07 Jan Post three paragraphs

Module 1 – Discussion: Data

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The object of the discussions in this course is for you to learn through experience and the collective knowledge of your classmates and instructor. Therefore, participation in discussions is a part of your course grade. The Checklist for Meaningful DiscussionsPreview the documentView in a new window identifies the qualities of an effective post. To view the rubric used for grading that participation, click on the gear icon (Show_Rubric_Gear.jpg) at the top of the page and select “Show Rubric” from the drop-down menu.

Data, Data, and More Datam1_discussion.jpg

The preface to the text starts with the statement, “This is a book about data” (p. xiii). The title of Chapter One is, “Introduction to Data” and the first sentence in the chapter says, “Statistics is the science of data…” (p. 3). Based on that, it seems that a good place to start would be with a discussion about data. What is (or are) data? Section 1.1 in the text answers that question. Section 1.2 then discusses two types of variables, categorical and numerical. Determining whether a variable is categorical or numerical is important because the type of variable is important because the type of variable determines the appropriate statistical techniques to use in studying the variable.

Read

Read through Chapter 1, then review the pictures contained in the examples of Data Collection SystemsPreview the documentView in a new window found in the PDF file. Notice that all of them show ways that you may use data or summaries of data every day— or perhaps ways that your personal data are collected and used by others. They also include both categorical and numerical variables. For example, in the parking garage sign shown in the file, the variable is the number of parking spaces available on each floor of the garage. That would be a numerical variable. One of the pieces of information given on Spokeo.com is the occupation of the person. That would be a categorical variable.

Post

Post three paragraphs to this week’s discussion:

Explain how you use data – or summaries of data – every day. Consider how you provide data for others to use.

Give two specific examples from your daily data, one numerical variable and one categorical variable. Describe the data that would be collected on each (such as the units of measure, integers or decimals, whether there’s a fixed number of categories or free response).

Reflect on how the use of your example data impacts your life/work or that of others.

Your initial post should be made before the end of the fourth day of the module to receive full credit. Return at least once later in the module to comment on two or more classmates’ posts. Do NOT “post and run” – making all three posts in the same visit. You need multiple visits to the Discussions in order to gain multiple perspectives by reading all of the posts and replies.