Introduction to statistical reasoning for Humanities students with basics of R 4001-STATR2-OG

Humanities students, in general, leave the University unprepared for a critical approach to learning from academic publications that use even the simplest elements of statistics. As a result, in their future work they tend to avoid statistics completely to the detriment of their analyses. If some graduates are able to make use of appropriate statistical tests, in the majority of cases it simply boils down to the mechanical application of solutions taught during lectures. By giving students the opportunity to fully understand the basic methods, we are also giving them the tools to interpret results correctly.

Students attending the course will learn:
• what statistics is and how it can help them;
• what a statistical sample is, its proper selection, and how to evaluate its usefulness in the planned analyses;
• how to critically read publications that use statistical reasoning;
• how to test and interpret results consciously.

They will gain technical skills that allow them to:
• install and use basic R software;
• transform data before the actual analysis;
• perform calculations;
• create basic graphs.

This course is designed to introduce students to the theoretical basis and practical applications of the subjects covered. These topics will then be used to solve problems put to the whole group. This, in turn, will prepare the student to independently solve his homework. Final grades will depend mainly on the results of homework and the student’s ability to explain particular solutions.

Active participation in the lectures and honest self-study at home will suffice to fully benefit from the knowledge the course provides.

The course consists of 60 hours of organized teaching, 80 hours of unassisted work by the student (problem solving), and 5 hours of preparation for the exam and the exam itself. Therefore, the estimated total number of hours a student has to devote to achieve the learning outcomes intended by the course is 145 hours.

Type of course

general courses

Mode

Blended learning

Prerequisites (description)

Students should have basic computer skills. Students will be expected to work on their own laptops.

Course coordinators

Robert Mahler

Learning outcomes

Upon completion of the course, the student will be able to:
• explain what statistics is and the problems it can help solve;
• explain what a statistical sample is;
• evaluate a statistical sample in terms of its usefulness in further analyses;
• can make an appropriate selection of a sample to answer the question posed;
• recognize basic tests commonly used in publications (or will be able to identify their type correctly);
• say if the tests were used correctly and why;
• say if the statistical reasoning was conducted correctly;
• independently select statistical tests appropriate to the questions to be solved and the sample;
• analyse and interpret the results obtained;
• independently install R software;
• import and transform data using R software;
• perform an analysis using R;
• create basic graphs.

Assessment criteria

During the course students will be assigned work to be solved at home. The evaluation of their progress will be based on the way the problems are solved and the results obtained. Timely submission of the solutions and the student’s activity in class will also be taken into account. In addition, the student’s overall understanding of the subject will be assessed during an individual oral exam.

Bibliography

Additional information

Information on level of this course, year of study and semester when the course unit is delivered, types and amount of class hours - can be found in course structure diagrams of apropriate study programmes. This course is related to the following study programmes:

Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system:

Description of 4001-STATR2-OG in USOSweb