September 13, 2017

Would a Moodle page be helpful?

Results as of 1pm Sept 12.

ggplot() +
  geom_bar(mapping = aes(x = response), data = moodle) +
  scale_y_continuous(breaks = seq(from = 0, to = 12, by = 2))

Q: How can I access slides?

A: All slides are posted on the course website, on the "Schedule" page.

Q: Am I supposed to be an expert at R?

A: No!

Q: What am I supposed to know about RStudio at this point?

A: My hope is that you feel like you can:

  • Get an Rmd (R markdown) file uploaded into RStudio
  • Recognize an R chunk when you see it
    • It begins with a line like ```{r maybe-some-other-stuff-here}
    • It ends with a line like ```
    • Nothing else on either of those lines!!!
    • R code goes inbetween those lines.
  • Run the code in one R chunk interactively ("Run Chunk" or highlight and click "Run")
  • Knit a document to run all code chunks

Q: What am I supposed to know about R at this point?

A: Here are some things I'd like you to know now:

  • Data types in R and how they match up to quantitative and categorical (nominal and ordinal) variables.
  • Basic arithmetic: +, -, *, /
  • Creating vectors with c(), defining factors with factor()
  • The organization of data frames: observational units in rows, variables in columns
  • Basic interactions with data frames: head(), dim(), use $ to extract one variable

You've seen a bunch of other stuff, but I don't expect you to know how to use it all at this point.

Q: What will tests look like? Will I have to write R code?

We will have one quiz on R no earlier than Friday, Sept 22 where I will ask you to write code.

On tests, you will be given output from R and asked to interpret it.

Q: How does homework grading work?

A: Homework assignments are a place for you to learn!

Four possible categories:

  1. Missing – I hope everything is ok!
  2. Check minus – please see me! I'd like to help clarify a few things.
  3. Check – you're doing fine, but take a look at the comments that have been provided and let me know if you have any questions! (most of you will be here)
  4. Check plus – you're doing great! (only a few of you will be here)

A grade of either "Check" or "Check plus" on a homework assignment counts the same towards your final grade.

Q: Group Work is not working out

A: A few things:

  1. Let's create an atmosphere of respect and helping-each-other-out! You will learn a lot by explaining things to your friends :)
  2. You should not feel afraid to ask questions to me or your other classmates
  3. Within your groups, alternate who has the laptop and is typing on different problems.
  4. I encourage you to switch groups on different labs. Knowing more people is better!
  5. If you really REALLY REALLY really really really really REALLY REALLY REALLY really really really really really really REALLY REAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLYYYYYYYYYYYY really really don't want to work in a group, you don't have to.