Course Title: Honours Statistics Project 1

Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Honours Statistics Project 1

Credit Points: 12.00

Terms

Course Code

Campus

Career

School

Learning Mode

Teaching Period(s)

MATH2178

City Campus

Undergraduate

145H Mathematical & Geospatial Sciences

Face-to-Face

Sem 1 2009,
Sem 2 2009,
Sem 1 2011,
Sem 1 2015,
Sem 2 2015,
Sem 1 2016,
Sem 2 2016

MATH2178

City Campus

Undergraduate

171H School of Science

Face-to-Face

Sem 2 2018

Course Coordinator: Dr Vural Aksakalli

Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 9925 2277

Course Coordinator Email: vural.aksakalli@rmit.edu.au

Course Coordinator Location: 008.09.084

Course Coordinator Availability: By appointment


Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

There are no prerequisites for this course, other than graduate entry to Honours.


Course Description

This course forms the first half of the Honours year research project. You will undertake your project under the supervision of an academic within the school, and develop a number of capabilities through your research. This is a student based learning course that provides an opportunity for you to demonstrate the capacity to incorporate learning from one-on-one supervisor guidance and interaction with what you discover from your own reading and research activities. It will require the application of knowledge and skills embedded in the particular courses that you have followed in your Bachelor program that relate to your chosen area of research. You shall also undertake a research methods component. This component aims to introduce you more broadly to the methods used in research in the statistical sciences. It is designed to help you place your own project in the wider context of research activity in statistics, to formulate appropriate research questions, to critically read the literature, and to bring structure to your own research activity.
The aim of this course is to:

  • Give you a quality research experience.
  • Prepare you for research and higher-level employment through developing your knowledge of the field, capacity for independent work, and scientific communication.
  • Provide appropriate training in scientific methods, and in research skills, and to prepare you for higher degree program

Please note that if you take this course for a bachelor honours program, your overall mark for the course will be one of the course marks used to calculate the weighted average mark (WAM) that will determine your award level. This applies to students who commence enrolment in a bachelor honours program from 1 January 2016 onwards. See the WAM information webpage for more information.

http://www1.rmit.edu.au/browse;ID=eyj5c0mo77631

 


Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

Upon successful completion of this course, you should be able to:

  • Use advanced information retrieval techniques to search the literature, using the Library facilities
  • Plan a program of research, stating clearly the hypothesis and research question(s), the significance of the project and the methods by which the aims are to be achieved
  • Present an outline of the project and respond appropriately to questions by peers
  • Understand and use the techniques of professional scientific communication plan experiments
  • Conduct independent statistical investigations using enhanced skills under minimal supervision
  • Understand and apply effective time management skills
  • Understand and practise the ethical responsibilities of a professional scientist, including understand legal aspects of working as a professional scientist
  • Demonstrate an advanced knowledge of current research work in one or more areas of statistics and operations research
  • Show an enhanced ability to report critically on statistical investigations.


This course contributes to the development of the following Program Learning Outcomes:

  • Mathematics & Statistics in Context: Ability to appreciate the complex, diverse and evolving social, political and cultural dimensions of practising as a mathematics and statistics professional in organisational and community settings.
  • Problem Solving: Ability to apply knowledge and skill to characterise, analyse and solve a wide range of problems.
  • Communication: Ability to communicate both technical and non-technical material in a range of forms (written, oral, electronic, graphic,) and to tailor the style and means of communication to different audiences.
  • Ethical Practice: Ability to appreciate the ethical considerations that inform judgements and decisions in academic and professional settings.
  • Information Literacy: Ability to locate and use data and information and evaluate its quality with respect to its authority and relevance and ability to use current software.


Overview of Learning Activities

Under the individual guidance of your project supervisor, you will conduct statistical investigations and research and will analyse, reflect on and report your results.


Overview of Learning Resources

Texts and references for background material may be available through the RMIT Bookshop and Library. You will need to search Library and online resources, particularly in the current scientific literature for supporting material and references relevant to their research project. You have access to and are encouraged to use RMIT research facilities for analysis and computation under the direction of your supervisor.


Overview of Assessment

The course will be assessed on the basis of a research proposal and literature review (completed during Honours Statistics Project 1) and a research thesis, submitted on completion of both Honours Statistics Project 1 and Honours Statistics Project 2. An identical mark will be provided for each course.