University of Colorado Boulder

BiteSize Stats: Data and Descriptive Statistics 

University of Colorado Boulder

BiteSize Stats: Data and Descriptive Statistics 

Di Wu

Instructor: Di Wu

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Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
Beginner level

Recommended experience

8 weeks to complete
at 10 hours a week
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace
Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
Beginner level

Recommended experience

8 weeks to complete
at 10 hours a week
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace

What you'll learn

  • Statistics

  • Descriptive Data Analysis

Details to know

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Recently updated!

August 2026

Assessments

5 assignments

Taught in English

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This course is part of the BiteSize Statistics for Absolute Beginners Specialization
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There are 5 modules in this course

Introduces the discipline of statistical thinking — the Prepare-Analyze-Conclude workflow and the distinction between Prediction and Inference — before grounding students in the DIKW framework for turning raw data into actionable judgment. The module then covers how to classify variables (quantitative vs. categorical, continuous vs. discrete) and apply the four levels of measurement (nominal, ordinal, interval, ratio), skills that determine which statistical methods are valid for a given dataset.

What's included

22 readings1 assignment5 ungraded labs

Covers the foundational vocabulary of inferential statistics — populations, samples, parameters, and statistics — and why a sample's representativeness, not its size, determines its usefulness. Students then learn the four probability sampling methods (simple random, systematic, stratified, cluster) and how to distinguish sampling error from sampling bias, closing with a lab that designs and critiques real sampling schemes.

What's included

21 readings1 assignment5 ungraded labs

Covers the three measures of center — mean, median, and mode — the distinct question each answers, and how to calculate each from raw, frequency-table, and grouped data. Students learn why the mean is sensitive to outliers while the median resists them, and apply a two-question decision framework (variable type, distribution shape) to select the correct measure for any dataset.

What's included

21 readings1 assignment5 ungraded labs

Covers why a measure of center alone is insufficient and introduces spread as the second essential summary of a distribution. Students calculate range, quartiles, IQR, and the five-number summary; variance and standard deviation (including Bessel's correction); and the coefficient of variation for comparing spread across differently scaled variables — closing with a lab that ranks business portfolios by consistency.

What's included

21 readings1 assignment5 ungraded labs

Covers building and interpreting frequency tables and histograms, identifying distribution shape (symmetric, right-skewed, left-skewed, uni/bi/multimodal), and applying the Empirical Rule to approximately normal data. Students construct and compare box plots across groups, then complete a full exploratory data analysis pipeline in the module's applied lab.

What's included

21 readings1 assignment5 ungraded labs

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Instructor

Di Wu
University of Colorado Boulder
24 Courses64,032 learners

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