1. The fundamentals of statistical thinking

This first lesson of the module introduces you to the basics of statistics. It begins by looking at what statistical information is like, how it could be condensed and what kind of conclusions can be drawn from statistics about different phenomena.

Statistics tell us different things about the phenomenon concerned depending on the point of view adopted. The same statistical figure can be used for different purposes: for example, statistics on birth rate can be used to predict the numbers who will be starting school or to estimate spending on child allowances, or to forecast the future structure of population.

The lesson also covers the most common methods of describing statistical data that allow for a more condensed representation of the data collected. You will learn about the concepts of distribution and arithmetic mean.

One of the primary uses of statistics is to make comparisons. Comparisons of changes in a given phenomenon use the tool of indices. In this lesson you will learn the basic principle of calculating an index and also how to interpret index values. The lesson takes a look at time series with which changes can be monitored over decades and even centuries.

Finally, you will gain basic knowledge about samples.