Syllabus

Schedule

Course Calendar

Week 1:	Feb 27 – Mar 6
Week 2:	Mar 6 – Mar 13
Week 3:	Mar 13 – Mar 20
Week 4:	Mar 20 – Mar 27
Week 5:	Mar 27 – Apr 3
Week 6:	Apr 3 – Apr 10
Week 7:	Apr 10 – Apr 17
Week 8:	Apr 17 – Apr 21 (Sunday)

 

Week 1: Introduction to Probability

Learning Outcomes

• Understand the three axioms of probability
• Apply probability rules to solve probability problems

Readings/Videos

• Read: Rosner: Chapter 3.1 through 3.6 and 4.1 through 4.6; pages 42-55 and 77-85
• Review: Rosner: Chapters 6, 7, and 8 as needed to re-familiarize with confidence intervals and hypothesis tests.
• Watch: Lecture

Assignments/Tasks

• Probability worksheet
  • Please download and fill out the probability worksheet (in Blackboard), which will have you applying the skills you read about for this module. Once the worksheet is completely filled out, please save and submit it as a word document for assessment. 
• Discussion 
  • Welcome to GPH-716. Begin by introducing yourself to the class. What is your background in Biostatistics? what are you most excited about? In what ways will this course come in handy for your Public Health Career? 
• Discussion 
  • A famous problem in probability comes from the game show “Let’s Make a Deal.”  In it, a contestant is shown three doors.  Behind one door is a new car, and behind the other doors, there is nothing.  The contestant is asked to pick one of the three doors.  The host then opens up one of the two that was not chosen which always reveals that there is nothing behind that opened door.  The contestant is then asked if he or she would like to change their chosen door to the other unopened one.  Should he/she?  Explain why or why not. Can you think of another example where someone’s intuition about probability may lead them down the wrong path?

Week 2: Properties of Screening and Diagnostics

Learning Outcomes

• Apply concepts of sensitivity and specificity to evaluate diagnostic and screening tests
• Understand the relationships among positive/negative predictive values, sensitivity/specificity, and false positive/negative

Readings/Videos

• Read: Rosner: Chapter 3.7 through 3.10; pages 55-64
• Read:  “Screening for Syphilis Infection in Nonpregnant Adults and Adolescents, Clinical Review & Education
• Watch: Lecture

Assignments/Tasks

• Screening/diagnostic test worksheet
  • Please download and fill out the Screening / Diagnostic Worksheet (in Blackboard), which will have you applying the skills you read about for this module. Once the worksheet is completely filled out, please save and submit it as a word document for assessment. 
• Discussion
  • Initial Post: The article states that RPR tests for syphilis have a sensitivity of 86% and a specificity of approximately 92%.  Given a syphilis prevalence rate of 5 cases per 100,000 people, can you calculate the predictive value positive and predictive value negative? 

    Response: What does this suggest about the usefulness of screening the general population?

Week 3: Nonparametrics

Learning Outcomes

• Perform nonparametric equivalents to one- and two-sample parametric tests
• Analyze the assumptions and limitations of nonparametric tests

Readings/Videos

• Read: Rosner: Chapter 9; pages 338-365
• Read: “Clonal Hematopoiesis and Risk of Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease,” New England Journal of Medicine.
• Watch: Lecture and Stata Tutorial

Assignments/Tasks

• Nonparametric problem set
  • Please download and fill out the Nonparametric Problem Worksheet (in Blackboard), which will have you applying the skills you read about for this module. Once the worksheet is completely filled out, please save and submit it as a word document for assessment. 
• Discussion 
  • Initial post: In the second paragraph of page 117 in the NEJM article, it says that the Wilcoxon rank sum test was used to determine that the aortic lesion in those with bone marrow from knockout mice was twice as large as the lesions in those not receiving such bone marrow.  Why do you think the Wilcoxon rank sum test was used?  What is the “standard” parametric alternative to this test?  Are there reasons given in the article as to why a nonparametric test was used.  

    Response: Do you believe the conclusion reached in this case?  Why or why not?

Week 4: Contingency Table Analysis

Learning Outcomes

• Create and analyze contingency tables
• Apply exact methods for sparse contingency tables

Readings/Videos

• Read: Rosner: Chapter 10.1 through 10.4 and 10.6; pages 372-403 and 413-425
• Read: Rosner: Chapter 13.1 through 13.3; pages 633-647
• Watch: Lecture and Stata Tutorial

Assignments/Tasks

• Contingency table analysis
  • Please download and fill out the Contingency Table Analysis Worksheet (in Blackboard), which will have you applying the skills you read about for this module. Once the worksheet is completely filled out, please save and submit it as a word document for assessment. 

Week 5: Inference for Simple Linear Regression

Learning Outcomes

• Evaluate simple linear regression models
• Synthesize inferences and predictions in a simple linear regression model setting

Readings/Videos

• Read: Rosner: Chapter 11.1 through 11.6; pages 457-485
• Watch: Lecture

Assignments/Tasks

• Linear Regression Worksheet
  • Please download and fill out the Linear Regression Worksheet (in Blackboard) which will have you applying the skills you read about for this module. Once the worksheet is completely filled out, please save and submit it as a word document for assessment. 

Week 6: Multiple Regression

Learning Outcomes

• Incorporate more than one predictor in a linear regression model

Readings/Videos

• Read: Rosner: Chapter 11.9; pages 502-518
• Read: “Early versus Later Rhythm Analysis in Patients with Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest,” The New England Journal of Medicine.
• Watch: Lecture

Assignments/Tasks

• Multiple Regression Worksheet
  • Please download and fill out the Multiple Regression Worksheet (in Blackboard), which will have you applying the skills you read about for this module. Once the worksheet is completely filled out, please save and submit it as a word document for assessment. 
• Discussion  
  • Initial Post: In the last paragraph on page 789 continuing on page 790, the authors state that they determined the difference in the outcome between patient groups, “adjusted for baseline measurements” through the use of multiple regression.  What do they mean by saying this?  Does this give you enough information to determine whether the analysis was done appropriately?  Explain.

    Response: What should the writers actually say instead of “adjusted for baseline measurements” to make what they did clearer?

Week 7: Logistic Regression

Learning Outcomes

• Model binary outcomes in a logistic regression

Readings/Videos

• Read: Rosner: Chapter 13.7; pages 673-694
• Read: “Association Between Maternal Use of Folic Acid Supplements and Risk of Autism Spectrum Disorders in Children,” Journal of the American Medical Association.
• Watch: Lecture

Assignments/Tasks

• Logistic regression analysis worksheet
  • Please download and fill out the Logistic Regression Analysis Worksheet (in Blackboard), which will have you applying the skills you read about for this module. Once the worksheet is completely filled out, please save and submit it as a word document for assessment. 
• Discussion:
  • Initial Post: Read the Statistical Analysis section on page 572. Can you determine what the logistic regression models the authors ran looked like? Do you agree with the procedure they used? 

    Response: Based on the odds ratios given, can you determine if there is a statistically significant association between folic acid supplements in mothers and autistic spectrum disorder development in children?

Week 8:  Topics in Logistic Regression

Learning Outcomes

• Incorporate more than one predictor in a logistic regression model
• Evaluate confounding and interaction in logistic regression

Readings/Videos

• Read: Pourhoseingholi, MA, et al. (2012).  “How to control for confounding effects by statistical analysis.”  Gastroenterol Hepatol Bed Bench. 2012 Spring; 5(2): 79–83. 2012 Spring; 5(2): 79–83 (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4017459/)
• Watch: Lecture

Assignments/Tasks

• Final exam
  • Please download and complete the Final Exam (in Blackboard), then save and submit the document containing your answers as a Microsoft Word file.

Student Resources

Online Student Support

Your Student Support Specialist is a resource for you. Please don't hesitate to contact them for assistance, including, but not limited to course planning, current problems or issues in a course, technology concerns, or personal emergencies.

Questions? Visit the Student Support Public Health page

UNE Libraries:

• Library Access for all students: Your library login ID and password are the same as the ones you use to log into Blackboard/Brightspace.
• Public Health Databases: https://library.une.edu/library-materials/find/research-by-subject/public-health/
• Library Tutorial: Find an article
• Library Questions: Ask a librarian or phone library staff at (207) 602-2361 or (207) 221-4330.

UNE Student Academic Success Center

UNE's Student Academic Success Center (SASC) offers a range of free online services to support your academic achievement. Writing support, ESOL support, study strategy and learning style consultations, as well as downloadable resources, are available to all matriculating students. The SASC also offers tutoring for GPH 712 Epidemiology, GPH 716 Biostatistics, GPH 717 Applied Epidemiology, GPH 718 Biostatistics II, and GPH 719 Research Methods. To make an appointment for any of these services, go to une.tutortrac.com. For more information and to view and download writing and studying resources, please visit:

• UNE Student Academic Success Center

Information Technology Services (ITS)

• ITS Contact: Toll Free Help Desk 24 hours/7 days per week at 1-877-518-4673

Accommodations

Any student who would like to request, or ask any questions regarding, academic adjustments or accommodations must contact the Student Access Center at (207) 221-4438 or pcstudentaccess@une.edu. Student Access Center staff will evaluate the student's documentation and determine eligibility of accommodation(s) through the Student Access Center registration procedure.

Policies

AMA Writing Style Statement

The American Medical Association Manual (AMA) of Style, 11th edition is the required writing format for this course. Additional support for academic writing and AMA format is provided throughout the coursework as well as at the UNE Portal for Online Students.

Online resources: AMA Style Guide

Turnitin Originality Check and Plagiarism Detection Tool

The College of Professional Studies uses Turnitin to help deter plagiarism and to foster the proper attribution of sources. Turnitin provides comparative reports for submitted assignments that reflect similarities in other written works. This can include, but is not limited to, previously submitted assignments, internet articles, research journals, and academic databases.

Make sure to cite your sources appropriately as well as use your own words in synthesizing information from published literature. Webinars and workshops, included early in your coursework, will help guide best practices in APA citation and academic writing.

You can learn more about Turnitin in the Turnitin Student quick start guide.

Technology Requirements

Please review the technical requirements for UNE Online Graduate Programs: Technical Requirements

Course Evaluation Policy

Course surveys are one of the most important tools that University of New England uses for evaluating the quality of your education, and for providing meaningful feedback to instructors on their teaching. In order to assure that the feedback is both comprehensive and precise, we need to receive it from each student for each course. Evaluation access is distributed via UNE email at the beginning of the last week of the course.

Late Policy

Students are responsible for submitting work by the date indicated in Brightspace.

Quizzes and Tests: Quizzes and tests must be completed by the due date. They will not be accepted after the due date.

Assignments: Unless otherwise specified, assignments will be accepted up to 3 days late; however, there is a 10% grade reduction (from the total points) for the late submission. After three days the assignment will not be accepted.

Discussion posts: If the initial post is submitted late, but still within the discussion board week, there will be a 10% grade reduction from the total discussion grade (e.g., a 3 point discussion will be reduced by 0.3 points). Any posts submitted after the end of the Discussion Board week will not be graded.

Please make every effort ahead of time to contact your instructor and your student support specialist if you are not able to meet an assignment deadline. Arrangements for extenuating circumstances may be considered by faculty.

Student Handbook Online - Policies and Procedures

The policies contained within this document apply to all students in the College of Graduate and Professional Studies. It is each student's responsibility to know the contents of this handbook.

Student Handbook

UNE Course Withdrawal

Please contact your student support specialist if you are considering dropping or withdrawing from a course. The last day to drop for 100% tuition refund is the 2nd day of the course. Financial Aid charges may still apply. Students using Financial Aid should contact the Financial Aid Office prior to withdrawing from a course.

Academic Integrity

The University of New England values academic integrity in all aspects of the educational experience. Academic dishonesty in any form undermines this standard and devalues the original contributions of others. It is the responsibility of all members of the University community to actively uphold the integrity of the academy; failure to act, for any reason, is not acceptable. For information about plagiarism and academic misconduct, please visit https://www.une.edu/studentlife/plagiarism.

Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to the following:

1. Cheating, copying, or the offering or receiving of unauthorized assistance or information.
2. Fabrication or falsification of data, results, or sources for papers or reports.
3. Action which destroys or alters the work of another student.
4. Multiple submissions of the same paper or report for assignments in more than one course without permission of each instructor.
5. Plagiarism, the appropriation of records, research, materials, ideas, or the language of other persons or writers and the submission of them as one's own.

Charges of academic dishonesty will be reviewed by the Program Director. Penalties for students found responsible for violations may depend upon the seriousness and circumstances of the violation, the degree of premeditation involved, and/or the student’s previous record of violations.  Appeal of a decision may be made to the Dean whose decision will be final.  Student appeals will take place through the grievance process outlined in the student handbook.