tutorial

April VIII Type I and Type II errors AA

Tutorial
22
April Power of the test & P-value AA
29 Tutorial

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 SC 331: Introduction to Biostatistics

May IX T-test one sample SH

06
Tutorial
May X Quiz 3 (Lecture 7-9) SH
13 T-test - two independent samples
Tutorial

May XI Paired T- test SH

20
May XII Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) SH
27 Tutorial

June XIII Quiz 4 (lecture 10-12) AA

03 Chi square and contingency tables
Tutorial
June XIV Correlation AA
10 Tutorial

June Regression AA
17

June REVIEW SESSION (Lectures 1 to 14) AA/SH

24

June Final exam AA/SH

28

Unit Objectives
UNIT I: Introduction to Biostatistics
By the end of this session the students should be able to:
Discuss the importance of biostatistics
Distinguished between the population and sample based statistics
Discuss different types of variables.

UNIT II: Organizing and displaying data

By the end of this session the students should be able to:
Organize the data properly
Identify different graphical presentation of displaying of data

UNIT III: Measures of central tendency & variability
By the end of this session the students should be able to:
Define measures of central tendency and dispersion.
Select the appropriate measures to use for a particular dataset.
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 SC 331: Introduction to Biostatistics

UNIT IV: Normal distribution

By the end of this session the students should be able to:
Understand the concept of Normal distribution & standard normal distribution.
Differentiate between the sample mean and the population mean.
UNIT V: Sampling Distribution and the central limit theorem
By the end of this session the students should be able to:
Distinguish between the distribution of population and distribution of its sample
means
Explain the importance of central limit theorem
Compute and interpret the standard error of the mean
UNIT VI: Point estimation and confidence interval
By the end of this session the students should be able to:
Calculate point estimation of population means and confidence interval

UNIT VII : Basic element of testing Hypothesis

By the end of this session the students should be able to:
Understand the elements of hypothesis testing for testing a population mean (for
large sample):
Identify appropriate null and alternative hypotheses
Select a level of significance
Compute the value of test statistic
Locate a critical or rejection region
Interpret the appropriate conclusion
UNIT VIII: Type I and Type II errors and Power of the test, P-value and its
application
By the end of this session the students should be able to:
Understand the test of hypothesis using the p-value method for testing a
population mean (for large sample):
Identify appropriate null and alternative hypotheses
Select a level of significance
Compute the value of test statistic
Computation of p-value for Z-test (large sample)
Report appropriate conclusion based on p-value
Understand the two types of possible errors when conducting a hypothesis test
and power of the test.
Discuss P-values and its application.

UNIT IX: T-test: one sample

By the end of this session the students should be able to:
Learn how T- test generated
Different kind of t-test available
Discussion the assumptions of one sample t- test and calculate t- test
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 SC 331: Introduction to Biostatistics

UNIT X: T-test - two independent samples case

By the end of this session the students should be able to:
Discussion the assumptions of two sample t- test and calculate t- test

UNIT XI: Paired T- test

By the end of this session the students should be able to:
Learn how to test hypothesis which compare the difference in population means
using paired samples
Learn how to construct confidence interval for the difference in population
means using paired samples.

UNIT XII: Chi square test of independence

By the end of this session the students should be able to:
Discuss assumptions of chi square distribution
Correctly interpret and use the terms contingency table, chi-square test of
independence, degrees of freedom, 2x2 table and r x c table.
Relate the null hypothesis of no association in a 2x2 table to the
comparison of two proportions.
Calculation of expected numbers of the cells of a contingency table .
Calculation of chi-square test statistic and its appropriate degrees of
freedom.
Refer the chi-square test statistic to a table of the percentage points of a
chi-square distribution to obtain a p-value (or to make a conclusion)

UNIT XIII: One way ANOVA

By the end of this session the students should be able to:
Identify the utilization of ANOVA over T-test
Describe the steps of conducting ANOVA Test

UNIT XIV: Simple linear regression and correlation

By the end of this session the students should be able to:
Discuss the significance of applying simple linear regression
Compute and interpret the beta coefficients i.e. slope and intercept
Analyze and interpret the coefficient of correlation (r) & Determination (r2)

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