Descriptive Statistics Part II: Central Tendency and Variability

Case Assignment

Briefly discuss the concept of mode, mean, median. What is it? How is it calculated? When would we use each one?

Following are the resting pulses of subjects, reported in beats per minute. Calculate the mean resting pulse, rounded to the nearest beat. Be sure to show your work.

60    53    58    48    56    50    62    51    52

A hospital kept track of the birth weights of babies measured in grams. The results are shown below.

2824    2973    3015    3025    3041    3102    3189

Find the median birth weight in grams. Provide an interpretation of your results.

Last year, ten former employees of a company passed away. Their ages at death are listed below.

79    75    72    55    66    80    77    79    68    70

Find the Mode. Provide an interpretation of your results.

Case Assignment Expectations

Use the information in the modular background readings as well as resources you find through ProQuest or other online sources. Please be sure to cite all sources and provide a reference list at the end of the paper. Submit the paper as a Word document through the link provided for the assignment.

Length: 2–3 pages typed and double-spaced.

Your Case paper will be further evaluated based on the following criteria:

Precision (Excellent; Good; Average; Poor)

• Each question and or assignment requirement is addressed in the paper.
• Accuracy of your answers, key points and supporting discussion

Clarity (Excellent; Good; Average; Poor)

• The paper is well organized, concise, reads clearly, and it is not confusing.

Breadth (Excellent; Good; Average; Poor)

• The paper presents appropriate breadth covering the assignment questions/requirements.

Depth (Excellent; Good; Average; Poor)

• Presents key points that lead to deeper matters and issues.
• Integrates several points into coherent conclusions.

Critical Thinking (Excellent; Good; Average; Poor)

• The paper demonstrates good understanding and synthesis of the module background material.
• Logically incorporates key concepts presented in the background material into the overall analyses, key points and supporting discussions.
• Presents well-reasoned conclusions and position as well as convincing arguments in support of the same.

Writing Mechanics

• Grammar (Excellent; Good; Average; Poor)
• Spelling (Excellent; Good; Average; Poor)
• Vocabulary (Excellent; Good; Average; Poor)
• Referencing (Excellent; Good; Average; Poor)

Additional considerations to keep in mind while working on your Case Assignments:

Originality and Use of directly quoted material

• The purpose of each assignment is for you to present your understanding and synthesis of the background material and key concepts. Accordingly, this must be accomplished substantially in your own words.
• Use directly quoted material sparingly and only when preserving the exact words of an author is necessary. For purposes of this course, rarely should directly quoted material represent more than 5 percent to 10 percent of your entire case paper’s content. Composing a paper patched together from mostly quoted material is not acceptable.
• Be sure to properly reference all directly quoted material and include the in-text citations. All paraphrased information also requires reference citations at the end of the paraphrased section.

Grades

• A paper that answers all assignments questions and supports the answer with good key points, well-supported discussions and quality references will earn a solid “B” grade.
• “A” papers are exceptional works that go beyond just answering the questions and provide insightful answers.