Seminar in Advanced Measurement
& Inference
Spring 2010
Class / Time / RoomSociology 5312
/T 6:00 – 8:50pm
/Old Main 306 LART 405
Professor / Office / Phone / Email / Office HoursDr. Ted Curry
/Old Main 318
/747-6527
/ /Mon & Wed 1:30-2:45
Class Web Site
http://utminers.utep.edu/trcurry
Required READINGS
Kahane, Leo H. (2008) Regression basics (2nd ed.). Los Angeles: Sage. ISBN 978-1-4129-5126-5
Meithe, Terance D. and Jane Florence Gauthier (2008) Simple statistics: Applications in social research. New York: Oxford. ISBN 978-0-19-533254-4
OBJECTIVES
Purpose: This class is intended to provide graduate students with advanced training and knowledge regarding a variety of statistical methods by which social scientists analyze quantitative data. Specifically, students will become familiar with measures of central tendency, dispersion, and association (e.g., correlation and multiple regression). Skills regarding the calculation of statistics by hand as well as using SPSS computer software will be developed. At all points, the class will stress the importance of choosing the correct statistical methods and how to interpret the results. Classroom activities, homework, exams and projects are intended to develop students’ ability to advance from being critical “consumers” to being actual “producers” of knowledge. The skills students gain in this class will be among the most important in their graduate student careers – whether they pursue academic or non-academic employment. Moreover, this class will provide the cornerstone for developing an appropriate analytical method for any original quantitative research students might pursue, including their thesis.
format
Class will typically unfold in the following manner: We will begin by reviewing and grading the day’s homework assignment and addressing any questions and concerns regarding the concepts and techniques it addresses. Next, we will then examine the new material from the day’s assigned reading. We will then apply this new knowledge by answering several in-class questions individually and in groups. Finally, we will go over these questions collectively before handing out homework assignment for our next class. We will also have periodic quizzes. Homework, quizzes, and in-class questions will entail performing calculations by hand as well as through using SPSS, and will emphasize not only tabulating results correctly, but their meaningful interpretation as well.
Requirements
1. Attend: Attendance is required. Missing more than three classes will result in a loss of one letter grade. Further absences may result in an administrative withdrawal.
2. Participate: Students must be ready and willing to participate in classroom discussions. Students will be prepared to answer and debate questions posed by the professor and fellow students. Students will be prepared and willing to ask questions of interest to them. Remember, the only dumb question is the one you didn’t ask and the only dumb comment is the one you didn’t make. Class participation will account for 100 points of the final grade. Students who do not regularly participate in class will receive a very low grade for this part of the course – possibly a zero (0).
· In order to be able to participate meaningfully, students must complete the assigned readings and written assignments. Being unprepared for class is simply unacceptable at the graduate level.
3. Homework: There will be eleven (11) homework assignments each worth 10 points, for a total of 110 points. Students are allowed to share information with each other regarding these assignments, but must not copy each other’s work.
4. Quizzes: There will be three (3) in class quizzes, each worth 50 points for a total of 150 points.
5. Final Exam: A take-home final exam will entail answering several questions pertaining to the most crucial and weighty issues regarding tabulating and interpreting statistics we tackle during the semester.
GRADES
Grades are based on the following:
Class Participation 100 points
Homework Assignments 110 points
Quizzes 150 points
Final Exam 100 points
Total 460 points
Letter grades are assigned according to the following scale:
A = 89% and above
B = 79% - 88%
C = 69% - 78%
D = 59% - 68%
F = Below 59%
· Notice that my grading scale is “curved” 1% in your favor. For example, in most courses a 79% is a “C” whereas in my class it is a “B.” This is to avoid the situation where someone misses receiving a higher grade by a very small margin -- because in my class you miss receiving a higher grade by a full percentage point, plus the “very small margin.” I apply the grading scale uniformly to all students, and I do not “round up” (for example, an average of 78.9% is a “C”). Remember, your grade is an accomplishment, not a gift.
CLASS AND UNIVERSITY POLICIES
Attendance: Attendance is required. Missing more than three classes will result in a loss of one letter grade. Further absences may result in an administrative withdrawal.
Cheating / Plagiarism: The most serious violation of academic standards, plagiarism refers to using the work, ideas or knowledge of other people as your own -- this includes all forms of exam cheating, borrowing from published sources without citation, and using the ideas of others without citation. The penalty for plagiarism is failure (a grade of “F”) in the class and a letter reporting your behavior to the appropriate university authorities. If you are at all confused about what constitutes plagiarism, please see your professor.
Classroom Behavior: Unprofessional behavior (e.g., sleeping, talking, reading material unrelated to class, repeated tardiness) will not be tolerated. It is okay to quietly make brief comments to each other about the day’s material, but anything more than that is distracting to the rest of class and the professor. Cell phones, beepers, watch alarms, etc. must not activate during class. Exceptions will be made for important matters – please notify the professor if this is the case.
Tardiness: If, for whatever reason, you find yourself unable to be in class before the start of class on a regular basis, you will need to either drop the class or make arrangements to rectify the situation.
Students with Disabilities: Reasonable accommodations are available for students who have a documented disability. Please notify the professor during the first week of class of any accommodations needed for the course. Late notification may cause the requested accommodations to be unavailable.
Tentative Course Schedule
The professor reserves the right to make changes to the course syllabus.
Any changes will be announced ahead of time in class.
DATE READINGS and ASSIGNMENTS
Jan 19 Class introductions, discussion of syllabus, Q&A.
A few basics in statistics. SPSS Tutorial (hereafter SPSS) Ch. 1.
26 Meithe & Gauthier (hereafter M&G) Chs. 1-2; SPSS Ch. 2
Homework #1 DUE
Feb 2 M&G Chs. 3-4; SPSS Chs. 3-4
Homework #2 DUE
9 M&G Chs. 5-6; SPSS Chs. 5-6
Homework #3 DUE
16 Quiz #1
M&G Ch. 7; SPSS Ch. 7
23 M&G Chs. 8-9; SPSS Chs. 8-9
Homework #4 DUE
Mar 2 M&G Chs. 10-11; SPSS Chs. 10-11
Homework #5 DUE
9 M&G Chs. 12-13; SPSS Chs. 12-13
Homework #6 DUE
16 SPRING BREAK: No Classes
23 M&G Ch. 14; SPSS Ch. 14
Homework #7 DUE
30 Quiz #2
6 Kahane Chs. 1-2
Homework #8 DUE
13 Kahane Ch. 4
Homework #9 DUE
20 Kahane Chs. 5-6
Homework #10 DUE
27 Kahane Chs. 7-8
Homework #11 DUE
May 4 Quiz #3
Final Exam handed out
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