QUANTITATIVE METHODS IN BUSINESS, BUS 1B

COURSE SYLLABUS

Spring 2014
Class Hours: M 2:00 PM3:20 PM
Location: Lemberg Academic Center 180

Dr. William J. Oliver

781-728-9455
Email: willo@brandeis.com
Please put BUS 1B in the subject line

Office: Sachar 11 (by the Coke machine)

Office Hours: Monday 10:00-2:00, Wednesday 12:30-2:00, and by appointment
Updated: 12/5/2013

Course Objectives:
This course prepares students in three ways for the quantitative analysis required in
businessboth at Brandeis and after graduation. . First, it teaches students to
perform the basic quantitative analyses that are foundational to all aspects of
businessfrom accounting to human resource management. Second, the course is
designed to improve students skills as critical consumers of data analysis. They
will learn to judge the right tool for an analysis. Students will critique actual
published studies to understand how data analyses have been performed or
evaluated, especially looking for evidence of tools applied improperly. For example,
analysis that fails to take variance into account, infers causation from correlation, or
suggests trends using cross sectional data that can only be made using longitudinal
data. Finally, the course anticipates that years after this single two-credit course is
over, students will still need to keep fresh on when to use tools, how to use them,
and how to evaluate the results. So, the course is designed around learning to use
the vast array of web-based teaching aids to keep skills fresh. Students will to learn
to recognize the type of relevant data analysis, and then seek out helpful tools to
remind them how to perform the analysis.
Through this course, students will build skill data using Excel: loading large data
tables, summing, sorting, calculating trends and ratios, and using Excel functions
such as NPV to calculate net present value. Such analysis allows students to
document history and create financial models based on historical data. Students
will also develop initial skills in parametric analysis: garnering meaning from data
with properties of normal distribution. Tools of this analysis include averages,
probability, means comaprisons and ordinary least squares regression. These allow
students to evaluate more complex real-world situations in order to analyze
customer segmentation, and conduct more sophisticated forecasting and business
modeling.
In addition to conducting analysis, students will learn to create tables and charts to
present results of analysis in powerful, meaningful tables and charts. After creating
them, students will learn how to move them into MSWord and PowerPoint
documents.
Core concepts of the course:
1. Interpreting the results of data analysis: avoiding errors in interpreting
reports and spotting errors in analysis
2. Basic Excel analysis: sum, linking, consolidation, average, median, mode,
ratios, trends, CAGR
3. Basic Excel functions: growth, average, variation, rank, percentile, IRR, NPV
and vlookup
4. Basic Excel tools: sorting, subtotals, pivot table
5. Excel data analysis add-in: histogram, standard deviation, t-test

6. Conducting basic regression analysis in Excel, with special importance placed

on understanding significance of results
7. Finding meaningful data
8. Graphing data: selecting the best Excel graph format, tailoring graphs
9. Exporting data tables and graphs into MSWord or PowerPoint
Teaching Approach:
The course will use these teaching techniques:

Text and DVD tutorials will introduce the material and provide exercises to
practice
Mini-lectures will discuss and demonstrate why and how analysis tools are
used
Practicing in class, the professor will assist students as they practice what
they learned in the text and tutorials
Discussion in class of actual data analysis reports to understand what
methods were used, and any issues with those analyses.
Wikistudents will find Excel and data analysis guides and tutorials on line,
assess them for usefulness, and together build a resource list of links to use
after the course. Each student must find and post at least one useful link, the
average last term was 3.6 posts (do you want to be merely average?) This is
in a Googledoc located at:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Alh3ApyELd-kdF9TX3JqdS1Gd1dPbUk2em8tVjBNekE#gid=0

Weekly practice setsthese are opportunities to practice the subject matter

of the week through an exercise with data supplied along with a set of
requirements. Practice sets are on the DVD
Weekly data presentation assessment. You are to find one table or graph in a
published source: textbook, newspaper or website. Paste the graph (scan if
necessary) into a MSWord document. Then, in a few sentences explain the
graph or chart: explain how the data was created; describe the table or graph
(graph type, x and y axis, etc.); what is the point of the graph or table; and
most important what do you think of the data presentation? That is, is the
data being abused in any way to says something it does not really say? Each
week, add the most recent evaluation to the top of your document and resubmit it to LATTE. This will create a single document with the first
assessment at the bottom, and the last at the top of the paper. Date each
assessment.
Midterm exam. This will require students to conduct analysis in Excel and
submit results on LATTE.
Groups of students will present a data analysis evaluating a data set they
select. Presentations must be in PowerPoint and describe: the question, data
source, how the data was moved into Excel including any changes required,

description of what analyses were performed, output graphs and tables, and
a final conclusion from the data analysis. Details on LATTE.
Workload
The workload will reflect that this is only a 2 credit course. Last term, the class
reported that they invested an average of 5 hours per week outside class. That
matches the 2-3 hours of homework per credit hour widely reported on university
websites around the world. However, some students need more time to learn the
material. Your workload will likely be different from the norm.
Participation:
Students learn best when they talk about what they are learning. Questions,
challenges, comments and the like are expected. This is not a lecture class. You
are expected to learn the basics through the readings and weekly practice sets. In
class, we will talk about what you have learned. Active participation will lead to a
good participation grade. Since this course is based on sharpening each others
skills in class, attendance is required; no absences will be excused.
Text and Software
Required: Mike Garvin, Slaying Excel Dragons. You may obtain these at the
bookstore or on line. Order the text and tutorials on DVD ($40), or the DVD along
with a paper book ($60) at: http://www.mrexcel.com/slayingdragonsdvd2011.html.
Note: much of this information is on youtube.com. However, it is lacking in
organization and will be hard to tie to the homework assignmentsso buy the DVD
and text.
Students are expected to bring to every class session a Windows computer with
Excel version 2010 or 2013. If you do not have Excel, it is can be purchased on line
(e.g. from amazon.com) as part of Microsoft Office suite for about $110-130. Or,
students can purchase four years of access to the Office Suite on the cloud for
about $80. Do not use versions earlier than 2010, or non-licensed versions.
Mac Computers
This course (like Brandeis IT) supports Windows computers. If you have a Macintosh
computer make sure you have version 2011. You will find that some of the Excel
commands and capabilities are different from Excel for Windows. The course will
not be geared to Mac, though you can do well in the course with one. It will
however require a bit of adaptation. If you own a Mac, you will be able to learn all
the material. It will simply be a bit harder because some of the Excel features are
implemented differently in Excel for the Mac. The Wiki (see above) already includes
many helpful lists and descriptions that will help you convert the Windows-oriented
instructions in class and on the DVD to the world of Apple. Hopefully, your class will
add even more. It is a shame that Microsoft chose to treat the Apple environment

differently. Though frustrating, the course reflects a real world situation; Windows
is overwhelmingly the standard in business, and bosses have little patience for I
can only use a Mac.
Grading: 25% class and wiki participation, 15% weekly practice sets, 10% weekly
data presentation assessment, 25% midterm exam, and 25% final paper
Prerequisites: none
Before the first class session: Make sure Excel is loaded in your computer and
you know how to launch it. Complete the homework as indicated for 1/18 below.
Course Calendar (subject to change)
Date
1/13

Subject
Why businesses do data analysis
Entering data and moving it around, basic arithmetic,
tabs & basic statistics. Also, view the following link:
http://www.lynda.com/home/Player.aspx?lpk4=134301&playChapter=False

1/27

Finding external data and loading it into Excel.

Arranging data: formatting, sorting, filters, conditional
formatting
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cL7XQ-uvsf0

2/3

Excel functions are your friendsCAGR, NPV, IRR, etc.

Getting twisted up in pivot tables
http://www.lynda.com/home/Player.aspx?lpk4=82841&playChapter=False

2/10

Creating and exporting graphs and tables

2/17

No Class

2/24

Description of the final project

Describing populationsmean, median, mode, max,
min confidence intervals, and t-statistics
Histograms

3/3

Midterm prep

3/10

Midterm exam
Midterm review
Probability
Comparing means

3/17
3/24

http://www.lynda.com/home/Player.aspx?lpk4=85557&playChapter=False

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqNjNE3jw_I
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlS11D2VL_U
http://www.excel-easy.com/examples/f-test.html
http://www.excel-easy.com/examples/t-test.html

Chapter
Text:1 & 2
DVD: 1-2
Homework: 1-8
Text: 3
DVD: 3-6
Homework: 9-14
Text: 5 (1)
DVD: 11-16
Homework: 2245
Text: 5 (2)
DVD: 37-39
Homework: 4568
Post to Wiki
Catch up on
homework
Text: 7
DVD: 46-49
Homework: 6989, T-Test
(LATTE)
Text: 8
DVD: 48
Homework: 97100
Midterm prep
Probability
(LATTE)
Means
comparison
(LATTE)

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/excel-help/t-test-functionHP010335701.aspx

Linear regression basics

3/31

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPG4NjIkCjc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvS2triCgOY&feature=c4-overviewvl&list=PLF596A4043DBEAE9C
http://it.usu.edu/plugins/work/sitemaps/107/files/Linear_Regression_using_Exc
el.pdf
http://cosmos.champlain.edu/people/stevens/WebTech/ExcelFiles/Chap10Excel.pdf

4/7

Multiple regression

4/14

Understanding other peoples' data analysis

4/21
4/28

Group project presentations

Group project presentations

Regression
(LATTE)

Multiple
Regression
(LATTE)
Submit project
team and topic
outline
Evaluate
published
graphs and
analyses