We too, have stats as a prerequisite for methods here at UC. I concur with
Mike's sentiments below.
Mike Scoles wrote:
> Jeff -
>
> We have stat as a prereq to methods. At times, I have thought that it
> should be the other way around. Having exposure to research designs first
> would provide greater relevance to statistial analysis of those designs. On
> the other hand, if research is presented as an attempt to explain variation,
> exposure to statistics first might be helpful. In a course that includes
> development of research proposals and/or actual data collection, statistics
> first seems to be a necessity.
>
> Ideally, I would like to see both topics taught together. In most
> situations, this is only feasible at the graduate level, where students can
> be expected to complete a multiple-semester sequence, and where few
> non-majors would be enrolled for only one component..
>
> At the undergraduate level, "statistics first" might also serve a screening
> function--a carryover from days when quality, rather than retention, was the
> primary goal.
>
> - Mike
>
> --
> Jeff Ricker wrote:
>
> > At our school, students do not need to have taken statistics in order to
> > get into our research methods course, although they must take it as a
> > co-requisite if they have not already had it. This makes research
> > methods a more difficult course to teach since many students must be
> > taught some basic statistics while they are being taught research
> > methods. Some faculty would like to see this changed: they would like
> > statistics to be a prerequisite for the course. I believe that this
> > issue is going to cause some vigorous discussion in the coming months.
> >
> > My questions: Is statistics a prerequisite for research methods at your
> > school? What are the arguments in favor of this? What are the arguments
> > opposed to this?
>
> ********* http://www.coe.uca.edu/psych/scoles/index.html ********
> * Mike Scoles * [EMAIL PROTECTED] *
> * Department of Psychology * voice: (501) 450-5418 *
> * University of Central Arkansas * fax: (501) 450-5424 *
> * Conway, AR 72035-0001 * *
> *****************************************************************
--
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Steven M. Specht, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Psychology
Psychology Department
Utica College of Syracuse University
1600 Burrstone Rd.
Utica, NY 13502
(315) 792-3171
***savor meaningful moments***
