Rather than shoving you in at the deep-end with trite advice to “just read the manual”, the latter sections of this document give you a head start by explaining how you can put the TI-84 to good use during the semester.
#CONFIDENCE INTERVAL TI NSPIRE MANUAL#
Lastly, you get a lot for your $220, including a manual the size of The Yellow Pages (if you print it). If you are doing another unit where you need a calculator, you should check with your lecturer before trying to use the TI-84 (you are welcome to try to use logic to change their position). Why? Because the TI-84 is programmable and that word is enough to cause some lecturers at this fine institution to fondle their worry beads. Also keep in mind that you may still need a $20 calculator. The retail price is around $220 (but you can do better than that with careful shopping). They are only intended to show you the kinds of things you will learn to do, and how the TI-84 can help you do those things more efficiently. The section called You Have Two Choices works through some examples. At the beginning of the semester, it is difficult to understand how the TI-84 can help you to save time. Having more time translates to an opportunity for higher marks. Tween 30 and 40 minutes in the final exam. If my experience is anything to go by, the saving is beDid You Finish? The Case For The TI-84 Put simply: the TI-84 is optimised for Statistics and can save you time. Or you can take my advice and buy a TI-84 right now. You can do what I did: start with an ordinary calculator, wait until a growing sense of unease fills you at the end of Week 7, and then consider the pros and cons of changing your calculator in mid-course. It is not until your first encounter with Hugh Morton’s Comprehensive Statistical Tables book, and the prospect of Test 3 is staring you in the face, that you begin to think that there must be an easier way. After that, an ordinary $20 scientific calculator is a must. In the first two weeks of the semester, you can almost get by with mental arithmetic.
#CONFIDENCE INTERVAL TI NSPIRE SERIES#
That said, a lot of what you will be taught in this unit boils down to recognising a class of problem and then applying a logical series of steps to arrive at an answer. Unless you are a natural whiz at Statistics, there is no substitute for attending every lecture and tutorial, making the most of the help sessions in the Student Resource Centre, hard study, and lots and lots of practice. Shortly after that, someone near you is bound to ask, “Did you finish?” Whether you finish a test (or the final exam) obviously depends on many things. The case for the TI-84 “Stop writing!” Those words invariably mark the end of another Statistics test.
In my opinion the TI-84 is an excellent calculator for students studying Statistics and I simply want to share my experience so that others who tread a similar path have the opportunity to enjoy its benefits whilst avoiding the arguably steep learning-curve that the device represents. The material is used with permission.Ĭopyright To the extent that I own any copyright in the material contained in this document, I hereby donate such copyright to the students of the University of Canberra in particular, and more generally to students pursuing studies in Statistics everywhere.ĭisclaimer I do not now and never have had any relationship with Texas Instruments Inc. Version 1.0, July 2006 Version 1.1, August 2006 Version 1.2, December 2006 Version 1.3, May 2010 Version 1.3a June 2010 Version 1.4 August 2010 Version 1.5 January 2011 Version 1.6 February 2013Īcknowledgement The examples in this document are based upon the sample tests available on the unit web site.