A journal is a way to reflect on problems, lectures and reading, distinct from class notes or probems. Keep an eye out for writing in your discipline that cites statistical research or applies statistical methods, and include in your journal items that relate to the course in some way. You will find the class more useful if you keep alert to how its topics show up in your everyday reading, both professional and non-professional. It turns out to be very useful to write about statistical ideas and problems, not simply to ask a question and hear a reply. Statistics is not simply a matter of calculating and reporting numbers, it demands interpretative and rhetorical skills as well.
Many students find it convenient to submit journal entries, problems and assignments by e-mail.
We will meet once a week , on Wednesdays, in the College computer classroom, Hibbs B008. Bring a diskette or zip disk with you to the lab sessions so you can save data, output or other notes for use on other computers. . The class will introduce you to the Windows version of SPSS . The current version is 10.0.7. You will not be required to use SPSS outside of class, but you may want to do so.