Some words on Quiz 2, Lab 2, and Mid-term Feedback

Nicky Wakim

2024-03-04

Quiz 2

Overall

  • Great job!
  • Just a few things to review

Question 2

\[ SSY = SST = \sum_{i=1}^n (Y_i - \bar{Y})^2 \]

Question 9

Question 11

  • Biggest mistake: not including the hat on SBP!

Question 12

  • Biggest mistakes

    • Not adjusting for age
    • Forgetting units

Lab 2

Overall

  • Overall, good job! I feel like we’re making progress towards our analysis with thoughtful considerations for the data

  • I definitely steered us towards thinking about the defined population

    • Make sure you also think about over-representation

    • Over-representation does NOT mean we cannot make claims about the under-represented, but present, groups

  • When visualizing, making tables, displaying information from the data: always keep in the back of your mind:

    • What can a reader get from this if they have never seen the data?

    • Is it easy for the reader to understand the plot?

    • Does everything in the plot have a purpose?

    • Is the main thing I’m trying to communicate also the thing that stands out?

  • Bivariate visualization was supposed to visualize our research question

Notes on coding

  • #| message: false Please use after troubleshooting your code

    • Especially when loading libraries! Makes everything neater
  • When assigning category names, capitalization of the first word in each category is customary

Notes on coding/visualization

  • Did not take off, but ordering any categorical variables with inherent order is really helpful in our visualizations

    • Also, tilting category names is helpful!

Notes on interpretations/considerations

  • Remember that multiple linear regression will adjust for variables outside of our research question!

    • So we either adjust with a main effect or an interaction!

How should a plot look?

How should a table look?

Mid-term feedback

Overall

  • Only 29 names recorded: should be in gradebook now

  • Appreciate your feedback

  • I will try to address some of these

    • Balancing bandwidth, equity, different opinions, and things that are just a consequence of me teaching the course for the first time
  • Still seeing what I can change ASAP

In-class (1/2)

  • Sometimes my own explanations get confusing - would prefer if I revisited topics later rather than going through bad explanation

    • Fair enough: a few things over the quarter that I have taken for granted that I can riff a solid explanation, but I cannot
  • Lecture notes in PDF: go to github, and I will have a PDF version there by the start of class

  • Pace of class: mixture of opinions

  • Exit tickets: some people don’t like them, some do, repetitive

    • I made all the questions optional now - so fill it out or not, but this is my way of keeping a pulse on how effective lecture was

      • And this will still be my way of making sure we are staying with the course materials

      • I view this as an easy way to earn points that take weight away from higher stakes assignments

  • Datasets: some like that we have one dataset, and some want more

    • Next quarter: have ~2 quarter long datasets (highly dependent on my course load next quarter)
  • R code: mixture of opinions

    • Less/more, too much time explaining/too little time explaining

In-class (2/2)

  • Poll everywheres: mixture of opinions

    • My main goal: give you all a “productive” break from me lecturing you
  • More real world examples to demonstrate concepts

  • More structure to lectures - wrapping up concepts, learning objectives

  • Lectures: scrollable html option?

  • Towards beginning of course: mistakes in slides and due dates

Homework

  • Feedback on HW would be great

  • Posting earlier: for this quarter - I just don’t have time :(

  • Referencing a TB in homework and in class: some confusion if you need to read it on your own

    • You don’t!

    • I am mostly referencing these things for copyright issues because I am publicly publishing our slides, homeworks, labs, etc.

Quizzes

  • Some like the format, some don’t

  • We like the open note

  • Some: more of a test if you can search through the slides

  • Options for quizzes: we can brainstorm for next quarter

    • Ultimately, I have to balance time, cheating, equity of take-home

Labs / Project

  • Would be nice to have a lab section

  • Labs divided into smaller chunks

    • Balancing with homework assignments

Things we like

  • Notes with annotations and recording

    • Option for asynchronous viewing, in-person attendance not required
  • Engaging lectures (for some)

    • “…slides are my best friend.”
  • Descriptions in multiple ways, learning types

  • Concepts then code

  • Flexibility

  • Easy to understand terms when explaining

  • Judgement free zone

Final words

  • Saw a few students discuss how the volume of work this quarter is giving them anxiety, making them feel inadequate, etc.

    • I understand and have experienced the same feeling - not saying any of us should experience it

    • Keep going! Your grades are not your worth! You belong here! I want you to succeed!

    • Finally, you are LEARNING!

      • You will get things wrong. Hopefully you and your professors are giving you some grace.

      • I am still learning! I still reference things from my old classes

        • It’s all about setting a foundation so that you know some things and know how to reference materials/internet/books to fill in gaps
  • If I missed anything important to you in your feedback, please share in the anonymous on-going feedback