Engineering Computations

(Statistics)

February 26, 2016

Contact

Lecturer: Dr Heng Lian

Room 2050, Red Centre Building
email heng.lian@unsw.edu.au
phone 02 9385 7029

Lunchtime consultation:

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

Heng None David Diana Jake
Lian Warton Combe Olivier
12-1 11-12 11-12 1130-1230
RC-2050 RC-2052 RC-1032 RC-2051

(Statistics) Dr Heng Lian February 26, 2016 2 / 14

Organisation
There will be one two-hour lecture per week, and one
laboratory/tutorial class

Lectures:

Monday 9:00-11:00 Keith Burrows Theatre, J14

Week 1-13

Tutorials/Laboratory classes are held at a variety of times and

locations as indicated on your timetable through myUNSW
Students are expected to attend tutorials/laboratory classes, and
rolls will be kept
Tutorials/Laboratory classes start in Week 1 and end in Week 13
Your tutor should be your first point of contact for any
question about this course
(Statistics) Dr Heng Lian February 26, 2016 3 / 14
Organisation: laboratory classes
Laboratory classes are held in the School of Mathematics and
Statistics’ computer laboratories in the Red Centre (level G)
Lab classes take place in Weeks 1, 2, 4, 6 and 8.
Before your first laboratory in Week 1, you should make sure
you can logon to the computers using your zID (UNSW User ID)
and zPass
Many statistical problems require use of a computer software
package → in this course you are asked to become familiar with
Matlab, and that is what the laboratory classes are designed for
You are advised to start, as soon as possible, to attempt the
preliminary online Matlab quizzes
→ this is designed to get you started using Matlab, as those
quizzes form part of your assessment
There is no lab class in Week 10, because there is a lab test
(Statistics) Dr Heng Lian February 26, 2016 4 / 14
Organisation: tutorial classes
Tutorial classes take place in Weeks 3, 5, 9, 11, 12 and 13

Tutorials are devoted to problem-solving questions

You are encouraged to attempt the questions before class, and

prepare questions for your tutor on topics you are not sure about

There is no tutorial in Week 7. However, the mid-session test is

scheduled in Week 7 and you must sit it in the tutorial class in
which you are enrolled (unless otherwise arranged beforehand
with the lecturer)

(Statistics) Dr Heng Lian February 26, 2016 5 / 14

Assessment

Assessment (for the stats component) will consist of 5 parts:

introductory Matlab quizzes (on Maple TA): weight 4%

three online quizzes (on Maple TA) over the session: weight 2%
each → 6%

a mid-session test (during week 7 tutorial): weight 15%

a lab test (Matlab): weight 15%

a final examination: weight 60%

→ 100%
(This mark has then to be averaged with the Numerical Methods mark
to give your final mark)

(Statistics) Dr Heng Lian February 26, 2016 6 / 14

Introductory Matlab quizzes

By Thursday 2pm of Week 2, you are required to attempt all the

Matlab quizzes

Those 9 quizzes (“Matlab test 0” to “Matlab test 8”) cover the

material in the Matlab self-paced online tutorial

They are available through Maple TA (which you can access

through the course web page on Moodle)

You have as many attempts as you want, the best mark will count
(→ easy to get full marks!)

They are designed to get you started with Matlab and Maple TA
Weight: 4%

(Statistics) Dr Heng Lian February 26, 2016 7 / 14

Online quizzes
Online quizzes are also administered through MapleTA
(not to be confused with the previous Matlab quizzes!)
They assess mastery of the material covered in the lectures (no
Matlab!) and encourage consistent engagement with the course
Quiz date avail. date due weight
1 Thu 2pm (Wk 4) Thu 2pm (Wk 5) 2%
2 Thu 2pm (Wk 8) Thu 2pm (Wk 9) 2%
3 Thu 2pm (Wk 11) Thu 2pm (Wk 12) 2%

You are allowed a maximum of 3 attempts (the best mark will

count)
Once you begin a quiz, you have a fixed time to complete it (20
min)
It is expected that you work on each quiz alone

(Statistics) Dr Heng Lian February 26, 2016 8 / 14

Mid-session test

The mid-session test will take place in Week 7 during your scheduled
tutorial.
You must sit the test in the tutorial in which you are enrolled∗ .
The test consists of problem-solving questions and lasts 50 minutes
Weight: 15%

∗
unless you have prior written approval from the lecturer
(Statistics) Dr Heng Lian February 26, 2016 9 / 14
Matlab Laboratory test

The laboratory test will take place in Week 10.

You will be required to arrange a time to do your lab test through
Moodle
The test will assess your computing skills in Matlab.
Weight: 15%

Details of the material to be assessed in both tests will be made

available closer to date

(Statistics) Dr Heng Lian February 26, 2016 10 / 14

Final examination

The final examination will take place in the examination period

It will assess your mastery of the material covering in the whole course
Weight: 60%
Details of the material to be assessed will be made available closer to
date

(Statistics) Dr Heng Lian February 26, 2016 11 / 14

References
Recommended textbook
Applied Statistics for Engineers and Scientists (2nd Edition),
by J. Devore and N. Farnum (Duxburry Press)
Additional references
Probability and Statistics for Engineers and the Sciences (7th
Edition), by J. Devore (Duxburry)
Applied Statistics and Probability for Engineers (5th Edition), by D.
Montgomery and G. Runger (Wiley)

Slides
A copy of the slides will be provided online (Moodle)

Other
All tutorial and laboratory material will be available from Moodle as
well → please check regularly for new material
(Statistics) Dr Heng Lian February 26, 2016 12 / 14
Help with the course

There will be consultation hours available with your lecturer and some
other statistics’ staff each day around lunchtime
Peer support for statistics through the Student Support Scheme (SSS)
in RC-3064
www.maths.unsw.edu.au/currentstudents/student-support-scheme

(Statistics) Dr Heng Lian February 26, 2016 13 / 14

Very Important:

Since you have a whole week to finish the online quiz, you need a
reason (say medical certificate) that covers at least 3 days of the
week in order to be considered a valid reason.
When you have valid reason to skip a test (other than final test),
the percentage will be re-distributed to other components of
assessment in proportion (other than final test)
If you met with problem with the MapleTA system (say the
question was not shown correctly on the screen), always take a
screen shot and let me know the problem.
You are reminded not to take online quizzes very close to the
deadline, since if system problem appear (it does happen often!)
you will have no time left to re-take the test.

(Statistics) Dr Heng Lian February 26, 2016 14 / 14