Soc. 3155, Section 90:
Quantitative Research Methods and Analysis, Spring
2011
General
Information
|
Class Meets: 5:00 - 8:40 p.m. Tues. in H458 |
Office Hours:. T 9:30-11, Th 12–1:30 |
|
Instructor:
Susan Janssen |
Location: 251 ABAH |
|
Email:
sjanssen@d.umn.edu |
Phone: (218) 726-8767 |
Required Materials
1. Textbook: Healey,
Joseph. 2008. Statistics: A Tool for Social Research. (8th
edition). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing. ISBN 9780495096559.
Available at UMD
bookstore and various web stores.
2. Moodle Access: (Required): https://moodle.umn.edu/course/view.php?id=15559
Contains course materials, including handouts and assignments.
3. Software: Computer work using SPSS is required for this class. Computers
with SPSS on them are available in the classroom. SPSS is also available to CLA
students at no charge. It may be
downloaded from the ITSS web site at http://www.d.umn.edu/itss/software/spss/.
4. Calculator: is required for
homework assignments and tests. An inexpensive model that can perform basic
mathematical operations will suffice. There is no need to spend more than
$10-$15 on a calculator. Any calculator that is also a communication device
(such as a cell phone) will not be permitted during tests.
Course Information
1. Course Description and Objectives: Computation and interpretation of inferential statistics
is the main objective. Sampling distributions, estimation, hypothesis testing,
and hypotheses of difference and association will be covered. Multivariate
analysis, including the concepts of interaction and control will
be introduced. Understanding statistical concepts and drawing conclusions from
numerical data will be emphasized. This course should prepare the student to be
an informed consumer of statistics and will serve as excellent preparation for
graduate level research methods courses as well as for using research methods
and statistics in the workplace.
2. Prerequisites and Other Preparation: This is the second course in the sociology research
methods sequence. In order to understand the material in this class, you will
need to have a good background in research methods. You should have completed Soc. 2155 or an equivalent course. You
should know some basic descriptive statistics, such as those covered in the
first 3-4 chapters of the Healey text, including measures of central tendency,
variability, and association. You may wish to review these chapters
prior to starting this class.
Activities:
1. Lectures
-. Lectures will cover the same material as the textbook, as well as additional material.
Students who attend class regularly, take careful notes, and ask questions
almost always do better on homework and exams than those who do not. This
course covers a broad range of statistical material. For some people,
considerable effort outside of class may be required. Because of the cumulative
nature of the material, it is essential that students keep up with the reading
assignments and homework. If you think you are falling behind or if you have
difficulty with a concept or topic, you are encouraged to get help immediately.
Help is available from the instructor and from the tutoring center in SCC 40.
2. Homework: Problems from the book and elsewhere will be assigned at regular
intervals. Each assignment will include computer work. Unless you have SPSS on
your personal computer, you will need to complete the computer work in class. Students
are encouraged to work together; you may turn in group papers. Late homework
will only be accepted under the conditions of the “late assignment” policy
described below. Homework does not need to be typed, but must be written
neatly. If I can't read it easily, I will deduct points.
3. Exams: Will be a
combination of closed-book multiple choice questions and open-book
problem-solving questions. Each exam will be worth 75 points. The lowest of
these three scores will be dropped. You must take the final exam regardless of
your scores on the first three exams. The
final exam score may not be dropped.
4. Group Project and Presentation: You will work with a small group of about 4 persons to
create a scholarly research project and presentation. You will select a topic,
conduct library research, formulate hypotheses, analyze data to test
hypotheses, and present your results to the class. Handouts covering the
specific requirements of the project will be made available as needed. Time
will be made available to meet with your group in class, but you should plan on
doing outside work on your own. The
group work represents 20% of your grade in this class; therefore it is
important that you make a commitment to your group, communicate with them each
week, and carry out your responsibilities to the best of your ability.
5. Final Exam: Tuesday, May 10 at 6 p.m. No early or late
finals will be given, except in accordance
with the official
university final exam policy.
General Policies, Grading System, and Class Expectations:
1. Grades:
will be determined according to the following point distribution and scale:
|
Point Distribution: |
|
Grading Scale: |
|
|
Homework (5 @ 30 pts.) |
150
|
450 or more pts. |
A- to A |
|
Exams (Best 2 of 3 @ 75 pts.) |
150 |
400-449 pts. |
B- to B+ |
|
Group Project proposal |
25 |
350-399 pts. |
C- to C+ |
|
Group Project presentation |
75 |
300-349 pts. |
D to D+ |
|
Final exam |
100 |
under 300 pts. |
F |
|
Total possible points |
500 |
|
|
2. Expectations and Classroom Etiquette: It is expected that students will follow the UMD student conduct code. You are expected to attend class regularly, pay attention, make every effort to keep up and turn in assignments on time, ask for help if needed, and be polite and respectful in the classroom. Distracting behaviors such as walking in late, talking during lectures, ringing or vibrating cell phones, or text messaging, will not be tolerated. In turn, you can expect me to come to class prepared, know the material I teach, be available during office hours, provide up-to-date information on your progress, listen to your concerns, provide help when needed, and respect you as a student and human being.
3. Academic Integrity: It is expected that students will follow
all aspects of the university's academic
integrity policy . The consequences of violating
this policy may include a lower or failing grade on a particular assignment, a
lower or failing grade in the course, or sanctions imposed by the university.
4. Late assignments:
I will not accept late assignments, except
according to the following: On the Moodle site, you
will find a "late assignment coupon." This entitles you to turn in
one assignment (with the exception of the final project and final exam) up to 1
week late. Within that time frame, I will accept the assignment with the coupon
for full points. You are only allowed to use this coupon once. If you don't use
it at all, you will receive 10 points extra credit.
5. Incompletes: In order to get a grade of "I" for this class, at
least two thirds of the work must be completed with a passing grade and an
incomplete agreement form must be turned in.
6. Withdrawals: You are free to withdraw from the class for any reason up
to the end of the eighth week. After that, departmental permission is required.
We do not consider failing grades to be grounds for withdrawal from a course.
It is recommended that you evaluate your situation before the end of the eighth
week.
7. Class Cancellation: If class is unexpectedly canceled due to inclement
weather, instructor illness, or any other reason, you may assume that the
activity scheduled for that day will take place at the next class session. This
includes exams.
8. Students with disabilities: It is the policy and practice of the University of
Minnesota Duluth to create inclusive learning environments for all students,
including students with disabilities. If there are aspects of this course
that result in barriers to your inclusion or your ability to meet course
requirements – such as time limited exams, inaccessible web content, or the use
of non-captioned videos – please notify the instructor as soon as possible.
You are also encouraged to contact the Office of Disability Resources to
discuss and arrange reasonable accommodations. Please call
218-726-6130 or visit www.d.umn.edu/access
for more information.
CALENDAR (Subject to change – check UMD email for announcements)