Work through the list without notes. If you cannot do a statement, follow its link, then come back. Guide = study guide; Practice = practice questions.
Understanding
- I can explain what an observational unit is, and why it need not be a person. (Guide: “Observational units: who or what the data describe”)
- I can explain what makes a characteristic a variable, and why something that is the same for every unit is not one. (Guide: “Variables”)
- I can explain how photos, sound recordings, videos and text can be sources of data, and name a variable recorded from each. (Guide: “Data are not only numbers”; Practice Q3)
- I can explain the difference between a parameter and a statistic, and why a statistic is usually not equal to the parameter. (Guide: “Parameters and statistics”; Practice Q6)
Skills
- I can identify the observational units, the population and the sample in an unfamiliar study. (Guide: Worked example 1; Practice Q3, Q5)
- I can classify a variable as categorical or quantitative and give a reason. (Guide: “Categorical and quantitative variables”; Practice Q1, Q5)
- I can classify a quantitative variable as discrete or continuous and give a reason. (Guide: “Discrete and continuous quantitative variables”; Practice Q4, Q5)
- I can calculate a simple sample mean or proportion and label it as a statistic. (Guide: Worked example 1; Practice Q6)
- I can decide whether a stated number is a parameter or a statistic. (Guide: Worked example 2; Practice Q2)
Reasoning
- I can explain why a number used as a label, such as a postcode or vest number, is categorical. (Guide: “Common misconceptions”; Practice Q7)
- I can explain why a count with no maximum is still discrete, and why a rounded measurement is still continuous. (Practice Q7)
- I can describe, in context, the parameter that a given statistic estimates. (Guide: Worked example 1; Practice Q6)
All ticked? Move on to Topic 1.3, Tabular Representation and Summary Statistics for One Categorical Variable, or return to the course roadmap.