Intro to Statistics with R

Dr. Nathaniel Phillips
22 Feb 2017

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Welcome!

  • Syllabus: http://www.rpubs.com/yarrr/syllabus_Winter2017
  • Dr. Nathaniel D. Phillips
  • Post-doctoral researcher at Economic Psychology. Research interests: Judgment and decision making, learning, statistical reasoning.
  • 6 years ago I had never used R. Since then I use it almost every day. All day. I love it.

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Why R is so great

  • It is Free!

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  • It is Powerful

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  • It is Replicable

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  • It is Social

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Why can R be challenging to learn?

  • R does not hold your hand and make decisions for you. It forces you to think about your data and analysis.
  • R has (almost) no menus so you can't do anything by clicking. You have to type everything by hand!
  • If you make even the smallest mistake / typo in your writing, R won't work, and probably also won't tell you what you did wrong.
    • For this reason, it is crucial that you learn R with someone to help you fix errors.

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This is a Flipped Course

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  • In a Flipped Classroom, you learn new topics at home, and practice them in class.
  • In my experience, this is the best way to learn programming.
    • Learning programming in a lecture format is very difficult.
    • It is better to learn by practicing and getting immediate help from me and your fellow classmates.

Materials

  • I will provide you with all of the readings on the course syllabus.
  • Most readinds will come from the book YaRrr! The Pirate's Guide to R!
  • You do not need to turn in any work from home.
  • Readings will introduce you to new topics, show you example code, and provide you with some exercises.
  • There are tons of great resources for learning R. If you struggle with a topic, don't be afraid to Google it! or come to my office.

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Weekly Programming Assignments (WPA)

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  • In class, you will work together to complete as many tasks from the Weekly Programming Assignment (WPA) as you can.
  • Each assignment has a Checkpoint, your goal should be pass this checkpoint.
  • At the end of class you will turn in what you complete in class.
    • If you turn in your work, you will get credit!!! It does not matter how much you complete!!!
    • If you don't reach the checkpoint, you should continue working outside of class on your own to catch up.

Go at your own pace

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  • We have a diverse class. Different people have different backgrounds in programming and statistics.
  • It’s totally ok If you can’t complete all tasks in a WPA! Take your time, keep trying, ask for help.
  • If you have programmed before, challenge yourself, and help your classmates!

Tips

Work together and be noisy in class!

Ask Questions!

  sex shower
1   m      5
2   m      7
3   f     10
4   f      9

# Question 1: Conduct a test to see if men take longer showers on average than women
  • Level 1. I don't understand the problem and I have absolutely no idea how to get started. What is the problem and what I am supposed to do?
  • Level 2. I understand the problem but I'm not sure what a solution would look like. Help me get started!
  • Level 3. I understand the problem and I (think I) know a solution, but my code is not working the way I want it to. What's wrong with my code?
  • Level 4. I understand the problem, and I have a solution that works, but I don't know why and how it works. How and why this code works?
  • Level 5. I understand the problem, I have a solution, and I know why it works, but I don't know if it is the best way to solve the problem. Is there a better way to solve this problem?

This is the start of your R journey...

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  • This course will just be the beginning of your R journey.
  • You will not become an R expert after this course. That's just not possible in a semester
  • You will understand how the R language works, and learn the basic techniques of data analysis.
  • After this course, you will be prepared to actively learn new topics on your own.

Final Project

  • At the end of the course you will complete a final analysis project.
  • You will produce a short report analyzing a data set of your choosing (eg., Master's thesis data).
  • If you don't have a data set, I will help you find one.
  • The last 2 weeks of class are entirely dedicated to helping you with your final project.

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Grading

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  • This is a pass/fail course.
  • If you turn in your assignments, you get full credit.
  • If you turn in your assignments and the final project, you will pass.
  • The amount that you actually learn is up to you!

Questions?

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Let's get started!

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