Local DiskUntitled DocumentUntitled Document The University of Texas at Austin School of Social Work Data Analysis and Computers II Course Number: SW 388R7 Faculty: Jim Schwab Unique Number: 63175 Office Number: SSW 2.228 Semester: Spring 2006 Office Phone: 471-9816 Time: Wednesday: 8:30am to 11:30am Email: [email protected] Place: SSW 1.214 Office Hours: Wednesdays, 7:30 to Instructional Technology Classroom 8:30am, or by appointment Course Description: This course is designed to build upon the concepts and procedures introduced in Data Analysis and Computers I, to enable students to do a more thorough job of data analysis by introducing multivariate statistical procedures into their repertoire of statistical techniques. The primary focus is on using the SPSS statistical package for calculating multivariate statistics and the utilization of the statistical output in research findings. Course Objectives: 1. To understand how the analysis of data derives from the statement of a research problem or hypothesis and the availability of empirical data. 2. To understand how to conduct a variety of statistical analyses, including testing of statistical assumptions, data transformations, and validation of statistical findings. 3. To understand how to present and interpret the results of statistical analyses. 4. To be able to design a data analysis strategy that answers a research question or hypothesis, including specifications for data elements, requirements of the statistic, and limitations to the interpretation. Teaching Methods: Course content will be covered using class lecture, focused discussions, computer demonstrations, and regular homework assignments involving data analysis exercises and computer applications. Students are expected to ask questions, share experiences, and actively participate in class discussions. While most statistical calculation will be done on the computer, some hand calculation is inherent in statistical analysis. Pocket calculators or Microsoft Excel can be used for to compute these calculations. Course Website: Course materials, announcements, assignments, and grading of homework problems will be done in BlackBoard. Through BlackBoard, the syllabus and any updates are available for downloading; datasets for problems are available for downloading; homework assignments and exams will be made available and completed online; your grades on exams and homework will be available online to you; a public bulletin board and access to email is supported for reporting problems on assignments, requesting assistance, and checking for announcements. While the University has invested additional resources in support of BlackBoard, there are still periodic outages and slow-downs. If you wait until the last minute to complete assignments, you may encounter difficulties. file:///Users/john/Documents/Eudora%20Folder/Attachments%20Folder/SW388R7SyllabusSpring2006.htm (1 of 7)3/20/06 11:37 AMUntitled Document Required Texts and Materials: The required text for the course is: Hair, Joseph F., Jr; Black, William C.; Babin, Barry J.; Anderson, Rolph E.; and Tatham, Ronald L. Multivariate Data Analysis, Sixth Edition. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall. ISBN 0-13-032929-0. In addition, you will need access to version 13.0 of SPSS on a PC computer and access to the Internet using either Internet Explorer, Firefox, or the Netscape browser. If you do not have a personal computer, the necessary hardware and software are available in the LRC computer lab in the School of Social Work. All data sets used in this course will be available as SPSS system data files (".SAV") for downloading via the course web page. Class Policies: The University of Texas at Austin is proud of its students' commitment to academic integrity and their pledge to abide by it's policy on scholastic dishonesty. The tradition of scholastic honesty is maintained by the cooperation of students and faculty members. Official University policies on scholastic dishonesty are stated in Appendix C, Chapter 11 of The Institutional Rules on Student Services and Activities. These policies may be found in General Information, 2003-2004 and may also be accessed from the Student Judicial Services web site. If a student has any questions concerning the application of the rules prohibiting scholastic dishonesty in regard to a particular assignment, it is the responsibility of that student to seek clarification from the instructor of the course. Violations of the University's policy on scholastic dishonesty will result in a grade of F for the course and may result in reporting to the Dean of the School of Social Work and the Dean of the Graduate School. As part of professional social work education, students may have assignments that involve working in agency settings and/or the community. As such, these assignments may present some risks. Sound choices and caution may lower risks inherent to the profession. It is the student's responsibility to be aware of and adhere to policies and practices related to agency and/or community safety. Students should also notify instructors regarding any safety concerns. All students should become familiar with the University's official e-mail student notification policy. It is the student's responsibility to keep the University informed as to changes in his or her e-mail address. Students are expected to check e-mail on a frequent and regular basis in order to stay current with University-related communications, recognizing that certain communications may be time-critical. It is recommended that e-mail be checked daily, but at a minimum, twice per week. The complete text of this policy and instructions for updating your e-mail address are available at http://www.utexas.edu/its/policies/emailnotify.html. In this course e-mail will be used as a means of communication with students. You will be responsible for checking your e-mail regularly for class work and announcements. Note: if you are an employee of the University, your e-mail address in Blackboard is your employee address. Students with disabilities who require special accommodations need to get a letter that documents the disability from the Services for Students with Disabilities area of the Office of the Dean of Students (471-6259 voice or 471-4641 TTY for users who are deaf or hard of hearing). This letter should be presented to the instructor in each course at the beginning of the semester and