Title: Welcome to Week 1 — let's learn to question numbers
Course: Introduction to Statistics (18-Week Generic Edition)

Hi everyone, and welcome to Introduction to Statistics!

Quick question before we start: in the last 24 hours, did you generate any data? A rating tapped, steps counted, minutes streamed? You did — constantly. This whole course is about the other side of that: how anyone turns numbers like yours into a claim about people they never met, and how you tell the trustworthy claims from the junk.

This week — Statistics, Data & Study Design — we tackle the big question: Where do data come from, and when can the numbers speak for more people than we actually measured? By the end of the week you'll be able to look at any poll, rating, or "studies show" and ask the three questions that decide whether it deserves your trust: Who was measured? How were they picked? What was actually recorded?

Three things not to miss: 1. Chapter 1 is your primary reading — start there; it makes everything else this week easier. 2. Lecture Tutorial 1 — work through the week's ideas with your chatbot and submit the share link. You'll catch the model's mistakes, not just trust it. Due at the end of Week 1. 3. Data Lab 1 puts real Antarctic penguin research data in your spreadsheet — and the Discussion ("The 4.8-Star Problem") wants your initial post two days before the week ends, so classmates have time to reply.

One promise: this is a course about thinking clearly, not about being a "math person." We lead with plain-language ideas every single week; the notation comes second. If a number ever surprises you this term, you'll know exactly what to ask.

Open the Start Here / Module Overview page first — it lays out everything in order with due points. Bring your curiosity (and an opinion about whether a 4.8-star rating can be trusted) to the first session.

See you in the course!