preparation
This page details what you should do each week in preparation for class. For the most part this is not formally graded, it's just what you should be doing. Also remember to add to your journal by Wednesday of each week.
week 1, jan 25th
Showing up at the right time (11.30am) in the right place (Sci217) is most of the work.
The other piece is to start thinking about data and how it does or might inform our lives at Marlboro. In particular, come up with a question that you'd both like to know the answer to and which could be answered by collecting and thinking about data. Examples of the type of question we're imagining: Does whether you live in a quiet/chem-free/special-interest dorm influence success at Marlboro? Do tall people get better grades? Where does our food come from? How is the college budget spent? This does not commit you to working on this question for the rest of the semester, it's just to get the creative juices flowing.
week 2, feb 1st
- Journal entry: make a first journal entry (by Wednesday). Muse briefly on what topics and projects you are most interested in working on and what groups and committees you are, or would like to be, involved with.
- Either Read the first two Chapters of The Functional Art by Alberto Cairo (available on the reserve shelf on the library) or watch the lecture linked from the closed resources page.
- Read the Broad Study Data report I wrote last semester for the First Two Years Committee (attached to the closed resources page as broadstudydata.pdf). In class we'll see how to make the graphs in R and ggplot2. This is the main point of the exercise, but don't let that stop you thinking about what the graphs do well and what they do poorly and what else could/should be done on this topic!
week 3, feb 8th
- Presentations this week! See the assignments page (link on the left) for more details.
- Journal (update by Wednesday): continue to develop your ideas and talk to at least one group/committee/person about their needs, their data, their interests, etc.
- Reading/Watching. Either read Chapter 3 of The Functional Art (on reserve) or watch the lectures indicated in the closed resources page (linked from the resources page).
week 4, feb 15th
Journal (update by Wednesday): continue to work on collecting data and talking to the necessary people. In addition, there are two more specific things for journals this week:
- Decide more concretely what your individual project is going to be
- List three broad areas of possible interest for the group project (e.g. environment, admissions, library, etc.)
Reading/Watching: There are three options for this assignment; pick any one of them:
Presentations: If you didn't present in class on Feb 8th, you will be presenting your infographic this week. See the assignments page (link on the left) for more details about this assignment.
week 5, feb 22nd
- Design three graphs using admissions data in R. At least one of these graphs must involve non-admissions data also (e.g. state populations). (Remember that math tutoring is Tuesday 6:30-9:30 in the science building this week; that's a good time to get help if you're having trouble with R.)
- Journal (update by Wednesday): You should have a more well-defined individual project by now, so continue working on that.
- Group projects: The main focus of this week is the graphs with admissions data, but start talking with members of your group about potential projects if possible.
week 6, march 1st
- Group projects: Meet with your group before class on Friday and start deciding what you want to measure, the sorts of data you need to collect, etc.
- Journal (update by Wednesday): Keep working on your individual project.
week 7, march 8th
- Individual project: The individual and group projects are the main focuses right now. Keep working on your individual project, and come to class on Friday ready to briefly talk about how it's going.
- Group project: Keep corresponding with the other members of your group and deciding and gathering the data you want to use. We (Matt and Bill) will work on preparing confidential data for your group projects.
- Journal: As always, update your journal on Wednesday. Talk about how these projects are going.
week 8, march 15th
- Group project: These are your main focus for the next three weeks (in session). Keep corresponding with the other members of your group and work on things like gathering data, analyzing data, and deciding what data are the most useful. We (Matt and Bill) will work on preparing confidential data for your group projects.
- Individual project: Although group projects are the focus you should continue to work on these. What you should be doing depends very much on your project. We'll have updates on these and the group projects again in class on Friday.
- Journal: As always, update your journal on Wednesday. Talk about how both projects are going.
week 9, april 5th
- Group project: These are the focus for this week and next. The goal for this week is to have all your data ready to bring to class so we can discuss how you want to make it into graphs.
- Individual project: Although group projects are the focus you should continue to work on these. What you should be doing depends very much on your project. We'll have updates on these and the group projects again in class on Friday.
- Journal: As always, update your journal on Wednesday. Talk about how both projects are going.
week 10, april 12th
- Group project: These are the focus for this week. Finish collecting your data if necessary, and start analyzing it and putting together your infographic.
- Individual project: Although group projects are the focus you should continue to work on these. Since our focus right now if the group projects, these are more of a background focus. However, if you still need some data for this project and might not be able to gather it quickly, you should be working on that now. We'll have updates on these and the group projects again in class on Friday.
- Journal: As always, update your journal on Wednesday. Talk about how both projects are going.
week 11, april 19th
- Group project: These are still the focus. Come to class with a version of your infographic actually made.
- Individual project: Although group projects are the focus you should continue to work on these. Since our focus right now if the group projects, these are more of a background focus. However, if you still need some data for this project and might not be able to gather it quickly, you should be working on that now.
- Journal: As always, update your journal on Wednesday. Talk about how both projects are going.
week 12, april 26th
- Individual project: These are now the focus. Work on your individual projects and we'll discuss them in class. In particular, get any data that might take time to get as soon as possible.
- Group project: Although they're no longer the focus you should continue to work on finishing these.
- Journal: As always, update your journal on Wednesday. Talk about how both projects are going.
week 13, may 3rd
- Individual project: Individual projects are due on Friday, when we'll be presenting them in class. The final version is due next week so you'll have a chance to revise, but they should be in a presentable form this week.
- Group project: Finish these if you're not done with them yet.
- Journal: As always, update your journal on Wednesday. Talk about how both projects are going.
