On Fri, 20 Apr 2001, dennis roberts wrote:
>
> what i would like to see .. which is probably impossible in general (and
> has been discussed before) ... it a more integrated approach to data
> collection ... WITHIN THE SAME COURSE OR A SEQUENCE OF COURSES ... so that
> when you get to the analysis part ... that we CAN make some realistic
> assumptions about the quality of the data, quality of the data collection
> process, and make sense of the question or questions being investigated
Impossible? No. Requiring a great deal of effort on the part of some
cluster of folks? Definitely!
There is some discussion of this very possibility in Psychology, although
I've yet to see evidence of fruition. A very large part of the problem,
in my mind, is breaking out of established stereotypes of what a Stats and
Methods sequence should look like, and then finding the materials to
support that vision.
My department has a psuedo-sequence in place with a pre-statistics methods
course at the sophomore level and statistics at the junior level.
Unfortunately we lack 1) materials that are designed for an integrated
course sequence which leads to 2) the methods and stats courses being
taught as distinct topics, like they always have been.
If I were the only one in my department that taught these courses I could
force my own vision of sequential/integrated courses. But I'm not, so I
can't.
If I could find good materials that were designed specifically to support
the integrated sequence, I might be able to get others to go along with
it.
But neither of those is currently true, so the two alternatives that
remain are 1) retain the status quo, or 2) put more energy than I
currently have into developing an integrated sequence and convincing my
colleagues to adopt my vision of the sequence (the latter being more
difficult in practice than the former).
It can be done, but it will require someone with more energy and force of
will than I.
Mike
*******************************************************************
Michael M. Granaas
Associate Professor [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Department of Psychology
University of South Dakota Phone: (605) 677-5295
Vermillion, SD 57069 FAX: (605) 677-6604
*******************************************************************
All views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily
reflect those of the University of South Dakota, or the South
Dakota Board of Regents.
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