Health and Nutrition Sciences

Location: 4123 Ingersoll Hall

Phone: 718.951.5026
www.brooklyn.cuny.edu

Syllabus
Course Information:

 HNSC 3300 Introduction to Biostatistics for the Health Sciences. 

 Fall 2021 Semester

Class Day:

 Mon/Wed 11:00-12:15

Instructor:

 Madeline Travers, MPH, Ph.D.,

 E-mail: madeline.travers56@sphmail.cuny.edu | madeline.g.travers@gmail.com
 Office Hours: by appointment

Course objectives:

After taking this course students should: (1) be familiar with how inferences are made using data from
research studies; (2) be able to understand and interpret statistical results of nutrition and health

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research studies; (3) be able to perform basic descriptive and inferential statistics using a calculator,
spreadsheet software and statistics software.

Textbook and Lab Manual:

Field, A. (2013). Discovering statistics using IBM SPSS statistics. Sage. (Fifth Edition)

Readings:

 Complete assigned readings before class

 Optional background material will be provided covering math and algebra for students who
need extra help
 Optional advanced material will be provided for students who wish to go beyond what is
covered in class

Important - Notes:

 It is essential for students to take notes and keep materials used when doing the assigned
readings
 A notebook and folder that they collect additional materials are highly encouraged

Blackboard:

Using Blackboard is a requirement for this class. Class materials and announcements will be available on
the class Blackboard page. Please try to make sure that your email is correctly listed and set Blackboard
to send you class announcements automatically.

Course Syllabus (subject to revision)

Class Date Topic Reading

1 8/25 Introduction to
biostatistics and this
course
2 8/30 Research process, Chapter 1
Levels of
measurement, and
Research methods
3 9/01 Randomization and Chapter 1

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 Class Date Topic Reading
Describing data
4 9/13 Populations and Chapter 2
samples, Stats
5 9/20 Hypothesis testing Chapter 2
6 9/22 Graphs Chapter 5

7 9/27 Intro to Jamovi

8 9/29 QUIZ 1
9 10/4 Assumptions and bias Chapter 6
9 10/6 Assumptions and bias Chapter 6
10 10/13 Correlation Chapter 8
11 10/18 Correlation Chapter 8
12 10/20 Linear Regression Chapter 9
13 10/25 Linear Regression Chapter 9
14 10/27 QUIZ 2
15 11/1 Categorical data: chi Chapter 19.1-19.8
square
16 11/3 Categorical data: Chapter 20
logistic Regression
17 11/8 Categorical data: Chapter 20
multinomial regression
18 11/10 QUIZ 3
19 11/15 t-tests Chapter 10
20 11/17 t-tests Chapter 10
21 11/22 ANOVA Chapter 12
22 11/24 ANOVA Chapter 12
23 11/29 QUIZ 4
24 12/1 Non-parametric tests Chapter 7
25 12/6 Moderation and Chapter 11.3-11.5
mediation
26 12/8 TBD
27 12/13 Review
28 12/15 FINAL EXAM

Grading:

Grading:
Students’ understanding of the course material will be evaluated through quizzes and a final exam. The
course grade will
be calculated using the best 4 scores of 5 quizzes (the lowest score will be excluded). Students who fail
to take a quiz due to an unexcused absence will not be allowed to make up the quiz, and will receive a
score of zero for that quiz.

Requirement Percentage of Grade

Quiz 1 18%
Quiz 2 18%

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 Requirement Percentage of Grade
Quiz 3 18%
Quiz 4 18%
Quiz 5 18%
Final exam 28%

Grades:

 Final grades will be available after they are submitted

 Check the website for the last day to withdraw without receiving a “W” grade
 Check the website for the last day to withdraw and receive a “W” grade

Attendance and class participation:

 Attendance is mandatory, but attendance is not taken

 Please arrive on time to class – this means signing into zoom on time
 In order to be successful in this course and receive a favorable grade, students need to attend all
of the class meetings, participate in class discussions or listen attentively, and take detailed
notes.
 Students who do not attend, do not take notes or do not pay attention during class are unlikely
to pass. The class documents are not detailed enough to learn the material without attending
class and participating or at least listening attentively and taking notes.
 Absences from tests can only be excused with written documentation (e.g., a doctor’s note,
funeral card or signed letter). I will schedule make‐up quizzes for students with excused
absences only.

Exercises:

 We will work on exercises during class time for each class that is not a test or review
 Exercises are mandatory, but will not be graded
 Students should keep the completed exercises to refer to when studying
 There are no homework assignments in this course

Quizzes/Exam:

 Quizes will be taken through blackboard and will include questions about the material covered,
and will require calculations and statistical tests performed by hand (with a calculator), with
Excel, or with Jamovi
 (As described above in “Grading”) Students’ lowest quiz score will be thrown out before
calculating the course grade

University policy on academic integrity:

 The faculty and administration of Brooklyn College support an environment free from cheating
and plagiarism.

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  Each student is responsible for being aware of what constitutes cheating and plagiarism and for
avoiding both.
 The complete text of the CUNY Academic Integrity Policy and the Brooklyn College procedure for
policy implementation can be found at www.brooklyn.cuny.edu/bc/policies.
 If a faculty member suspects a violation of academic integrity and, upon investigation, confirms
that violation, or if the student admits the violation, the faculty member must report the
violation.
 Please read the section entitled “Academic Regulations and Procedures” in the Brooklyn College
Undergraduate Bulletin or Graduate Bulletin for a complete listing of academic regulations of
the College.

Accommodations for students with disabilities:

 In order to receive disability-related academic accommodations students must first be

registered with the Center for Student Disability Services.
 Students who have a documented disability or suspect they may have a disability are invited to
set up an appointment with the Director of the Center for Student Disability Services, Ms.
Valerie Stewart-Lovell at (718) 951-5538.
 If you have already registered with the Center for Student Disability Services, please provide
your professor with the course accommodation form and discuss your specific accommodation
with him/her.

Student bereavement policy:

1. Students who experience the death of a loved one must contact the Division of Student Affairs,
2113 Boylan Hall, if they wish to implement either the Standard Bereavement Procedure or the
Leave of Absence Bereavement Procedure (see #3 and #4, below). The Division of Student
Affairs has the right to request a document that verifies the death (e.g., a funeral program or
death notice).
2. Typically, this death involves that of a family member, in parallel to the bereavement policy for
faculty and staff. However, it is up to the discretion of the Division of Student Affairs to
determine if a death outside of the immediate family warrants implementation of the student
bereavement policy.
3. Standard Bereavement Procedure:
 Upon approval from the Division of Student Affairs, the student is allowed one week,
commencing from the day of notification to the Division of Student Affairs, of excused
absence.
 Should the student feel that he/she needs additional days, these should be discussed
with individual course instructors and/or the Division of Student Affairs.
 The Division of Student Affairs will contact the student's faculty and academic staff of
the student's courses.
 Faculty and academic staff will be advised that extensions must be granted to the
student for the period of one week of excused absence.
 Further extensions may be negotiated with the student when he or she returns to
campus.

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  Students are encouraged to discuss options with their instructors.
4. Leave of Absence Bereavement Procedure:
 Students may be allowed to withdraw from the semester in which the death occurs.
 The Bereavement Leave of Absence is for one semester only.
 Students who have opted to take the Bereavement Leave of Absence and have already
attended classes for the semester of the leave will be allowed to re-enter the following
semester without having to reapply to the college.
 Students who wish to take the leave of absence prior to the beginning of the semester
will be required to reapply for the following semester.
 Students who are in good academic standing will be given the opportunity to
successfully complete the credits for the semester in which they return.
 Students will consult with the Division of Student Affairs, on a case-by-case basis, as to
whether they should withdraw from their courses during this leave of absence or to
request incompletes from the faculty member.
 Given that there may be a potential impact on financial aid, students who receive
financial aid and who take the Bereavement Leave of Absence, upon arrangement with
the Division of Student Affairs, will meet with a financial aid adviser prior to taking this
option.
5. As an option, and in consultation with the Division of Student Affairs, students may take the
Leave of Absence Bereavement after the Standard Bereavement.
6. Reference to the Student Bereavement Policies will be noted on course syllabi.
7. Students requesting a religious accommodation should contact the Division of Student Affairs as
well. The chief student affairs officer, or a designee, and the student will engage in an interactive
process with the goal of finding an acceptable accommodation.

Nonattendance because of religious beliefs:

 The New York State Education Law provides that no student shall be expelled or refused
admission to an institution of higher education because he or she is unable to attend classes or
participate in examinations or study or work requirements on any particular day or days because
of religious beliefs.
 Students who are unable to attend classes on a particular day or days because of religious
beliefs will be excused from any examination or study or work requirements.
 Faculty must make good-faith efforts to provide students absent from class because of religious
beliefs equivalent opportunities to make up the work missed; no additional fees may be charged
for this consideration.
 If classes, examinations, or study or work requirements occur on Friday after 4 p.m. or on
Saturday, similar or makeup classes, examinations, or study or work requirements will be made
available on other days, where possible and practical.
 The faculty and the administration will not allow any adverse or prejudicial effects to accrue to
students availing themselves of this regulation.
 If students have complaints about the application of this policy, they are entitled to bring action
or a proceeding for enforcement of their rights in the Supreme Court of Kings County.

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