Week 6 - 9/21 - 9/23
Week 6 - 9/21 - 9/23
This week we will continue to work on Unit 2. If you did not complete the Unit 1 projects please plan to come early or staff after one day this week.
This week we will warp up Unit 1 and begin work on Unit 2. Your projects and assignments from Unit 1 should have a finalized draft.
This week we look at how researchers summarize data with measures of center and variablity.
This week we look at how researchers summarize data.
This week we look at how researchers collect data: who gets asked, how they are chosen, and how a study is built to support the claims made from it.
You already do a version of this thinking. When someone tells you what "people in your neighborhood" want, or what "students like you" need, you know instinctively whether they actually asked anyone. That instinct is the beginning of statistical reasoning, and this week we give it language and tools.
The questions matter because samples have not always included everyone. Research has often drawn conclusions about communities that were never invited into the study. So when you read a headline about a supplement, a poll, or a program your workplace is adopting, you get to ask: Who was in this sample? Were they representative, or just easiest to reach? Was there a control group? Could something else explain the difference?
This is not about doubting everything. It is about knowing which findings deserve your confidence, so you can act on good information, advocate well for the people you care about, and let the rest go.
I will use this website as a blog to share important documents, links to class activities, and websites we'll be using this semester. This week we will be getting to know the basics of the class, some key terms, and start to explore how a sample can represent a population.
Pick an Article to Read
Take 2- 3 minutes to write a post and share what you learned from what you read on the Padlet below. Pick a quote from the article you read. Share what you learned from the article by explaining by what you think it means and why that matters.