Dear Arin, > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > project.org] On Behalf Of Arin Basu > Sent: February-10-08 10:41 PM > To: r-help@r-project.org > Subject: [R] Using R in a university course: dealing with proposal > comments > > Hi All, > > I am scheduled to teach a graduate course on research methods in > health sciences at a university. While drafting the course proposal, I > decided to include a brief introduction to R, primarily with an > objective to enable the students to do data analysis using R. It is > expected that enrolled students of this course have all at least a > formal first level introduction to quantitative methods in health > sciences and following completion of the course, they are all expected > to either evaluate, interpret, or conduct primary research studies in > health. The course would be delivered over 5 months, and R was > proposed to be taught as several laboratory based hands-on sessions > along with required readings within the coursework. > > The course proposal went to a few colleagues in the university for > review. I received review feedbacks from them; two of them commented > about inclusion of R in the proposal. > > In quoting parts these mails, I have masked the names/identities of > the referees, and have included just part of the relevant text with > their comments. Here are the comments: > > Comment 1: > > "In my quick glance, I did not see that statistics would be taught, > but I did see that R would be taught. Of course, R is a statistics > programme. I worry that teaching R could overwhelm the class. Or > teaching R would be worthless, because the students do not understand > statistics. " (Prof LR)
As others have pointed out, this is potentially a valid point, but it is applicable to all statistical software. I use R in several different courses for social-science undergraduates and grad students, but the focus is on the statistical methods, with R as a tool. In introductory courses, I use the Rcmdr package to simplify students' interaction with R. Beyond that level, I want students to learn to use R as a practical tool for data analysis, so I teach them to write commands. In all courses, students have much more difficulty with the substantive course content than with R, which they pick up readily. > Comment 2: > > Finally, on a minor point, why is "R" the statistical software being > used? SPSS is probably more widely available in the workplace - > certainly in areas of social policy etc. " (Prof NB) I don't have concrete data on this, and I'm sure that usage varies by field, but I'd bet that R is now more widely used overall (and internationally) than SPSS. Moreover, it wouldn't take students long to learn to point-and-click their way through SPSS if they have to use it in future. I hope this helps, John > > I am interested to know if any of you have faced similar questions > from colleagues about inclusion of R in non-statistics based > university graduate courses. If you did and were required to address > these concerns, how you would respond? > > TIA, > Arin Basu > > ______________________________________________ > R-help@r-project.org mailing list > https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-help > PLEASE do read the posting guide http://www.R-project.org/posting- > guide.html > and provide commented, minimal, self-contained, reproducible code. ______________________________________________ R-help@r-project.org mailing list https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-help PLEASE do read the posting guide http://www.R-project.org/posting-guide.html and provide commented, minimal, self-contained, reproducible code.