Syllabus for DSI-200
ANALYZE THIS! INTERPRETIVE DATA ANALYSIS
Analyze This! Interpretive Data Analysis critically appraises how data are visualized, analyzed, computed, modeled, and applied to answer questions. This course develops critical-thinking skills to solve real-world problems in an applied setting using data visualization, pattern recognition, human perception, and understanding of statistical concepts in a nonmathematical framework.
After completing this course, you should be able to:
CO1 Recognize basic principles of visual design.
CO2 Interpret information to solve a problem.
CO3 Apply concepts of visual perception to quantitative reasoning.
CO4 Organize and summarize data into tables, charts, diagrams, and graphs.
CO5 Analyze quantitative relationships.
CO6 Illustrate relationships using qualitative data.
You will need the following materials to complete your coursework. Some course materials may be free, open source, or available from other providers. You can access free or open-source materials by clicking the links provided below or in the module details documents. To purchase course materials, please visit the University's textbook supplier.
ISBN-13: 978-0970601988
ISBN-13: 978-0970601926
DSI-200: Analyze This! Interpretive Data Analysis is a three-credit online course, consisting of six modules. Modules include an overview, topics, learning objectives, study materials, and activities. Module titles are listed below.
Course objectives covered in this module: CO1, CO2, CO3, and CO5
For your formal work in the course, you are required to participate in online discussion forums, complete written assignments, take module quizzes, and complete a final project. See below for details. Consult the Course Calendar for due dates.
One or more of your course activities may utilize a tool designed to promote original work and evaluate your submissions for plagiarism. More information about this tool is available in this document.
In addition to an ungraded Introductions Forum, you are required to participate in six graded online class discussions.
Communication with your mentor and among fellow students is a critical component of online learning. Participation in online class discussions involves two distinct activities: an initial response to a discussion question and at least two subsequent comments on classmates' responses.
All of these responses must be substantial. Meaningful participation is relevant to the content, adds value, and advances the discussion. Comments such as "I agree" and "ditto" are not considered value-adding participation. Therefore, when you agree or disagree with a classmate or your mentor, state and support your position.
You will be evaluated on the quality and quantity of your participation, including your use of relevant course information to support your point of view, and your awareness of and responses to the postings of your classmates. Remember, these are discussions: responses and comments should be properly proofread and edited, mature, and respectful.
You are required to complete six written assignments. The written assignments are on a variety of topics associated with the course modules. For specific details consult the individual course modules.
Prepare your written assignments using whatever word processing program you have on your computer. Include your name at the top of the paper, as well as the course name and code and the semester and year in which you are enrolled.
Before submitting your first assignment, check with your mentor to determine whether your word processing software is compatible with your mentor's software. If so, you can submit your work as you prepared it. If not, save your assignment as a rich-text (.rtf) file, using the Save As command of your software program. Rich text retains basic formatting and can be read by any other word processing program.
You are required to complete five module quizzes, one per individual module. All quiz items are multiple-choice and you may use course materials when taking the quizzes. There is no time limit for taking each quiz.
Most students find that quiz-taking is an excellent way to prepare for examinations. Therefore, you will be able to take each quiz an unlimited number of times, and the gradebook will record your most recent score.
This arrangement will allow you to go back and reread portions of the text that you need to review and then take the quiz again for further practice.
The final project is intended for you to demonstrate informational design and the ability to think about data in a human context. You will complete a final project summary (consult Module 4 for more information) and by the end of the course, you will submit a full analysis of data using a dataset from the Social Science Data Archive. By completing this final project, you should be able to tell the whole “story” of the data set you chose, inform others, and ultimately, make better decisions based on your findings. The final project is due by the end of Week 12.
Please reference the Final Project area of the course Web site for full details and consult the Course Calendar for due dates.
Your grade in the course will be determined as follows:
All activities will receive a numerical grade of 0–100. You will receive a score of 0 for any work not submitted. Your final grade in the course will be a letter grade. Letter grade equivalents for numerical grades are as follows:
A | = | 93–100 | C+ | = | 78–79 | |
A– | = | 90–92 | C | = | 73–77 | |
B+ | = | 88–89 | C– | = | 70–72 | |
B | = | 83–87 | D | = | 60–69 | |
B– | = | 80–82 | F | = | Below 60 |
To receive credit for the course, you must earn a letter grade of C or better (for an area of study course) or D or better (for a course not in your area of study), based on the weighted average of all assigned course work (e.g., exams, assignments, discussion postings).
To succeed in this course, take the following first steps:
Consider the following study tips for success:
To ensure success in all your academic endeavors and coursework at Thomas Edison State University, familiarize yourself with all administrative and academic policies including those related to academic integrity, course late submissions, course extensions, and grading policies.
For more, see:
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