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.
This module provides an overview of the course and a review of the main tools used in descriptive statistics to visualize information.
What's included
10 videos2 readings2 assignments
Show info about module content
10 videos•Total 30 minutes
Course Welcome•2 minutes
Meet Guenther Walther•1 minute
Introduction•2 minutes
Pie Chart, Bar Graph, and Histograms•6 minutes
Box-and-Whisker Plot and Scatter Plot•3 minutes
Providing Context is Key for Statistical Analyses•2 minutes
Pitfalls when Visualizing Information•2 minutes
Mean and Median•5 minutes
Percentiles, the Five Number Summary, and Standard Deviation•2 minutes
[EXTRA] Industry Insight: Introduction to Andrew Radin•3 minutes
2 readings•Total 20 minutes
Read First - Important Information About Your Course•10 minutes
Meeting You - Pre-Course Survey•10 minutes
2 assignments•Total 60 minutes
Quick Quiz About the Requirements•30 minutes
Introduction and Descriptive Statistics for Exploring Data•30 minutes
Producing Data and Sampling
Module 2•1 hour to complete
Module details
In this module, you will look at the main concepts for sampling and designing experiments. You will learn about curious pitfalls and how to evaluate the effectiveness of such experiments.
What's included
6 videos1 assignment
Show info about module content
6 videos•Total 14 minutes
Introduction•3 minutes
Simple Random Sampling and Stratified Random Sampling•3 minutes
Bias and Chance Error•1 minute
Observation vs. Experiment, Confounding, and the Placebo Effect•4 minutes
The Logic of Randomized Controlled Experiments•1 minute
[EXTRA] Industry Insights: Filing a Patent for twoXAR•2 minutes
1 assignment•Total 45 minutes
Producing Data and Sampling•45 minutes
Probability
Module 3•1 hour to complete
Module details
In this module, you will learn about the definition of probability and the essential rules of probability that you will need for solving both simple and complex challenges. You will also learn about examples of how simple rules of probability are used to create solutions for real-life complex situations.
What's included
8 videos1 assignment
Show info about module content
8 videos•Total 27 minutes
The Interpretation of Probability•3 minutes
Complement, Equally Likely Outcomes, Addition, and Multiplication•4 minutes
Four Rules Example: How to Deal with "At Least One"•2 minutes
Solving Problems by Total Enumeration•4 minutes
Bayes' Rule•3 minutes
Bayesian Analysis•5 minutes
Warner's Randomized Response Model•4 minutes
[EXTRA] Industry Insights: Drug Discovery at twoXAR•2 minutes
1 assignment•Total 45 minutes
Probability•45 minutes
Normal Approximation and Binomial Distribution
Module 4•1 hour to complete
Module details
This module covers the empirical rule and normal approximation for data, a technique that is used in many statistical procedures. You will also learn about the binomial distribution and the basics of random variables.
What's included
10 videos1 assignment
Show info about module content
10 videos•Total 27 minutes
The Normal Curve•1 minute
The Empirical Rule•3 minutes
Standardizing Data and the Standard Normal Curve•2 minutes
Normal Approximation•4 minutes
Computing Percentiles with the Normal Approximation•2 minutes
The Binomial Setting and Binomial Coefficient•4 minutes
The Binomial Formula•4 minutes
Random Variables and Probability Histograms•2 minutes
Normal Approximation to the Binomial; Sampling Without Replacement•4 minutes
[EXTRA] Industry Insights: Opportunities in Life Sciences•1 minute
1 assignment•Total 45 minutes
The Normal Approximation for Data and the Binomial Distribution•45 minutes
Sampling Distributions and the Central Limit Theorem
Module 5•1 hour to complete
Module details
In this module, you will learn about the Law of Large Numbers and the Central Limit Theorem. You will also learn how to differentiate between the different types of histograms present in statistical analysis.
What's included
9 videos1 assignment
Show info about module content
9 videos•Total 23 minutes
Parameter and Statistic•2 minutes
Expected Value and Standard Error•3 minutes
EV and SE of Sum, Percentages, and When Simulating•6 minutes
The Square Root Law•3 minutes
The Sampling Distribution•1 minute
Three Histograms•2 minutes
The Law of Large Numbers•1 minute
The Central Limit Theorem•5 minutes
When does the Central Limit Theorem Apply?•1 minute
1 assignment•Total 45 minutes
Sampling Distributions and the Central Limit Theorem•45 minutes
Regression
Module 6•1 hour to complete
Module details
This module covers regression, arguably the most important statistical technique based on its versatility to solve different types of statistical problems. You will learn about inference, regression, and how to do regression diagnostics.
What's included
10 videos1 assignment
Show info about module content
10 videos•Total 34 minutes
Prediction is a Key Task of Statistics•2 minutes
The Correlation Coefficient•2 minutes
Correlation Measures Linear Association•4 minutes
Regression Line and the Method of Least Squares•3 minutes
Regression to the Mean, The Regression Fallacy•4 minutes
Predicting y from x and x from y•6 minutes
Normal Approximation Given x•3 minutes
Residual Plots, Heteroscedasticity, and Transformations•4 minutes
Outliers and Influential Points•4 minutes
[EXTRA] Industry Insights: Challenges to Using Data Science in Medicine•2 minutes
1 assignment•Total 45 minutes
Regression•45 minutes
Confidence Intervals
Module 7•1 hour to complete
Module details
In this module, you will learn how to construct and interpret confidence intervals in standard situations.
What's included
4 videos1 assignment
Show info about module content
4 videos•Total 15 minutes
Interpretation of a Confidence Interval•6 minutes
Using the Central Limit Theorem to Find a Confidence Interval•3 minutes
Estimating the Standard Error with the Bootstrap Principle•3 minutes
More About Confidence Intervals•2 minutes
1 assignment•Total 45 minutes
Confidence Intervals•45 minutes
Tests of Significance
Module 8•1 hour to complete
Module details
In this module, you will look at the logic behind testing and learn how to perform the appropriate statistical tests for different samples and situations. You will also learn about common misunderstandings and pitfalls in testing.
What's included
9 videos1 assignment
Show info about module content
9 videos•Total 34 minutes
The Idea Behind Testing Hypotheses•3 minutes
Setting Up a Test Statistic•2 minutes
p-values as Measures of Evidence•4 minutes
Distinguishing Coke and Pepsi by Taste•4 minutes
The t-test•5 minutes
Statistical Significance vs. Importance•3 minutes
The Two-Sample z-test•7 minutes
Matched Pairs•6 minutes
[EXTRA] Industry Insights: Hiring Data Science Talent•1 minute
1 assignment•Total 45 minutes
Tests of Significance•45 minutes
Resampling
Module 9•1 hour to complete
Module details
This module focuses on the two main methods used in computer-intensive statistical inference: The Monte Carlo method, and the Bootstrap method. You will learn about the theoretic principles behind these methods and how they are applied in different contexts, such as regression and constructing confidence intervals.
What's included
5 videos1 assignment
Show info about module content
5 videos•Total 17 minutes
Using Computer Simulations in Place of Calculations•2 minutes
Using the Law of Large Numbers to Approximate Quantities of Interest•4 minutes
Plug-in Principle•5 minutes
The Parametric Bootstrap and Bootstrap Confidence Intervals•4 minutes
Bootstrapping in Regression•3 minutes
1 assignment•Total 45 minutes
Resampling•45 minutes
Analysis of Categorical Data
Module 10•1 hour to complete
Module details
This module focuses on the three important statistical analysis for categorical data: Chi-Square Goodness of Fit test, Chi-Square test of Homogeneity, and Chi-Square test of Independence.
What's included
3 videos1 assignment
Show info about module content
3 videos•Total 14 minutes
Relationships Between Two Categorical Variables•2 minutes
The Color Proportions of M&Ms•5 minutes
The Chi-Square Test for Homogeneity and Independence•7 minutes
1 assignment•Total 45 minutes
Analysis of Categorical Data•45 minutes
One-Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA)
Module 11•1 hour to complete
Module details
This module covers the basics of ANOVA and how F-tests work on one-way ANOVA examples.
What's included
5 videos1 assignment
Show info about module content
5 videos•Total 16 minutes
Comparing Several Means•1 minute
The Idea of Analysis of Variance•4 minutes
Using the F Distribution to Evaluate ANOVA•6 minutes
More on ANOVA•2 minutes
[EXTRA] Industry Insights: Starting Your Career in Data Science•3 minutes
1 assignment•Total 45 minutes
One-Way Analysis of Variance•45 minutes
Multiple Comparisons
Module 12•1 hour to complete
Module details
In this module, you will learn about very important issues that have surfaced in the era of big data: data snooping and the multiple testing fallacy. You will also explore the reasons behind challenges in data reproducibility and applicability, and how to prevent such issues in your own work.
What's included
3 videos1 reading1 assignment
Show info about module content
3 videos•Total 12 minutes
Data Snooping and the Multiple Testing Fallacy, Reproducibility and Replicability•3 minutes
Bonferroni Correction, False Discovery Rate, and Data Splitting•7 minutes
Summary•1 minute
1 reading•Total 10 minutes
Thank You and Course Evaluation•10 minutes
1 assignment•Total 45 minutes
Multiple Comparisons•45 minutes
Instructor
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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.
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Showing 3 of 4286
J
JM
4·
Reviewed on Aug 11, 2022
Gives a great overview of every important topic in statistics. However, lots of things aren't explained thoroughly. I had to use other websites to gain a sufficient understanding of lots of material.
B
BN
4·
Reviewed on Feb 4, 2022
The course was very interesting. A lot of concepts were touched up on, but the explanation part was a little less. I can label it as a very good introductory course to Statistics.
H
HH
4·
Reviewed on Apr 8, 2025
It provides beginners like me with a lot of new knowledge, but honestly I have to use other tools to help understand the concepts in the course, otherwise it is quite difficult for me
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