SOCI209 - FEEDBACK
Spring 2003
The Spring 2003 class had the largest enrollment ever (36 students), which
made the classroom stuffy at times. Trends visible this semester
were a greater use of STATA for class examples, and a revision of the outline
of the course, with addition of modules that will be developed in the future
on special topics, such as pooled time series of cross-section data, multilevel
models, and missing values. The overall outline of the course is
now divided into 4 parts: (1) simple linear regression; (2) multiple linear
regression and general linear model; (3) complications of multiple regression:
diagnostics & remedies; (4) special data structures. The addition
of the "special data structures" part is particularly useful for incorporating
treatments of these special data situations outside of a guilt-inducing
"assumptions violation" orientation.
Spring 2002
Spring 2001
Spring 2000
In Spring 2000 many changes were implemented in the course as the result
of student suggestions and experience from the Spring 1999 session.
Major changes were the systematic use in class of "live" examples of analysis
on the computer using SYSTAT, and the replacement of most of the substantive
examples from NKNW by more interesting data sets (the divorce rate time
series, the Afifi & Clark survey data on depression, Yule's (1899)
data set on poverty and the out-relief ratio, etc.) . Another major
change was the assignment of a short paper reporting on a complete analysis
using multiple regression. This new assignment was designed in collaboration
by TA Amy Davis and me, based on a suggestions by 1999 TA Leah VanWey that
was itself inspired by student comments. I conducted one course evaluation
at the end of the term (4 May 2000).
Spring 1999
Spring 1999 marked a major overhaul of the course as I began teaching the
course entirely from detailed class notes on the web, instead of overhead
transparencies. Converting to the detailed web notes (with all related
documents such as printouts, tables, and graphs) represented a considerable
amount of work. Student reactions were mixed. There were complaints
concerning my practice of "teaching from the web". I conducted a
course evaluation at mid-term (25 March 1999) and one at the end of the
term (29 April 1999). Results of these evaluations are shown in the
next two exhibits.
The evaluations and a mid-term meeting of students with TA Leah VanWey
produced a number of useful suggestions. I already incorporated some
of these in the later part of the Spring 99 semester, planning to implement
others in future editions of the course. I began collecting
a list of notes to myself about possible changes to implement in the future.
Begun Spring 1999