Introduction to Statistics

Stanford University

About this Course

14,602 recent views

Stanford's "Introduction to Statistics" teaches you statistical thinking concepts that are essential for learning from data and communicating insights. By the end of the course, you will be able to perform exploratory data analysis, understand key principles of sampling, and select appropriate tests of significance for multiple contexts. You will gain the foundational skills that prepare you to pursue more advanced topics in statistical thinking and machine learning.
Topics include Descriptive Statistics, Sampling and Randomized Controlled Experiments, Probability, Sampling Distributions and the Central Limit Theorem, Regression, Common Tests of Significance, Resampling, Multiple Comparisons.

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Beginner Level

Basic familiarity with computers and productivity software
No calculus required

Approx. 11 hours to complete

English

Subtitles: English

Instructor

Instructor rating

4.2/5 (5 Ratings)

Stanford Teaching Team

2,542 Learners

3 Courses

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Beginner Level

Basic familiarity with computers and productivity software
No calculus required

Approx. 11 hours to complete

English

Subtitles: English

Offered by

Stanford University

The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is an American private research university located in Stanford, California on an 8,180-acre (3,310 ha) campus near Palo Alto, California, United States.

Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

Week

Week 1

1 hour to complete

Introduction and Descriptive Statistics for Exploring Data

1 hour to complete

10 videos (Total 30 min), 3 readings, 1 quiz

10 videos

Course Welcome2m

Meet Guenther Walther1m

Introduction1m

Pie Chart, Bar Graph, and Histograms6m

Box-and-Whisker Plot and Scatter Plot3m

Providing Context is Key for Statistical Analyses2m

Pitfalls when Visualizing Information1m

Mean and Median5m

Percentiles, the Five Number Summary, and Standard Deviation2m

Industry Insight: Introduction to Andrew Radin3m

3 readings

Read First - Important Information About Your Course10m

Course Slides10m

Course Syllabus10m

1 practice exercise

Introduction and Descriptive Statistics for Exploring Data30m

Week

Week 2

1 hour to complete

Producing Data and Sampling

1 hour to complete

6 videos (Total 14 min)

6 videos

Introduction2m

Simple Random Sampling and Stratified Random Sampling3m

Bias and Chance Error1m

Observation vs. Experiment, Confounding, and the Placebo Effect4m

The Logic of Randomized Controlled Experiments41s

Industry Insights: Filing a Patent for twoXAR1m

1 practice exercise

Producing Data and Sampling30m

Week

Week 3

1 hour to complete

Probability

1 hour to complete

8 videos (Total 27 min)

8 videos

The Interpretation of Probability3m

Complement, Equally Likely Outcomes, Addition, and Multiplication4m

Four Rules Example: How to Deal with "At Least One"2m

Solving Problems by Total Enumeration3m

Bayes' Rule3m

Bayesian Analysis4m

Warner's Randomized Response Model3m

Industry Insights: Drug Discovery at twoXAR1m

1 practice exercise

Probability30m

Week

Week 4

1 hour to complete

Normal Approximation and Binomial Distribution

1 hour to complete

10 videos (Total 27 min)

10 videos

The Normal Curve1m

The Empirical Rule2m

Standardizing Data and the Standard Normal Curve2m

Normal Approximation4m

Computing Percentiles with the Normal Approximation1m

The Binomial Setting and Binomial Coefficient4m

The Binomial Formula3m

Random Variables and Probability Histograms2m

Normal Approximation to the Binomial; Sampling Without Replacement3m

Industry Insights: Opportunities in Life Sciences57s

1 practice exercise

The Normal Approximation for Data and the Binomial Distribution30m

Week

Week 5

1 hour to complete

Sampling Distributions and the Central Limit Theorem

1 hour to complete

9 videos (Total 23 min)

9 videos

Parameter and Statistic1m

Expected Value and Standard Error3m

EV and SE of Sum, Percentages, and When Simulating5m

The Square Root Law2m

The Sampling Distribution1m

Three Histograms1m

The Law of Large Numbers1m

The Central Limit Theorem4m

When does the Central Limit Theorem Apply?1m

1 practice exercise

Sampling Distributions and the Central Limit Theorem30m

Week

Week 6

1 hour to complete

Regression

1 hour to complete

10 videos (Total 34 min)

10 videos

Prediction is a Key Task of Statistics1m

The Correlation Coefficient2m

Correlation Measures Linear Association4m

Regression Line and the Method of Least Squares2m

Regression to the Mean, The Regression Fallacy3m

Predicting y from x and x from y6m

Normal Approximation Given x2m

Residual Plots, Heteroscedasticity, and Transformations3m

Outliers and Influential Points4m

Industry Insights: Challenges to Using Data Science in Medicine2m

1 practice exercise

Regression30m

Week

Week 7

1 hour to complete

Confidence Intervals

1 hour to complete

4 videos (Total 15 min)

4 videos

Interpretation of a Confidence Interval6m

Using the Central Limit Theorem to Find a Confidence Interval2m

Estimating the Standard Error with the Bootstrap Principle3m

More About Confidence Intervals2m

1 practice exercise

Confidence Intervals30m

Week

Week 8

1 hour to complete

Tests of Significance

1 hour to complete

9 videos (Total 34 min)

9 videos

The Idea Behind Testing Hypotheses2m

Setting Up a Test Statistic1m

p-values as Measures of Evidence3m

Distinguishing Coke and Pepsi by Taste3m

The t-test4m

Statistical Significance vs. Importance2m

The Two-Sample z-test7m

Matched Pairs6m

Industry Insights: Hiring Data Science Talent1m

1 practice exercise

Tests of Significance30m

Week

Week 9

1 hour to complete

Resampling

1 hour to complete

5 videos (Total 17 min)

5 videos

Using Computer Simulations in Place of Calculations1m

Using the Law of Large Numbers to Approximate Quantities of Interest4m

Plug-in Principle5m

The Parametric Bootstrap and Bootstrap Confidence Intervals3m

Bootstrapping in Regression2m

1 practice exercise

Resampling30m

Week

Week 10

1 hour to complete

Analysis of Categorical Data

1 hour to complete

3 videos (Total 14 min)

3 videos

Relationships Between Two Categorical Variables1m

The Color Proportions of M&Ms5m

The Chi-Square Test for Homogeneity and Independence6m

1 practice exercise

Analysis of Categorical Data30m

Week

Week 11

1 hour to complete

One-Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA)

1 hour to complete

5 videos (Total 16 min)

5 videos

Comparing Several Means1m

The Idea of Analysis of Variance4m

Using the F Distribution to Evaluate ANOVA5m

Week 12

1 hour to complete

Multiple Comparisons

1 hour to complete

3 videos (Total 12 min), 1 reading, 1 quiz

3 videos

Data Snooping and the Multiple Testing Fallacy, Reproducibility and Replicability3m

Bonferroni Correction, False Discovery Rate, and Data Splitting7m

Summary1m

1 reading

Course Evaluation10m

1 practice exercise

Multiple Comparisons30m

Frequently Asked Questions

When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:
The course may not offer an audit option. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid.
The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
Will I earn university credit for completing the Course?
This Course doesn't carry university credit, but some universities may choose to accept Course Certificates for credit. Check with your institution to learn more. Online Degrees and Mastertrack™ Certificates on Coursera provide the opportunity to earn university credit.

More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center.

Introduction to Statistics