Studying online
There are now 2 possible online modes for units:
Units with modes Online timetabled and Online flexible are available for any student to self-enrol and study online.
Click on an offering mode for more details.
Unit Overview
- Description
This unit describes and discusses applications of basic biostatistical methods in public health and clinical practice and research. Topics include summarising and presenting data, estimation and hypothesis testing for means, proportions, odds ratios, rates, rate ratios, survival curves and sample size determination. There is an emphasis on developing an in-depth understanding of the role, use and interpretation of basic biostatistical methods and critical appraisal of statistical aspects of health and medical publications. The unit provides the essential foundation of applied knowledge needed for quantitative analyses of health and medical data and for critical reading of literature.
- Credit
- 6 points
- Offering
(see Timetable) Availability Location Mode Semester 1 UWA (Perth) Face to face Semester 1 Online Online flexible Semester 2 UWA (Perth) Face to face Semester 2 Online Online flexible - Outcomes
Students are able to (1) interpret the statistical content of articles in general health and medical literature; (2) present summarised data to enable ready interpretation by others; (3) calculate confidence intervals for means, proportions, incidence rates and survival; (4) conduct hypothesis tests for comparison of means, proportions, incidence rates and survival curves,; (5) calculate correlation coefficients; (6) apply linear regression; (7) apply specific statistical methods appropriately using standard statistical software; (8) interpret confidence intervals, hypothesis tests, correlation coefficients and linear regression; (9) identify appropriate methods for power and sample size calculations; and (10) use the IBM SPSS Statistics package for entering data, calculating data summaries and for statistical analysis.
- Assessment
Indicative assessments in this unit are as follows: (1) assignments (which involve computing) and (2) tests. Further information is available in the unit outline.
Student may be offered supplementary assessment in this unit if they meet the eligibility criteria.
- Unit Coordinator(s)
- Dr Kevin Murray and Dr Charley Budgeon
- Unit rules
- Prerequisites
- enrolment inhonours
or postgraduate courses - Advisable prior study
- knowledge of basic algebra, familiarity with handheld calculators and familiarity with computing in the Windows environment
- Contact hours
- lectures: 2 hours per week
tutorials: 1.5 hours per week - Note
- Students require a handheld scientific calculator. Unless students have access to the IBM SPSS Statistics package elsewhere, they will use it in the School of Population and Global Health computer laboratories.
- Texts
-
Altman, D. G. Practical Statistics for Medical Research, (any edition): Chapman & Hall
Blair, R. C. and Taylor, R. A. Biostatistics for the Health Sciences, (any edition): Pearson International
Dawson, B. and Trapp, R. G. Basic and Clinical Biostatistics, (any edition): Lange
De Veaux, R. D. et al. Stats: Data and Models, (any edition): Pearson Education
Ennos, A. R. Statistical and Data Handling Skills in Biology, (any edition): Longman
Glantz, S. A. Primer of Biostatistics, (any edition): McGraw Hill
Pagano, M. and Gauvreau, K. Principles of Biostatistics, (any edition): Duxburry
- The availability of units in Semester 1, 2, etc. was correct at the time of publication but may be subject to change.
- All students are responsible for identifying when they need assistance to improve their academic learning, research, English language and numeracy skills; seeking out the services and resources available to help them; and applying what they learn. Students are encouraged to register for free online support through GETSmart; to help themselves to the extensive range of resources on UWA's STUDYSmarter website; and to participate in WRITESmart and (ma+hs)Smart drop-ins and workshops.
- Unit readings, including any essential textbooks, are listed in the unit outline for each unit, one week prior the commencement of study. The unit outline will be available via the LMS and the UWA Handbook one week prior the commencement of study. Reading lists and essential textbooks are subject to change each semester. Information on essential textbooks will also be made available on the Essential Textbooks. This website is updated regularly in the lead up to semester so content may change. It is recommended that students purchase essential textbooks for convenience due to the frequency with which they will be required during the unit. A limited number of textbooks will be made available from the Library in print and will also be made available online wherever possible. Essential textbooks can be purchased from the commercial vendors to secure the best deal. The Student Guild can provide assistance on where to purchase books if required. Books can be purchased second hand at the Guild Secondhand bookshop (second floor, Guild Village), which is located on campus.
- Contact hours provide an indication of the type and extent of in-class activities this unit may contain. The total amount of student work (including contact hours, assessment time, and self-study) will approximate 150 hours per 6 credit points.
Face to face
Predominantly face-to-face. On campus attendance required to complete this unit. May have accompanying resources online.
Online flexible
100% Online Unit. NO campus face-to-face attendance is required to complete this unit. All study requirements are online only. Unit is asynchronous delivery, with NO requirement for students to participate online at specific times.
Online timetabled
100% Online Unit. NO campus face-to-face attendance is required to complete this unit. All study requirements are online only. Unit includes some synchronous components, with a requirement for students to participate online at specific times.
Online Restricted
Not available for self-enrolment. Students access this mode by contacting their student office through AskUWA. 100% Online Unit.
NO campus face-to-face attendance. All study and assessment requirements are online only. Unit includes some timetabled activities, with a requirement for students to participate online at specific times. In exceptional cases (noted in the Handbook) students may be required to participate in face-to-face laboratory classes when a return to UWA’s Crawley campus becomes possible in order to be awarded a final grade.
External
No attendance or regular contact is required, and all study requirements are completed either via correspondence and/or online submission.
Off-campus
Regular attendance is not required, but student attends the institution face to face on an agreed schedule for purposes of supervision and/or instruction.
Multi-mode
Multiple modes of delivery. Unit includes a mix of online and on-campus study requirements. On campus attendance for some activities is required to complete this unit.