STA1501/101/0/2025
Tutorial Letter 101/0/2025
Descriptive Statistics and Probability
STA1501
Year Module
Department of Statistics
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Please register on myUnisa, activate your myLife e-mail account and
make sure that you have regular access to the myUnisa module
website, STA1501-25-Y, as well as your group website.
Note: This is a fully online module. It is, therefore, available only on myUnisa.
CONTENTS
Page
1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................... 4
2 MODULE OVERVIEW....................................................................................................................... 5
2.1 Purpose..............................................................................................................................................5
2.2 Outcomes........................................................................................................................................... 5
3 CURRICULUM TRANSFORMATION............................................................................................... 6
4 LECTURER(S) AND CONTACT DETAILS ...................................................................................... 6
4.1 Lecturer(s).......................................................................................................................................... 6
4.2 Department ........................................................................................................................................ 6
4.3 University ........................................................................................................................................... 7
5 RESOURCES .................................................................................................................................... 7
5.1 Prescribed book(s)............................................................................................................................. 7
5.2 Recommended book(s) ..................................................................................................................... 7
5.3 Electronic reserves (e-reserves).................................................................................................... 7
6 STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES .................................................................................................... 8
6.1 The Unisa First-Year Experience Programme .................................................................................. 9
6.2 Using Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) to apply for module credit within a qualification. .......... 9
7. STUDY PLAN .................................................................................................................................. 10
8 HOW TO STUDY ONLINE .............................................................................................................. 11
8.1 What does it mean to study fully online?......................................................................................... 11
9. ASSESSMENT ................................................................................................................................ 11
9.1 Assessment criteria ......................................................................................................................... 11
9.2 Assessment plan ............................................................................................................................. 13
9.3 Assessment/assignment due dates ................................................................................................ 13
9.4 Submission of assessments/assignments ...................................................................................... 14
9.4.1 Types of assignments and descriptions ............................................................................................. 15
9.5 The assessments/assignments ....................................................................................................... 16
9.6 Other assessment methods ............................................................................................................ 16
9.7 The examination .............................................................................................................................. 16
9.7.1 Invigilation/proctoring....................................................................................................................... 16
9.8 Supplementary................................................................................................................................. 17
10. ACADEMIC DISHONESTY ............................................................................................................. 18
10.1 Plagiarism ........................................................................................................................................ 18
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10.2 Cheating........................................................................................................................................... 18
10.3 For more information about plagiarism, follow the link below:........................................................ 18
11. STUDENTS LIVING WITH DISABILITIES ..................................................................................... 18
12. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ............................................................................................ 19
13. SOURCES CONSULTED ............................................................................................................... 19
14. IN CLOSING .................................................................................................................................... 19
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1 INTRODUCTION
Dear Student
Unisa is a comprehensive open distance e-learning (CODeL) higher education institution. Our
comprehensive curricula encapsulate a range of offerings, from strictly vocational to strictly
academic certificates, diplomas, and degrees. Unisa's "openness" and its distance eLearning
character result in many students who may not previously have had an opportunity to enrol in
higher education registering at the university. Our CODeL character implies that our programmes
are carefully planned and structured to ensure success for students, ranging from the under-
prepared but with potential to those who are sufficiently prepared.
Teaching and learning in a CODeL context involve multiple modes of delivery, ranging from
blended to fully online learning. As a default position, all post-graduate programmes are offered
fully online with no printed study materials, while undergraduate programmes are offered using a
blended mode of delivery where printed study materials are augmented with online teaching and
learning via the learner management system, myUnisa. In some instances, undergraduate
programmes are offered fully online as well.
Furthermore, our programmes are aligned with the vision, mission, and values of the University.
Unisa's commitment to serving humanity and shaping futures – combined with a clear
appreciation of our location on the African continent – means that Unisa's graduates have
distinctive graduate qualities, which include:
• being independent, resilient, responsible, and caring citizens able to fulfil and serve in
multiple roles in their immediate and future local, national, and global communities.
• having a critical understanding of their location on the African continent and taking account
of its histories, challenges, and potential in relation to globally diverse contexts.
• the ability to critically analyse and evaluate the credibility and usefulness of information and
data from multiple sources in a globalised world with ever-increasing information and data
flows and competing worldviews.
• how to apply their discipline-specific knowledges competently, ethically, and creatively to
solve real-life problems.
• an awareness of their own learning and developmental needs and future potential.
This module is offered fully online (all information is available via the internet), we use myUnisa
as our virtual campus. This is an online system that is used to administer, document, and deliver
educational material to you and support engagement with you. Look out for information from your
lecturer as well as other Unisa platforms to determine how to access the virtual myUnisa module
site. Information on the tools that will be available to engage with the lecturer and fellow students
to support your learning will also be communicated via various platforms.
The module website code written out in full is STA1501-25-Y. Because this is a fully online
module, you will need to use myUnisa to study and complete the learning activities for this module.
Please note “fully online” means that no hard copy study material will be sent to you by post or
made available to be collected at UNISA campuses. Instead, all the study material will be
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available online on the module website. Visit the website for STA1501 on myUnisa frequently (at
least twice per week). The website for your module is STA1501-25-Y.
To get started, go to the website at [Link] and log in using your student number
and password. Click on the grey “myModules” at the top in the middle of the web page, then
click on the white arrow in the orange “myModules” of the web page. Next click on the module
you want to access.
We wish you every success with your studies!
2 MODULE OVERVIEW
2.1 Purpose
Students credited with this module will have an informed understanding of exploratory data
analysis as used in graphical and tabular techniques; measures of central location, variability,
relative standing, and linear relationships; and simple sampling procedures. Students should be
able to use probability as a tool to create discrete and continuous probability distributions, used
extensively in statistical inference. The contents of this module have important applications in
finance and are useful in several management sciences.
2.2 Outcomes
Qualifying students will be able to:
• Analyse data considering different types of data and how they relate to relevant graphical
and tabular presentations e.g., pie charts, bar charts, histograms, stem-and-leaf displays,
line charts, scatter diagrams and box-and-whisker plots.
• Analyse data by calculating accurate numerical measures of central location, variability,
relative standing, and linear relationship.
• Differentiate between simple random sampling, stratified random sampling and cluster
sampling, and implement a sampling plan for a given research problem with an awareness
for the effect of sampling errors.
• Describe the different concepts and laws of probability and apply definitions of joint,
marginal, and conditional probability.
• Apply the complement, multiplication and addition rules and probability trees for calculation
of more complex events and calculate complicated events from the probability of related
events.
• Understand the role of probability in decision making and the application in basic statistical
inference.
• Describe random variables and the probabilities associated with them in the form of a table,
formula, or graph and also in terms of its parameters, usually the expected value and the
variance.
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• Describe different probability distributions as either discrete or continuous and calculate the
parameters of expected value and variance.
• Describe the sampling distribution of the mean and the proportion.
• Construct confidence intervals for population mean and proportion.
• Test hypothesis on one sample mean and proportion.
3 CURRICULUM TRANSFORMATION
Unisa has implemented a transformation charter that places curriculum transformation high on
the teaching and learning agenda. Curriculum transformation includes student-centred
scholarship, the pedagogical renewal of teaching and assessment practices, the scholarship of
teaching and learning, and the infusion of African epistemologies and philosophies. All of these
are being phased in at both programme and module levels. As a result of this, you will notice a
marked change in the teaching and learning strategy implemented by Unisa, together with the
way in which the content is conceptualised in your modules. We encourage you to embrace these
changes during your studies at Unisa, responsively and within the framework of transformation.
4 LECTURER(S) AND CONTACT DETAILS
4.1 Lecturer(s)
The primary lecturer for this module is Dr Busanga Jerome Kanyama.
Department: Statistics
Telephone: (011) 670 9251
E-mail: kanyabj@[Link].
There is also an email link to the lecturer from the module's myUnisa page.
Since sometimes module lecturers change, please go to the module’s myUnisa web site to check
the latest information and contact details of your module lecturer.
4.2 Department
You can contact the Department of Statistics as follows:
Telephone number: (011) 670 9255
E-mail: podilsl@[Link]
mekgwl@[Link]
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4.3 University
Contact addresses of the various administrative departments appear on the Unisa website:
[Link]
Please include your student number in all correspondence.
5 RESOURCES
5.1 Prescribed book(s)
The prescribed book for this module is G Keller, N Gaciu (2020, 2nd EMEA edition) Statistics
for Management and Economics, ISBN: 9781473768260, Cengage Learning.
5.2 Recommended book(s)
This module has no recommended books.
5.3 Electronic reserves (e-reserves)
This module has no e-reserves.
5.4 Library services and resources
The Unisa Library offers a range of information services and resources and has made numerous
library guides available at [Link]
Recommended guides:
• For brief information on the library, go to [Link]
• For more detailed library information, go to
[Link]
• For Frequently Asked Questions, go to
[Link]
• For research support and services such as the Personal Librarian service and the
Information Search Librarian's Literature Search Request (on your research topic) service,
go to [Link]
support
• For library training for undergraduate students, go to
[Link]
• For Lending Services, go to [Link]
services/Lending-services
• For Services for Postgraduate students, go to
[Link]
• For Support and Services for students with disabilities, go to
[Link]
needs
• For Library Technology Support, go to [Link]
• For information on finding and using library resources and tools, go to
[Link]
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• For an A–Z list of library databases, go to [Link]
Important contact information:
• Technical problems encountered in accessing library online services: Lib-
help@[Link]
• General library-related queries: Library-enquiries@[Link]
• Queries related to library fines and payments: Library-fines@[Link]
• Interlibrary loan service for postgraduate students: libr-ill@[Link]
• Literature Search Service: Lib-search@[Link]
• Social media channels: Facebook: UnisaLibrary and X Twitter: @UnisaLibrary
To view the Library orientation video – please click here : Unisa Library and Information
Services Video_1_1 (2).mp4
6 STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES
The Study@Unisa brochure is available on myUnisa at [Link]/brochures/studies
This brochure contains important information and guidelines for successful studies through Unisa.
If you need assistance concerning the myModules system, you are welcome to use the following
contact details:
• Toll-free landline: 0800 00 1870 (Select option 07 for myModules)
• E-mail: mymodule22@[Link] or myUnisaHelp@[Link]
You can access and view short videos on topics such as how to view your calendar, how to access
module content, how to view announcements for modules, how to submit assessments and how
to participate in forum activities by visiting [Link]
Registered Unisa students receive a free myLife e-mail account. Important information, notices
and updates are sent exclusively to this account. Please note that it can take up to 24 hours for
your account to be activated after you have claimed it.
Please claim your e-mail account immediately after registering at Unisa by following this link:
[Link]
or follow this link to get more information:
[Link]
[Link]
Your myLife account is the only e-mail account recognised by Unisa for official correspondence with
the University and will remain the official primary e-mail address on record at Unisa. You remain
responsible for managing this e-mail account.
You remain responsible for the management of this e-mail account.
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6.1 The Unisa First-Year Experience Programme
Many students find the transition from school education to tertiary education stressful and this is often true
for students enrolling at Unisa for the first time. Unisa is a dedicated open distance and e-learning
institution and is very different from face-to-face/contact institutions. It is a mega university and all its
programmes are offered through either blended learning or fully online learning. For these reasons, we
offer first-time students additional/extended support to help them navigate the Unisa teaching and learning
journey seamlessly and with little difficulty and few barriers.
Unisa’s First-Year Experience (FYE) Programme has been specially designed to provide you with prompt
and helpful information about the services that the institution offers.
The following FYE services are currently available:
FYE Website Email Support
[Link]/FYE fye@[Link]
FYE1500
Post-
myUnisa; Study
Registration Referrals to Skills; Academic &
Orientation other support Digital Literacies;
services etc
e.g. Counselling;
Reading & Writing
workshops
To ensure that you do not miss out on important academic and support communication from the
SRU, please check your myLife inbox regularly.
6.2 Using Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) to apply for module credit within a
qualification.
Now that you are a registered student, you are advised to familiarise yourself with the learning outcomes
of the module or modules you have chosen. If you have been exposed to those learning outcomes for
three years or more – either through work experience or other involvement – you can apply to be exempted
from completing assignments and writing examinations. As part of your application for this exemption, you
will be required to compile a portfolio of evidence substantiating how your experience is equivalent to the
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learning outcomes. The diagram below shows the steps involved in obtaining recognition of prior learning
(RPL) for module credit. For more information on the process, RPL fees, and the contact details of your
college RPL coordinator, visit the Unisa website: [Link]/rpl
7. STUDY PLAN
Distance learning is not easy, and you should not underestimate the time and effort involved.
Once you have received your study material, please plan how you will approach and complete
this module. Consult my Studies @ Unisa for suggestions about general time management and
planning skills.
This is a year module offered over 30 weeks and requires at least 120 hours of study time. This
means that you will have to study at least 4 hours per week for this module. Here is a suggested
schedule that you could use as a guideline for studying this module.
Time Activities
Registration until end of • Work through Chapters 1 – 6.
April • Submit your Assignment 1 at the end of May.
June • Work through Chapter 7 -- 9.
• Submit your Assignment 2 in early July.
July • Work through Chapters 10 – 12.
• Submit your Assignment 3 in early August.
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August • Revision of the entire module.
• Submit your Assignment 4 in early September.
September until • Revision and preparation for the Oct/Nov 2025
examination examination.
8 HOW TO STUDY ONLINE
8.1 What does it mean to study fully online?
Studying fully online modules differs completely from studying some of your other modules at
Unisa.
• All your study material and learning activities for online modules are designed to be
delivered online on myUnisa.
• All your assignments must be submitted online. This means that you will do all your
activities and submit all your assignments on myUnisa. In other words, you may NOT post
your assignments to Unisa using the South African Post Office.
• All communication between you and the University happens online. Lecturers will
communicate with you via e-mail and SMS, and will use the Announcements, Discussion
Forum, and Questions and Answers options. You can also use all these platforms to ask
questions and contact your lecturers.
9. ASSESSMENT
9.1 Assessment criteria
The outcomes of this module are given in Section 2.2 of this tutorial letter. These outcomes
describe what you should be able to do in order to successfully complete this module.
Assignments and an examination are ways we use to assess whether you have reached the
outcomes. The modules offered on continuous assessment do not have an examination. The
criteria we use to assess your work can be summarized as follows:
Specific Outcomes Assessment Criteria
Analyse data considering different types of data You will be required to apply your
and how they relate to relevant graphical and knowledge about the data for a correct
tabular presentations e.g. pie charts, bar charts, graphical presentation.
histograms, stem-and-leaf displays, line charts,
scatter diagrams and box-and-whisker plots.
Analyse data by calculating accurate numerical You will be required to apply the correct
measures of central location, variability, and and appropriate formulas for the
linear relationship. measures of central tendency and the
measures of variability concepts.
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Differentiate between simple random sampling, You will be required to apply the correct
stratified random sampling and cluster sampling, knowledge how the data can be collected
and implement a sampling plan for a given for a research study.
research problem with an awareness for the
effect of sampling errors.
Describe the different concepts and laws of You must apply the correct and
probability and apply definitions of joint, marginal, appropriate concepts of probability by
and conditional probability. using the formulas, rules, and probability
laws as it will be required by the
question(s).
Apply the concepts of the complement event, You will be required to apply the correct
multiplication. Addition rules and probability trees and appropriate probability concepts of
for calculation of more complex events and their more advance rules, methods, and
respective probabilities. probability laws.
Understand the role of probability in decision You will be required to employ
making and the application in basic statistical appropriate formulas, methods about
inference. different probability distributions and how
to use the statistical tables.
Describe different probability distributions as You will be required to apply appropriate
either discrete or continuous and calculate the formulas, methods about more advance
parameters of expected value and variance. probability distributions and how to use
Describe the sampling distribution for the mean the parameters and the statistical tables.
and for the proportion.
Construct confidence intervals for population You will be required to perform the
mean and proportion. statistical tests concerning the estimation
of a population of the mean or a
population for the proportion.
Test hypothesis on one sample mean and You will be required to perform the
proportion. statistical tests and drawing the
conclusions based on the results that will
be calculated.
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9.2 Assessment plan
• Assessment in this module consist of Assignments and an Examination. Assignments may
be written assessments or quizzes.
• To complete this module, you will be required to submit 4 (four) assignments.
• All information about when and where to submit your assignments will be made available to
you via the myModules site for your module.
• Due dates for assignments, as well as the actual assignments, will be available on the
myModules site for this module.
• To gain admission to the examination, you will be required to submit the first assignment by
its due date.
• The year mark weighting for the module is 30%.
• You will receive examination information via the myModules sites. Please watch out for
announcements on how examinations for the modules for which you are registered will be
conducted.
• The examination will count 70% towards the final module mark.
Assessment Method of Outcomes covered in Weight
number assessment assessment contribution of
assessment
Assessment 01 Written Chapters 1 to 6. 25%
assessment
Assessment 02 Written Chapters 7 to 9. 25%
assessment
Assessment 03 Quiz Chapters 10 to 12. 25%
Assessment 04 Quiz Revision of all Chapters. 25%
• All assignments in this module are mandatory, which means that if you do not submit any
one of the assignments then you will get a zero mark for that assignment.
9.3 Assessment/assignment due dates
• There are no assessment/assignment due dates included in this tutorial letter. The
approximate due dates of the assignments are as follows:
Due date
Assignment number
Last week of May
Assignment 1 (Written assignment)
First week of July
Assignment 2 (Written assignment)
First week of August
Assignment 3 (Quiz)
First week of September
Assignment 4 (Quiz)
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• Assessment/assignment due dates will be made available to you on the myUnisa landing
page for this module. We envisage that the due dates will be available to you upon
registration.
• Please start working on your assessments as soon as you register for the module.
• Log on to the myUnisa site for this module to obtain more information on the due dates for
the submission of the assessments/assignments.
9.4 Submission of assessments/assignments
• Unisa, as a comprehensive open distance e-learning institution (CODeL), is moving towards
becoming an online institution. You will see, therefore, that all your study material,
assessments and engagements with your lecturer and fellow students will take place online.
To facilitate this, we use myUnisa as our virtual campus.
• The myUnisa virtual campus offers students access to the myModules site, where learning
material is available online and where assessments should be completed. Together,
myUnisa and myModules form an online system that is used to administer, document, and
deliver educational material to students and support engagement between those students
and Unisa’s academics.
• The myUnisa platform can be accessed via [Link] Click on the myModules
2025 button to access the online sites for the modules that you are registered for.
• The University undertakes to communicate clearly and as frequently as is necessary to
ensure that you obtain the greatest benefit from your use of the myModules learning
management system. Please access the Announcements on your myModules site regularly,
as this is where your lecturer will post important information to be shared with you.
• When you access your myModules site for the module/s you are registered for, you will see
a welcome message posted by your lecturer. Below the welcome message you will see the
assessment shells for the assessments that you need to complete. Some assessments may
be multiple choice, some may be tests and others may be written
assessments/assignments, while some may be forum discussions and so on. All
assessments must be completed on the assessment shells available on the respective
module platforms.
• To complete quiz assessments, please log on to the module site where you need to
complete the assessment. Click on the relevant assessment shell (Assessment 1,
Assessment 2, etc.). There will be a date recorded there telling you when the assessment
will open for you. When the assessment is open, access the quiz online and complete it
within the time available to you. Quiz assessment questions are not included in this tutorial
letter (Tutorial Letter 101) and are made available online only. You must therefore access
and complete the quiz online where it has been created.
• It is not advisable to use a cellphone to complete quizzes and you should please use a
desktop computer, tablet or laptop for this task. Students who use cellphones find it difficult
to navigate the Online Assessment tool on the small screen and often struggle to navigate
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between questions and successfully complete the quizzes. In addition, cellphones are more
vulnerable to dropped internet connections than other devices. If at all possible, please do
not use a cellphone for this assessment type.
• For written assessments/assignments, please note the due date by which your work must
be submitted. Ensure that you follow the guidelines given by your lecturer to complete the
assessment/assignment. Click on the submission button on the relevant assessment shell
on myModules. You will then be able to upload your written assessment to the myModules
site for the modules that you are registered for. Before you finalise the upload, double-check
that you have selected the correct file for uploading. Remember, no marks can be allocated
for incorrectly submitted assessments/assignments.
9.4.1 Types of assignments and descriptions
All assignments are defined as either optional, mandatory, compulsory, or elective.
• Elective assignments
- If not submitted, the student gets no mark for this item.
- The best of the required submissions will count.
• Mandatory assignments
- If not submitted, the student gets no mark for this item.
• Optional assignments – You are encouraged, as a student, to do optional assignments in
order to benefit your learning.
I. Elective assignments
a. The student is given a choice of which assignments within an identified group to submit
and only the best result/s, the number of which is specified in advance, will contribute
towards the year mark.
b. Elective assignments must be grouped into an elective group.
c. For the student to select which assignment to submit, the elective assignments must
be grouped together. For such an elective group, relevant information (such as how
many of the assignments must be submitted and how many of the assignment marks
should be combined into the year mark) will be supplied to you.
d. The selection criteria define how marks received for assignments in an elective group
are to be combined into the year mark. Three different criteria may be used for
calculating the year mark:
• The best mark should be used, or
• If the student submits fewer than the required number of assignments per
group, or no assignment in a group, a mark of 0% will be used.
• 0% is awarded to all non-submitted or unmarked assessments. A best mark is
then calculated from all the qualifying items submitted.
II. Mandatory assessments/assignments
a. Mandatory assessments/assignments contribute to the year mark.
b. If a student fails to submit a mandatory assignment, no mark is awarded and the year
mark is calculated accordingly. The student will therefore forfeit the marks attached to
such an assignment when the final mark for the module is calculated.
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III. Optional assessments assignments – You are encouraged, as a student, to do optional
assessments/assignments in order to benefit your learning.
9.5 The assessments/assignments
As indicated in section 9.2, you need to complete 4 (four) assessments/assignments for this
module. There are no assignment questions included in this tutorial letter. The assignments
will be posted in myUnisa in the module website STA1501-25-Y after registration during the study
period. Details of the tasks set will appear on the assessments/assignments themselves.
9.6 Other assessment methods
All the other assessment methods in this module are self-assessments. To find out whether you
are on the right track, you can do exercises in the study guide or textbook and compare your
answers with the given ones. You will also be provided with assignment questions from previous
years with their solutions to give you further chances to practice.
9.7 The examination
Examination information and details on the format of the examination will be made available to
you online via the myUnisa site. Look out for information that will be shared with you by your
lecturer and e-tutors (where relevant), as well as for communication from the University.
9.7.1 Invigilation/proctoring
Since 2020, Unisa has conducted all its assessments online. Given the stringent requirements
imposed by professional bodies, as well as increased solicitation of Unisa’s students by third
parties to unlawfully assist them with the completion of assignments and examinations, the
University is obliged to assure the integrity of its assessment integrity by using various proctoring
tools: Turnitin, Moodle Proctoring, the Invigilator App and IRIS. These tools authenticate the
student’s identity and flag suspicious behaviour to assure the credibility of their responses during
assessments. The description below is for your benefit as you may encounter any or all of these
in your registered modules:
Turnitin is plagiarism software that facilitates checks for originality in students’ submissions
against internal and external sources. Turnitin assists in identifying academic fraud and ghost
writing. Students are expected to submit typed responses when using the Turnitin software.
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The Moodle Proctoring tool is facial recognition software that authenticates students’ identities
during their Quiz assessments. This tool requires access to a student’s mobile or laptop camera.
Students must ensure that their cameras are activated in their browser settings prior to starting
their assessments.
The Invigilator App is a mobile application-based service that verifies the identity of an
assessment participant. The Invigilator app detects student dishonesty-by-proxy and ensures that
the assessment participant is the student registered for the module concerned. This invigilation
tool requires students to download the app from the Google Play Store (Android devices), the
Huawei AppGallery (Huawei devices) or the Apple App Store (Apple devices) on their camera-
enabled mobile devices prior to their assessment.
The IRIS Invigilation software verifies the identity of a student during assessment and provides
for both manual and automated facial verification. It can record and review a student’s
assessment session and it flags suspicious behaviour by the student for review by an academic
administrator. The IRIS software requires installation on students’ webcam-enabled laptop
devices. IRIS invigilation software is used for all CSET online examinations/tests. It is the
responsibility of students to ensure the software is working properly before the examination
session, and attendance of training.
Students who are identified and flagged for suspicious or dishonest behaviour arising from the
invigilation and proctoring reports will be referred to the disciplinary office for formal proceedings.
Please note:
Students must refer to their module assessment information on their myModule sites to determine
which proctoring or invigilation tool will be used for their formative and summative assessments.
9.8 Supplementary
Should you have a final mark of less than 50%, it implies that you failed the module STA1501.
Supplementary examinations are provided to qualifying students during a specified period. The
type and scope are the same as for the initial examination, but the contents of the question
papers are expected to be new.
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10. ACADEMIC DISHONESTY
10.1 Plagiarism
Plagiarism is the act of taking the words, ideas and thoughts of others and presenting them as
your own. It is a form of theft. Plagiarism includes the following forms of academic dishonesty:
• Copying and pasting from any source without acknowledging that source.
• Not including references or deliberately inserting incorrect bibliographic information.
• Paraphrasing without acknowledging the source of the information.
10.2 Cheating
Cheating includes, but is not limited to, the following:
• Completing assessments on behalf of another student, copying the work of another
student during an assessment, or allowing another student to copy your work.
• Using social media (e.g. WhatsApp, Telegram) or other platforms to disseminate
assessment information.
• Submitting corrupt or irrelevant files. (This matter is addressed in the examination
guidelines.)
• Buying completed answers from so-called “tutors” or internet sites (contract cheating).
10.3 For more information about plagiarism, follow the link below:
[Link]
11. STUDENTS LIVING WITH DISABILITIES
The Advocacy and Resource Centre for Students with Disabilities (ARCSWiD) provides an
opportunity for staff to interact with first-time and returning students with disabilities.
If you are a student with a disability and would like additional support, or if you need additional
time for assignments/assessments, you are invited to contact the lecturer. See Lecturer and
Contact Details under Section 4.1 to discuss the assistance that you need.
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STA1501/101/0/2025
12. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
• Lecturers are not allowed to accept directly emailed assignments and exam scripts. You
must submit your assignments and exam on time through the correct platforms.
• Lecturers are not allowed to give students the “exam scope”. The module syllabus is the
“exam scope”. Your quizzes and assignments are good indicators of the final exam
coverage, the format of the exam questions, and the degree of difficulty of the exam
questions.
• The Study @ Unisa brochure contains the most relevant study information. Please refer to
this brochure for any other questions.
13. SOURCES CONSULTED
No books or other sources were consulted in preparing this tutorial letter.
14. IN CLOSING
Remember that there are no “short cuts” to studying and understanding Statistics. You need to
be dedicated, work consistently and practise, practise and practise some more! We trust that you
will find a depth of knowledge in STA1501 that you can apply in many aspects of your life. Be
positive, determined, and eager to learn and you will be successful. Do not hesitate to contact us
by e-mail if you are experiencing problems with the content of this tutorial letter or with any
academic aspect of the module. We wish you a fascinating and satisfying journey through learning
the material, and trust that you will complete the module successfully.
Dr Busanga Jerome Kanyama
©
Unisa 2025
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