STA 631

Nothing in this syllabus is set in stone. This is not designed to be a map or a contract, but rather a starting place with the goal of transforming the syllabus (and our learning) as we go. Throughout this semester, we will discover and question what we do, together.

Student Hours

Since we will be doing a lot of active work during our class sessions, our in-person class meetings will be the best place to seek direct assistance/feedback on course topics. It might be helpful to think of our class sessions as in-class “office hours”. There is also a link provided in Blackboard for you to view my availability and schedule an in-person or virtual time to connect.

Class Time

When Life Intervenes

There is nothing we cannot adapt to in this this class. If something comes up that prevents you from engaging in this course, let me know.

You do not have to share the details with me. It is enough for me to know that something has intervened. I trust you.

I have planned several “catch-up” days throughout the semester. We can figure out something else to do, or something else that will help you be successful. It is our course – we can change things up as we need to.

Face Coverings

For GVSU’s most up-to-date face covering policy, consult https://www.gvsu.edu/lakerstogether/face-covering-policy-27.htm. If you feel unwell for any reason, I ask that you stay home and prioritize your health and well-being.

Course Description

Traditional and modern computationally-intensive statistical modeling techniques. Basics of probability theory, including conditional probability, Bayes' Theorem, and univariate probability models. Regression modeling and prediction including simple linear, multiple, logistic, Poisson, nonlinear and nonparametric regression. Methods for model selection and shrinkage. Emphasis is on application and interpretation using statistical software.

Prerequisite

Admission into the data science and analytics professional science master’s program.

Required Resources

• An Introduction to Statistical Learning with Applications in R (ISL), Second Edition, by James, Witten, Hastie, and Tibshirani. See ISL Exercise Solutions by Sadoughi et al. for solutions to end of chapter exercises if you choose to complete these.
• Data Feminism (DF), by D’Ignazio and Klein.

We will also use the R programming language (via GVSU’s posit Workbench), GitHub, Microsoft Teams, and Blackboard Ultra. I will not assume that you have experience using GitHub, Microsoft Teams, or Blackboard Ultra.

To use the course tools, you will need to have access to:

• A laptop or tablet device.
• A modern web browser. Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge are preferred, though Mozilla Firefox should also work.
• Reliable access to high-speed internet.
• If we need to pivot our course format throughout this semester, I also recommend that you have access to a webcam and wired headphones. This will help to increase active participation and engagement in remote class sessions.

If you have any issue with accessing the above for whatever reason, let me know as soon as possible. I may know of resources that can help you for your case.

Course Objectives

After successful completion of the course, you will be able to:

• Describe probability as a foundation of statistical modeling, including inference and maximum likelihood estimation
• Determine and apply the appropriate generalized linear model for a specific data context
• Conduct model selection for a set of candidate models
• Communicate the results of statistical models to a general audience
• Use programming software (i.e., R) to fit and assess statistical models

Course Activities and Assessment

Participation

You matter. In our course space, you can participate in any way that makes you feel engaged: by listening, by posting in our backchannel communication tool (conversations that occur outside of synchronous, in person class sessions – we will use Microsoft Teams), by sharing in small groups, by voicing ideas out loud, by being you, by sounding like you, by moving like you, by looking like you would like to look, by valuing and affirming your choices.

Learning Activities

This course will be as much about breaking stuff as it is about building stuff. The course schedule in Blackboard’s Content area will walk you through the various activities of the course. These will include readings, videos, suggested practice exercises, workshops, and self-reflections.

Reflections, Projects, and Portfolio

Throughout the semester, you will write reflections. Some of these reflections will be more structured (i.e., a response to questions that I offer), while many of them will be more flexible, allowing you to respond to any aspect of the content we are studying. Responses can be collaborative; I simply ask that you give credit/attributions to the folks that help you. Ask questions of your peers and me and use others’ posts as jumping off points by answering, questioning, amplifying or complicating ideas.

There will be opportunities to expand your learning by applying concepts to new scenarios – aka, projects. Work with your peers (or at least seek feedback from your peers) on these.

At the end of this semester, you will collate these items to demonstrate your learning of the course objectives in a final portfolio. We will decide how we will share our learning with one another after the midpoint of the semester.

Course Grading

This course will focus on qualitative, not quantitative, assessment. I will not be grading individual assignments. Rather, I will ask questions and make comments that engage with your work rather than simply evaluate it. The intention is to help you focus on working in a more organic way, as opposed to working as you think that you are expected to. If this process causes more anxiety than it alleviates, connect with me at any point to discuss your work in the course. If a task does not feel productive, we can find ways to modify, remix, or repurpose the instructions.

Everyone who participates in the course community and completes their self-reflections/portfolio will earn an ‘A’. Instead of your grade, here is what I would like you to focus on:

• Actively engage in the work of the course. There will be lots of different ways for each of us to engage in this course and I will provide a lot of opportunities to check your understanding towards the course Learning Objectives.
• Determine what your participation looks like, i.e., wherever you can best contribute to our community and learn. There are many opportunities to communicate in this course – during class sessions, outside of class sessions, synchronously, asynchronously, on Teams, in our physical classroom.
• Data science, computing, statistics are not an independent exercise and I encourage you to focus a good amount of your energy on helping your peers, reviewing their work, championing their accomplishments, and offering feedback that pushes them in their own work. Listening and reflecting can be as important as speaking and questioning.
• Reflecting on your own work. I believe that college/learning is about the process, not the product. So, writing about your learning is the most important work that we will do this semester.

Technology

R/R Studio

We will access R/RStudio through GVSU’s RStudio Workbench. Directions for to how access to this tool will be provided in an early preparation task. R and RStudio are freely available applications. You may choose to install these applications on your personal machine. If you choose to do this (it is not required), I would encourage you to follow the guide by Jenny Bryan et al.: Happy Git and GitHub for the useR.

GitHub

We will be using GitHub extensively throughout this course for creating documents, completing activities, and collaboration. GVSU’s RStudio Workbench will also provide us with access to Git (a way to communicate between RStudio and GitHub). You may choose to install Git on your personal machine (not required) and I would again point you to the Happy Git guide from Bryan et al.

Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams is communication platform that allows us to share documents, seek feedback, ask questions, and provide support. There are web-based apps, computer apps, and phone apps to seamlessly use this tool across multiple platforms. A link to our Teams space is provided in Blackboard. We will spend time during the first few weeks of the semester practicing how to use this tool. You already have an account for this tool through your GVSU credentials. This is my preferred method of communication to help me differentiate between my teaching and my other responsibilities.

Blackboard Ultra

Nearly all course materials will be linked to on our Blackboard course site. You will also use this for submitting assignments and all due dates will be visible in your Blackboard calendar. I will provide a brief overview of the important features in my Welcome video.

GVSU Policies

This course is subject to GVSU’s Course Policies. Below, I discuss some of these policies and provide additional resources.

Equitable and Inclusive Learning Environment

I will strive to create an equitable and inclusive learning environment in our class. It is my goal that you feel able to share information about your experiences as a student. I will keep information that you share with me private to the best of my ability; however, there is some information that may need to be shared with the university, especially regarding sexual misconduct or information about a crime that may have occurred on GVSU’s campus. Below are additional resources available for support:

Title IX, Sexual Misconduct Policy, and Gender- and Sexual-Based Harassment Policy

Title IX makes it clear that violence and harassment based on sex and gender are Civil Rights offenses subject to the same kinds of accountability and the same kinds of support applied to offenses against other protected categories such as race, national origin, etc. Title IX’s sex discrimination prohibition also protects students from discrimination based on gender identity or failure to conform to stereotypical notions of masculinity or femininity. If you or someone you know has been harassed, assaulted, or denied services on the basis of sex or gender, contact the Office for Title IX & Institutional Equity.

Special Learning Needs

If you have special needs because of learning, physical, or other disabilities, it is your responsibility to contact Disability Support Resources (DSR). DSR will help you arrange accommodations. Then, set up an appointment with me about how I can help in making those accommodations and ensure that they are consistent with your arrangements with DSR.

Basic Security Needs

As a student, you may experience a range of issues that can negatively impact your learning, such as anxiety, depression, interpersonal or sexual violence, difficulty eating or sleeping, loss/grief, and/or alcohol/drug problems. These mental health concerns or stressful events may lead to diminished academic performance and affect your ability to participate in day-to-day activities. To support you during such challenging times, GVSU provides several confidential resources to all enrolled students, including the University Counseling Center and the Student Ombuds.

If you have difficulty affording groceries or accessing sufficient food to eat every day, or if you lack a safe and stable place to live, I encourage you to visit Replenish, a food resource for GVSU students. GVSU also provides Special Circumstances & Financial Hardship grants that can be used to assist in paying for many expenses.

If you are comfortable doing so, please speak with me about your circumstances so that I can advocate for you and connect you with campus resources.

Gender expression and identity

If your state issued identification does not match your preferred name, your name can be updated in some areas (such as Blackboard, mailroom, and your GVSU ID). At GVSU, this is called “myName” and you can request a myName by following these steps:

1. Login to myBanner, select the Personal Information tab, then select My Profile.
2. You will be directed to another authentication page where you will be prompted to enter your network credentials.
3. On the Personal Details section, select Edit on the and enter your myName.

When your myName has been received and reviewed, you will receive an email letting you know either that it has been approved or requesting further information. Once approved, allow up to two days for the myName to be updated across the campus system. More information about myName can be found on the Milton E. Ford LGBT Resource Center’s page.

Academic Integrity

The university’s academic integrity policy is described in the GVSU Student Code, Section 4. Every student has the responsibility of reading and understanding these policies, especially the consequences for engaging in academically dishonest activities.

Authorship is a hotly contested topic in academia. In some disciplines, creative influence, collaboration, and borrowing are usually acceptable (even encouraged) while others have more strict beliefs. In this class, I encourage you to borrow ideas (from me, from materials we interact with, from your classmates). But, even more, I encourage you to truly make them your own – by playing with, manipulating, applying, and otherwise turning them on their head. It is boring to rest on the creations of others. It is daring (and more fun) to invent something new yourself. This does not give you license to copy something in its entirety and slap your name on it. That is just stealing. Instead, consciously think about how you are influenced by your sources – knowledge and creativity depend on a sort of inheritance. Also think about the real responsibility you have to those sources.

Technology Help

I am not able to provide support for most technological issues. If you encounter issues with technology, use one of the following resources:

• For help with Blackboard, see the Blackboard Support page.
• For help with the GVSU network, email, or printing, see IT’s Support Portal.
• For specific help with your computer or device, visit the IT Help Desk (see previous bullet) or contact your equipment manufacturer of computer store.
• For help with course tools or applications, ask a question on Teams, seek out the help documentation in the tool or application, or do a targeted Google search.

Cancellation/Closure/Remote Policy

Grand Valley State University has four operating statuses: Open, Classes Canceled, Closed, or Remote. The operating status of the university could change for a variety of reasons including emergency, utility disruptions, or weather.

It is my understanding that if we are experiencing inclement weather, GVSU will move classes to Remote delivery – that is, canceling classes will rarely happen and will be due to non-weather-related events. If I feel that traveling to campus would present undue risk, I may also move classes to Remote delivery. If this is to happen, I will let you know as early as possible and provide you with a link to join our remote class session.

Attributions

Portions of this syllabus have been adapted from the syllabi of Dr. Robert Talbert, Dr. John Gabrosek, and Dr. Neal Rogness (all from GVSU); Dr. Shawn Graham (Carleton University); Dr. Jesse Stommel (University of Denver); Dr. Clara Vaz Bauler (Adelphi University); and several others that I have forgotten.