In this module, you will become familiar with the course, your classmates, and our learning environment. The orientation will also help you obtain the technical skills required for the course. Data is all around you, but what is the data telling you? The first step in making better decisions and taking action is to get a good understanding of information you have gathered. In this module we will learn about some of the tools in statistics that help us achieve this.

We all have heard the phrase that a "picture is worth a thousand words," but you certainly don’t want one of those to be "what exactly am I looking at?" So, now that you know to use "pictures" to summarize your data, let’s make those pictures easier to understand.

You are charged with analyzing a market segment for your company. You and your team have figured out what variables you need to understand; you also have an idea what factors might be influencing these variables of interest. Now you are ready to do your analysis. But, wait! Where is the data? How do you begin to get the data? In this module we will review the means by which you can begin to produce data – the concepts of sampling and Central Limit Theorem – and will help you understand how to produce "good" sample data and why sample data will work.

You have sample data and have done the analysis – you think you can say something about the population based on your sample study. But, do you have a sense of what are the chances of you being right or wrong? How can you be surer? What else should you have considered? In this module, you will learn how to find the answers to these questions.