SW388R7 – Spring, 2012, page 1 The University of Texas at Austin School of Social Work Data Analysis and Computers II Course Number: SW 388R7 Faculty: Jim Schwab Unique Number: 62820 Office Number: SSW 2.202C Semester: Spring 2012 Office Phone: 471-9816 Time: Wednesday: 8:30am to 11:30am Email: [email protected] Place: SSW 1.214 Instructional Technology Classroom Office Hours: Wednesdays, 11:30 to 12:30pm, or by appointment BlackBoard Web Site: https://courses.utexas.edu/webapps/blackboard/execute/courseMain?course_id=_110557_1 Moodle Web Site: http://psti.sw.utexas.edu/moodle/course/view.php?id=5 I. 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. II. 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. III. 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 materials and announcements will be done in BlackBoard. Homework assignments, exams, and grading of homework problems will be done in Moodle (Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment).SW388R7 – Spring, 2012, page 2 Through BlackBoard, the syllabus and any updates are available for downloading; datasets for problems are available for downloading; announcements will be posted for reporting problems on assignments. To request help, send me an email. Usually you may anticipate a response within 24 hour. My email address is listed at the top of this syllabus. If I think your question is of general interest to the class, I may post it as an announcement unless you explicitly request that I do not post it. If you need to meet with me individually, the best method for setting an appointment is via email. IV. Required and Recommended Texts, and Materials The required text for the course is: Hair, Joseph F., Jr; Black, William C.; Babin, Barry J.; and Anderson, Rolph E. Multivariate Data Analysis, Seventh Edition. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall. ISBN 0-13-813263-1. In addition, you will need access to version 19.0 of SPSS on a PC computer and access to the Internet using either Internet Explorer, Firefox, or a comparable web 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 in BlackBoard. In addition to text materials, there will be links to online tutorials for each week’s materials. You should review all of these links and repeat those which you find most helpful. V. Course Requirements Course requirements will consist of weekly homework assignments and two exams. In addition, regular class attendance is expected and students should come to class prepared to actively participate in the class. Course requirements, due dates, and their contribution to the final grade are summarized below. Homework 30% Midterm Exam 30% Final Exam 30% Class Participation 10%SW388R7 – Spring, 2012, page 3 Final grades for this course will be assigned using the following +/- scale. 94. 0 and Above A 90.0 to 93.999 A- 87.0 to 89.999 B+ 84.0 to 86.999 B 80.0 to 83.999 B- 77.0 to 79.999 C+ 74.0 to 76.999 C 70.0 to 73.999 C- 67.0 to 69.999 D+ 64.0 to 66.999 D 60.0 to 63.999 D- Below 60.0 F Homework assignments requiring students to use SPSS to analyze data will be made available on the moodle site after every class. Homework problems will be objective style questions (short answer/multiple choice questions) on the datasets provided for the course. Each homework assignment draws from a large test bank from which a subset of problems are randomly selected. The homework assignment may be redone as many times as you wish until the exam for that statistic. You will be given a different selection of questions each time you redo the assignment. Your grade for the assignment will be the highest grade on any attempt at the time of the exam. While you may continue to do homework problems after the exam date, the grade for the assignment will not be updated. VI. Class Policies Class Attendance and Participation. Attendance and participation are important for effective learning. This means that students should not only attend class but should be prepared to actively participate in class discussions. At the same time, there may be occasions when students will not be able to attend class because of illness or other personal problems. In such cases, it would be appropriate for the student to notify the professor before class that they will not be in class. In the case of excessive absences, the professor reserves the right to deduct points from a student’s final course grade. Religious holy days sometimes conflict with class and examination schedules. If you miss an examination, work assignment, or other project due to the observance of a religious holy day you will be given an opportunity to complete the work missed within a reasonable time after the absence. It is the policy of The University of Texas at Austin that you must notify