BIOSTATISTICS 501 SYLLABUS – FALL 2022

Biostatistics 501
Introduction to Biostatistics
COURSE SYLLABUS — Fall 2022

// COURSE OVERVIEW
Course Information
Instructor: Dr. Xiang Zhou (faculty profile)
Session: Fall 2022 (Aug 29 through Dec 9)
Weekly class meeting: Mondays & Wednesdays 10am-11:30 EST Zoom (ID: 92519688211)
Contact: xzhousph@umich.edu
Office Hours: Friday noon-1pm EST in Zoom (ID: 98545988600)

GSIs: Justice Akuoko-Frimpong (jakuokof@umich.edu)

Office Hours: … in Zoom (ID …)

Sabir Meah (smeah@umich.edu)

Office Hours: … in Zoom (ID …)

Edward Shao (eshao@umich.edu)

Office Hours: … in Zoom (ID …)

Manpreet Dhankhar (dhankhar@umich.edu)

Office Hours: … in Zoom (ID …)

Course Description
This course teaches the statistical methods and principles necessary for understanding and
interpreting data used in public health and policy evaluation and formation. Topics include
descriptive statistics, graphical data summary, sampling, statistical comparison of groups,
correlation, and regression. Students will learn via lecture, group discussions, critical reading of
published research, and analysis of data.

Pre-requisites
This course is open to first-year MPH students and students from other graduate programs with
permission of the instructor. Previous exposure to elementary algebra and introductory
statistics is helpful, as is familiarity with Microsoft Excel.

Course Topics
The curriculum for this course is divided into eight modules:
1. Study Design & Types of Data
2. Visual & Numerical Summaries of Data
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 BIOSTATISTICS 501 SYLLABUS – FALL 2022

3. Sampling Concepts
4. The Normal Distribution & the Central Limit Theorem
5. Hypothesis Testing & Confidence Intervals
6. Hypothesis Testing for Continuous Outcomes (t-tests and ANOVA)
7. Hypothesis Testing for Categorical Outcomes (chi-squared tests)
8. Linear Regression & Correlation

Course Goals
1. Students should understand which statistical methods are suitable to a given type of
data.
2. Students should learn different approaches of data collection and understand how
strength of evidence varies among these approaches.
3. Students should be able to apply statistical concepts to actual data using a computer
and explain their results in the context of the data setting.
4. Students should be able to critically examine statistical claims stated in published public
health research and support or refute those claims, including evaluation of policy,
effectiveness of interventions, and association of exposures with disease.

Foundational Competencies (FC)

1. Select quantitative and qualitative data collection methods appropriate for a given public
health context
2. Analyze quantitative data using biostatistics, informatics, computer-based programming
and software.
3. Interpret results of data analysis for public health research, policy or practice.

// COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Each of the eight modules will include several video lectures, one post-video quiz, and two in-
class projects, one involving data analysis and one involving interpretation of results in a
published manuscript. Detailed instructions for each assignment are available on the Canvas
website. Four in-class exams will occur during the course, one each after Modules 2, 4, 6, and
8.

Course Materials
Canvas website: https://umich.instructure.com/courses/540783

Textbook: OpenIntro Statistics, Fourth Edition by DM Diez, CD Barr, and M Cetinkaya-Rundel

(PDF copy available on Canvas)

We will also be using Poll Everywhere through the semester to assess comprehension and
stimulate conversation in the course. All students are expected to set up a free account at
www.polleverywhere.com. All surveys will be at PollEV.com/xiangzhou909.

Computers will be used in nearly every class period. If you do not own a computer, please speak
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with Dr. Zhou ASAP to determine appropriate accommodations.

Many of the course assignments will incorporate manuscripts from the American Journal of
Public Health (AJPH) and other human health-oriented journals. A planned list of those
manuscripts is:
1. Barber S, Hickson DA, Wang X, Sims M, Nelson C, and Diez-Roux AV (2016).
Neighborhood Disadvantage, Poor Social Conditions, and Cardiovascular Disease
Incidence Among African American Adults in the Jackson Heart Study. American
Journal of Public Health (106): 2219-2226.
2. Cerda M, Random Y, Keyes KM, Loenen KC, Tardiff K, Vlahov D, and Galea S (2013).
Revisiting the Role of the Urban Environment in Substance Use: The Case of Analgesic
Overdose Fatalities. American Journal of Public Health (103): 2252-2260.
3. Hawkins SS and Baum CF (2014). Impact of State Cigarette Taxes on Disparities in
Maternal Smoking During Pregnancy, American Journal of Public Health (104):
1464:1470.
4. MacDonald R, Kaba F, Rosner Z, Vise A, Weiss D, Brittner M, Skerker M, Dickey N, and
Venters H (2015). The Rikers Island Hot Spotters: Defining the Needs of the Most
Frequently Incarcerated. American Journal of Public Health (105): 2262-2268.
5. Montgomery BEE, Rompalo A, Hughes J, Wang J, Haley D, Soto-Torres L, Chege W,
Justman J, Kuo I, Golin C, Frew P, Mannheimer S, and Hodder S (2015). Violence
Against Women in Selected Areas of the United States. American Journal of Public
Health (105): 2156-2166.
6. Ritz B, Yu F, Chapa G, and Fruin S (2000). Effect of Air Pollution on Preterm Birth
Among Children Born in Southern California Between 1989 and 1993. Epidemiology
(11): 502-511.
7. Roberto CA, Larsen PD, Agnew H, Baik J, and Brownell KD (2010). Evaluating the
Impact of Menu Labeling on Food Choices and Intake. American Journal of Public
Health (100): 312-318.
8. Siegel M and Rothman EF (2016). Firearm Ownership and Suicide Rates Among US
Men and Women, 1981–2013. American Journal of Public Health (106): 1316-1322.
9. Turney K and Wildeman C (2015). Self-Reported Health Among Recently Incarcerated
Mothers. American Journal of Public Health (105): 2014:2020.
10. Zhang N, Baker HW, Tufts M, Raymond RE, Salihu H, and Elliott MR (2013). Early
Childhood Lead Exposure and Academic Achievement: Evidence From Detroit Public
Schools, 2008–2010. American Journal of Public Health (103): e72-e77.

// COURSE COMMUNICATION
To ensure that your questions are answered as promptly as possible, please follow the
communications guidelines below:

Academic Support
● Discussion Forums are best used to interact with classmates and course staff, share
resources, and help one another with questions about the course materials and
assignments. You can also search through the forums to see if your questions may have
already been asked and answered. I may post answers to frequently asked questions on
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the discussion board rather than responding to multiple individual questions to allow all
students to benefit from the answer. I will monitor the forums on a regular basis to
ensure questions are answered in a timely manner. Response times will be within ~24
hours during weekdays and ~48 hours over weekends or holiday periods.

● Slack is best used for peer-to-peer communication and community building via instant
messaging and group conversations.

● Zoom is best used for live sessions with course staff and peers.

● Email: Only messages that are private in nature should be sent to my email address. Do
not send messages asking general questions about the class; please post those on the
discussion forums instead.

// ASSIGNMENTS & GRADING

Note: the three percentages below add up to 101%; grades will be computed relative to
100%, so that the extra 1% is simply extra credit for everyone.
Post-Video Quizzes (9%)
There will be eight quizzes in this course. The quizzes will focus on the material covered in the
video lectures and readings. Each quiz is equally worth 1.5% of your final grade.

For each module, students are required to view several short videos and then complete a
corresponding online quiz prior to the first Zoom session for that module. Students not
completing the quiz before the start of Zoom session will receive no credit for that quiz. There
are no exceptions to this deadline, except for extreme personal emergencies.

In-Class Projects (60%)

There will be twenty in-class projects in this course, two projects for Modules 1-5, 7, 8, and 9,
and four projects for Module 6. Each project is equally worth 3% of your grade

The in-class projects must be completed by noon on the day after they are first presented in
Zoom and must be turned in electronically on Canvas. After the deadline has passed, grades
will be automatically reduced 20% for the first 24 hours, 20% more for the next 24 hours, with no
credit given after a delay of 5 days. Due to the number of students in this class, no individual
requests for exceptions to this policy will be considered, except for extreme personal
emergencies. Requests should be made only to Dr. Zhou; GSIs cannot make changes to this
policy.

Post-Module Exams (32%)

There will be four online exams in this course, one each after Modules 2, 4, 6, and 8. Each
exam is equally worth 8% of your grade and the exams are not cumulative. The exams will
open at 6am EST and close in 48 hours. During that span of 48 hours, you will have 90
minutes to complete the exam.

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// COURSE POLICIES
What you can expect from me
> Commitment to your learning and your success
I believe all students are unique and will thrive in a learning environment that is challenging yet
supportive of critical thinking and active learning. My goal as an instructor is to encourage
mastery, competency and transformational learning relevant to success in the field of public
health. Please talk to me if there is anything you want to discuss or about which you are
unclear. I want to be supportive of your learning and growth.

> Inclusive & supportive learning community

I believe that learning happens best when we all learn together as a community. This means
creating a space characterized by generous listening, adventurous civility, humility, patience,
and hospitality. I will strive to create a safe classroom environment that promotes scholarly
dialogue and informed debates that are respectful of diverse perspectives. Classroom
discussions, activities, and assignments dealing with sensitive issues involving social
determinants of health will demonstrate these values and beliefs.

> Openness to feedback

I appreciate straightforward feedback from you regarding how well the class is meeting your
needs. Let me know if material is not clear or when its relevance to the student learning
outcomes for the course is not apparent. Please also let me know if there’s an aspect of the
class you find particularly interesting, helpful, or enjoyable!

> Responsiveness
I will monitor email as well as the discussion forums daily and respond to all messages within
approximately 24 hours Monday-Friday (approximately 48 hours over weekends or holiday
periods).

> Clear guidelines and prompt feedback on assignments

I will provide clear instructions for all assignments and a grading rubric when applicable. I’ll
provide detailed feedback on your submissions and update grades promptly in Canvas.

What I expect from you

> Attend Zoom sessions
You are expected, but not required, to attend all scheduled Zoom meetings. These sessions
will cover additional examples, and provide you with time to work on the project in the presence
of the instructor and your peers.
> Participate
I encourage you to log in on a regular basis and actively participate and to ask questions in the
Zoom sessions and in the discussion forums. I will expect all of us to be respectful of each
other’s contributions, whether we agree with them or not.

> Be proactive
If you find that you have any trouble keeping up with assignments or other aspects of the
course, make sure you let me know as early as possible. Make sure that you are proactive in
informing me when difficulties arise during the course so that I can help you find a solution.

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> Complete assignments

All assignments for this course will be submitted electronically through Canvas with specific due
dates. I encourage you to make your best effort to submit all assignments on time, but I
understand that sometimes circumstances arise that are beyond our control. If you need an
extension, please contact me. Assignments submitted late without prior approval will not be
eligible for full credit.

> Seek help if you need it

We believe it is important to support the physical and emotional well‐ being of our students. If
you are experiencing physical or mental health issues, we encourage you to use available
resources such as those listed below. If you have a health issue that is affecting your
performance or participation in the course, and/or if you need help connecting with these
resources, please contact me or the SPH Office for Student Engagement and Practice via
phs.support@umich.edu.

● Well-being for U-M Students: Embrace the concept of well-being as a multidimensional

lifelong journey. Search university-wide resources (note the “virtual” location filter) and
take breaks with stress-relieving videos.

● MiTalk: Review information on a variety of mental health topics, including recorded

workshops, online lectures, and skill-building tools.

● Stressbusters App: View, share, store, and use campus event announcements, news
alerts, student and department videos, one-touch dial emergency buttons, health tips,
surveys and other features, directly on iOS and Android mobile devices.

● SPH Emergency Fund Request: Request support if you encounter an emergency

situation or another unusual, unforeseen expense while enrolled in your degree
program.

● Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Center (SAPAC) Chat: Your chat
advocate can help answer questions about your concerns related to sexual assault,
sexual harassment, stalking, or intimate partner violence and connect you to resources.
SAPAC services include - but are not limited to - information and advocacy regarding
housing, academics, Title IX, and medical options, and criminal legal processes.

> Inform me of any accommodations needed

If you need special accommodations due to a disability, illness, or injury, please inform me as
soon as possible. In particular, if you are registered with the university’s Services for Students
with Disabilities and would like to activate any accommodations, please provide me with your
VISA letter as early as possible. Please note that some accommodations take longer to
implement than others (e.g. scheduling live captioning during Zoom sessions).
Some religious holidays may occur on regularly scheduled class days. Because available class
sessions are limited in number, we will have to hold class on all such days. If you must miss a
meeting due to a religious holiday, please get permission from me prior to the class in question.

> Commit to integrity

As a student in this course and at this university you are expected to maintain a high degree of
professionalism, commitment to active learning and participation in this class, and also integrity
in your behavior in and out of the classroom. Preparation of papers assigned on an individual

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basis must represent your own individual effort. When used, resource materials should be cited
in conventional reference format.
To promote academic integrity and improve student outcomes this course will use a plagiarism
detection service. Cheating and other forms of academic misconduct will not be tolerated and
will be dealt with firmly. Student academic misconduct refers to behavior that includes
plagiarism, cheating on exams or assignments, fabrication of data, falsification of records or
official documents, intentional misuse of equipment or materials (including library materials), or
aiding and abetting the perpetration of such acts.
Please visit https://sph.umich.edu/ns/student-resources/index.html for the full Policy on Student
Academic Conduct Standards and Procedures.

> Support Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

The University of Michigan School of Public Health seeks to create and disseminate knowledge,
with the aim of preventing disease and promoting the health of populations worldwide. We
recognize the histories of social discrimination globally and seek to promote and extend
opportunities for members of all groups that historically have been marginalized. We commit to
developing the institutional mechanisms and norms necessary to promote the values of
diversity, equity, and inclusion, both inside and outside our classrooms. To this end, SPH
upholds the expectations that all courses will (1) be inclusive, (2) promote brave discussions,
(3) follow multicultural ground rules, and (4) abide by U-M policies and procedures.

● Inclusive courses are those in which teachers and learners co-create and co-sustain
environments that support and encourage all members to participate equitably.

● Brave (rather than safe) discussions promote diversity and social justice learning by
acknowledging the dynamics of oppression and privilege both inside and outside the
classroom.

● Multicultural ground rules acknowledge diverse experiences in the classroom and

offer strategies for holding one another appropriately accountable.

● U-M policies and procedures can be found at https://diversity.umich.edu with

additional resources and instructions for reporting discrimination at
https://sph.umich.edu/diversity-equity-inclusion/resources.html.

> Civic Duty and Engagement

The School of Public Health believes that civic engagement is a core part of every curriculum
and every course, and the first Tuesday of November is taken off in recognition of this belief.
We believe this emphasis on civic engagement and participation in democracy makes our
students stronger candidates for post-graduate employment and graduate education, as well as
enabling our students to be better prepared to use their degrees to create and implement real
change. Students are expected to use Election Day, and the months leading up to it, to
participate in their community and their democracy. Students may be asked to share
experiences leading up to or on this day in class or outside of class (through assignments or
discussion boards). Resources for civic engagement can be found at the Ginsberg Center for
Community Service and Learning (https://ginsberg.umich.edu/pathways) and voter information
can be found at https://govote.umich.edu/. To be added to the permanent absentee list to be
sent an application to vote absentee prior to each election, please sign up here

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(https://www.a2gov.org/departments/city-clerk/Elections/Pages/Permanent-Absentee-Voter-
Form.aspx). Additionally, students may find opportunities to volunteer locally with Ann Arbor
(www.a2gov.org), with the State of Michigan (www.michigan.gov/sos) or with their home state.
International Students are encouraged to participate in appropriate civic duties, in accordance
with their Visa status, such as volunteering locally at a food or homeless shelter.

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// COURSE SCHEDULE

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2022
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
29 30 31 1 2 3

Introduction Complete Module 1 Project Due

to Course Quiz Project A at Noon

4 5 6 7 8 9 10

No Class - Module 1 Project Due

Labor Day Project B at Noon

11 12 13 14 15 16 17

Complete Module 2 Project Due Module 2 Project Due

Quiz Project A at Noon Project B at Noon

18 19 20 21 22 23 24

Complete Module 3 Project Due Module 3 Project Due

Quiz Project A at Noon Project B at Noon

25 26 27 28 29 30

Exam for Complete Module 4 Project Due

Modules 1, 2 Quiz Project A at Noon
& 3 Opens

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Oct-22
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
1

2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Module 4 Project Due Module 5 Project Due

Project B at Noon Project A at Noon
Complete
Quiz
9 10 11 12 13 14 15

Module 5 Project Due Exam for

Project B at Noon Modules 4 &
5 Opens

16 17 18 19 20 21 22

Complete Module 6 Project Due

Quiz No Class - Fall Break Project A at Noon

23 24 25 26 27 28 29

Module 6 Project Due Guest

Project B at Noon Lecture

30 31

Module 6
Project C

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Nov-22
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
1 2 3 4 5

Project Due Module 6 Project Due

at Noon Project D at Noon

6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Complete Module 7 Project Due Module 7 Project Due

Quiz Project A at Noon Project B at Noon

13 14 15 16 17 18 19

Exam for Complete Module 8 Project Due

Modules 6 & Quiz Project A at Noon
7 Opens

20 21 22 23 24 25 26

Module 8 Project Due

Project B at Noon No Class - Thanksgiving Break

27 28 29 30

Complete Module 9 Project Due Module 9

Quiz Project A at Noon Project B

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Dec-22
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
1 2 3

Project Due
at Noon

4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Semester Exam for

Recap Modules 8 &
9 Opens

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