This page serves as the Course Frequenty Asked Questions (FAQ) page and syllabus for Neil's STAT 184: Introduction to R course in Fall 2024. Feel free to scroll through the page and/or use the navigation links I've provided. If you find something that doesn't work, please let me know so I can fix it.

Highlighted/marked text indicates a place where the class (you) will have a say in the creation of a course policy. After the first week, we'll have these sections filled out.

Last updated: 8/20/2024

What is this course about? (Course Description)

From the PSU Bulletin:
R is a powerful, open-source programming language used widely for applications in statistics and data science. It is easily extendible, and thousands of user-created packages are publicly available to extend its capabilities. This course will introduce students to data computing fundamentals and reproducible workflow using the R programming language and related tools. Students will be expected to access, join, wrangle, clean, and visualize real data from various sources (e.g. CSV, HTML scraping, web URL, R packages). The course will emphasize use of "tidyverse" R packages (e.g. dplyr, ggplot2), although students will also be exposed to Base R and other packages. In addition, students will be exposed to one or more integrated development environments (e.g. RStudio) and will be expected to write well-documented code using a reproducible workflow (e.g. RMarkdown, Git/GitHub). The course focuses on descriptive and graphical summary techniques rather than inferential statistical techniques.

In essence, STAT184 is an opportunity for students majoring in Statistics and Data Science to gain familiarity with the statistical programming language R. Further, this class provides you an opportunity to develop ways of thinking that will assist you in using R (or another programming language) to carry out statistical analysis and communicate your findings.

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When does this class meet? (Course Meeting Info)

Our class (Sec. 4) meets twice a week, each week of the semester, in person.

  • Location: Boucke Building, Room 112
  • Time: Wednesdays and Fridays, 2:30pm to 3:20pm (ET)

When the university closes for holidays, weather, or other unexpected events, we will not meet.

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Who is the instructor? (Instructor Info)

Hi! I'm Neil J. Hatfield and I'm teaching Section 004 of STAT 184 for the Fall 2023 semester. You may call me Neil, Dr. Hatfield, Professor Hatfield, Dr. Neil, etc. I use he/him/his pronouns and am readily reachable via Penn State email. You can also connect with me through Microsoft Teams and by phone--(814) 863-7664.

I also encourage students to come visit with me in person when possible. My office is Thomas 425A. I have an open door policy meaning that if my door is open and I'm there, you can talk with me.

As the semester gets underway, I will announce when I have Student Hours scheduled for this course. Student Hours will be held either in Thomas 424/425 or Thomas 425A.

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What materials do I need for the class? (Course Materials)

There are several different types of materials that you will need. Please review the list carefully.

Required Reading Materials
Readings for the course will be made freely available to enrolled students via Canvas and Perusall. The required readings will come from multiple sources including Computing (2nd Edition) by Daniel Kaplan & Matthew Beckman as well as various readings by Tufte and Kosslyn.
Required Hardware
You will need access to at least one of the following: 1) a personal computer running either Windows, Mac OS, or Linux (i.e., not a chromebook) or 2) any of the Penn State computer labs located around campus.
In the event that you only have a chromebook or other tablet device and cannot get to a Penn State computer lab, you can use R via cloud service by creating an account at Posit Cloud. Create a free account and try to avoid any of the paid tiers.
You will also need internet access to ensure that you can get to all of the course content as well as complete any assignments.
Required Software
One of your first assignments will help you get R installed.
You will need to install the R language on your computer. You can download the latest version from the Comprehensive R Archive Network (CRAN). You will need to have the most recent version of R installed. As of 8/20/24, this is R Version 4.4.1 "Race for Your Life". If you already have R installed, you must make sure that your version is up-to-date.
Strongly Recommended Software
We strongly recommend using an Integrated Development Environment (IDE) with R. There are several free IDEs available. The most popular IDE is RStudio Desktop. (If you already have this installed, please make sure that you have updated to the current version.)
Additional IDEs include Visual Studio Code and Positron. One of your first homework assignments will contain information about these options.

If you are using a Penn State owned computer, both R and RStudio Desktop are already installed.

Beyond the above elements, I've done what I can to minimize additonal costs to you. You should not need to purchase any other items or materials for the course. If you are asked to, please reach out to me before you do so to get clarification.

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What will I learn in this class? (Course Goals and Objectives)

Course Goals

The overarching goals for this course are to provide students with opportuntities and experiences with statistical software so that they may develop their programming skills, capabilities to use software in data analysis, and productive ways of thinking for data analysis and problem solving.

Learning Objectives

  • Students will develop their ability to create reproducible code that others can understand.
  • Students will develop their skills in programming with statistical software.
  • Students will develop their skills in using statistical software to engage in data analysis.
  • Students will develop their skills in collaborative programming.
  • Students will develop ways of thinking which make use of computing power.

Learning Outcomes

You can view the current learning outcomes (and objectives) by checking out the Progress Checker app I've created (linked in Canvas) or by viewing them through this shared document Stat 184 Learning Outcomes PDF.

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What are our responsibilities? (Student and Instructor Responsibilities)

All members of our class community have responsibilities.

Shared Responsibilities--Rules of Engagement

  1. Speak with Meaning: Everything that a person says should carry meaning to others. Each of us needs to do our best to avoid vague phrases and pronouns without clear antecedents (i.e., what the pronoun refers to). Explain and justify your reasoning, statements, arguments, etc.
  2. Exhibit Intellectual Integrity: Base your statements on what you understand and what you're still wrestling with. There is courage and power in admitting to where you are struggling. Avoid making statements that reflect what you believe are what someone else wants to hear. Each of us should feel empowered to express your confusion and/or struggles with the material. This will help make the class much more productive for everyone.
  3. Strive to Make Sense: There are underlying threads of coherence between various ideas we'll talk about throughout the course. As your instructor, I'll do my best to raise your awareness of these threads. However, I can't do your learning, thinking, or growing for you. Thus, you must take the lead in your education throughout the course. Each of you has a powerful support system you can make use of: your peers and your instructor. You may encounter ideas that run counter to what you understand--do not dismiss them out of hand; seek to understand the nature of those ideas.
  4. Respect the Learning Process of Others: Allow people the opportunity to think, reflect, and construct their understandings. When assisting your students or your peers, pose questions to help them construct meaning rather than show them how to get an answer.

Student Responsibilities

Students will have an opportunity to put together a list of their responsibilities.

Fall 2023's list of student responsibilities

  • Don't waste time
  • Get work in on time
  • Be ready and prepared for class
  • Work with others in a timely, respectful manner
  • Be understanding of others
  • Do your part in group work
  • Try to do your best
  • Show up to class
  • Have a "ready to learn" attitude
  • Be respectful of everyone and the class environment
  • Express when you're confused or have questions; ask questions
  • Show improvment
  • Participate
  • Listen to what everyone has to say
  • Be engaged during class
  • Exhibit academic integrity
  • Help others when they ask and you can

Instructor Responsibilities

Students will have an opportunity to put together a list of teacher responsibilities.

Fall 2023's list:

  • Teach the class in engaging ways
  • Answer student questions
  • Create fair assessments
  • Hold Student Hours
  • Post materials to Canvas
  • Check that everyone is working towards understanding the content
  • Give clear instructions
  • Care about the students
  • Set the students up for success
  • Provide a safe environment for asking questions
  • Help/support students
  • Try to connect content to real-world applications
  • Communicate clearly

Attendance and Participation Policies

Attendance and participation are vitally important for our class community. Attending each class session is an important part of becoming a professional member of our community. However, attendance alone will not guarantee that each person will get the most they can out of the course. This is where your participation comes into play. I will do what I can to provide a variety of ways for people to participate.

Attendance

Attending class is an expectation that the University has of all students for all courses, regardless of modality (in-person, hybrid, or online). Therefore, you will need to attend each class session baring illness, participation in a Univeristy sanctioned event, religious observance/practice, or other legitimate circumstances (e.g., governmental elections). If you need to miss class, please let me know by sending me an email or message via Canvas.

Attending class is vital to your learning. as we know from past education research that absences can negatively affect students' success. I want you each to find success in this course so please let me know if you are going to be absent so that we might work together to ensure you don't get off track.

Participation

Students will have an opportunity to put together a working definition of participation.

The Fall 2023 class generated the following markers of participating in class:

  • Paying attention
  • Answering questions
  • Getting involved in discussions (small or large group)
  • Asking questions
  • Using the signal cups
  • Working in groups
  • Participate even if not graded
  • Actively collaborate and work on course assignments
  • Be involved to the level and manner of your comfort
  • Take notes
  • Attend class
  • Do assignments
  • Engage with the activities, discussions in class
  • Raise your hand
  • Seeking help when you need it
  • Put in effort

Eberly College of Science Code of Mutual Respect and Cooperation

Within the Eberly College of Science we have a set of 12 principles meant to capture and convey the values we hope that all members of our community will choose to embody and make the college a rewarding community for all. Please take a moment to look through The Eberly College of Science Code of Mutual Respect and Cooperation.

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How does grading work? (Assignments and Assessment)

My Assessment Approach

I believe that assessments are a key way for us to grow and learn together. I strive to create assessments which provide you with opportuntities to practice what you've been learning as well as push you to continue to grow. I encourage you to view any assignments as an opportunity to engage in self-reflection.

Types of Assignments

Throughout the semester, we'll have a variety of assignments for you to complete either individually or as part of a group.

Readings and Discussions
We will each need to read/watch the assigned articles, reports, videos, chapters, etc. ahead of the scheduled class session. These artifacts will be the basis for class discussions. In some cases, there may be reading quizzes over the readings. Some of these quizzes might be due before the reading will be discussed in class; others might be due after class discussions.
In-class Activities
Many weeks will involve an in-class activity. I've designed the activities to support you in developing powerful ways of thinking. Unless otherwise specificed, you are encouraged to work with others (groups of no more than 5 students) on these activities. (Keep in mind that each person is responsibility for submitting their own work.
Homework
You will have several homework assignments throughout the semester. These assignments are meant to provide you with opportunities to practice what we've discussed in class and/or put you in a beneficial position for other activities, projects, etc.
Quizzes
From time to time, there may be quizzes in the course. These quizzes might be announced or unannounced (i.e., "pop quizzes"). Additionally, quizzes might be scheduled outside of class time for students to come in and complete (e.g., an oral quiz).
Tests
Students will have an opportunity to vote on whether we have tests and under what conditions.
The Fall 2023 clas has voted to have two tests. These tests will be timed (50 minutes) in accordance to the class's vote. Additionally, students will be allowed to use their personal notes for the tests. The mode (in-class or take home) will be announced closer to each test.
Final Exam
Students will have an opportunity to vote on whether we a final exam and under what conditions.
The Fall 2023 class has voted explore having an optional final exam subject to two constraints. First, the exam could only help students and second, there was a sufficient technology to support such an exam. After investigating, there was not a technological solution that would ensure that the exam was 1) completely optional and 2) only benefical. Thus, the class ended up voting to not have a final exam.
Final Project
The final project provides students with an opportunity to apply what they have learned throughout the semester to a new situation. Additional details about the project will be shared in class.

Late Submissions

Assignments that are part of MyOpenMath (MOM) will allow each student to use a Late Pass to given themselves additional time to complete the assignment. The class will vote on 1) how much time each Late Pass is worth, and 2) how many Late Passes students can use on an individual assignment.

There are several important things to keep in mind related to Late Passes:

  • You do not need to ask to use a Late Pass. You may apply them directly to the assignment in MOM.
  • Not all assignments will be eligible for late passes (e.g., group assignments, quizzes, tests).
  • All students will start with 10 Late Passes. Once used, they are gone.
  • Grading will not begin until after the Late Pass period closes. Nor will solutions be available until this time.
Keep in mind that not all assignments will be eligible for using late passes (e.g., group assignment, quizzes, tests)

You do not need to ask me to use a late pass. These are things you can automatically use in the homework system.

Extension Requests

Separate from and in addition to Late Passes, you may also contact me about getting a limited extension. This is particularly useful if you are out of late passes, need more time than the late pass period hours, or are dealing with an assignment not eligible for late passes. The process to request an extension is the following:

  1. Contact me a minimum of one day/24 hours before the posted due date of the assignment.
  2. Show that you have made some progress on the assignment already.
  3. Explain why you need the additional time.
  4. Propose a new due date.

I will review each request on a case-by-case basis and get back to you with the extended due date that I grant you, which might not be the date you propose. Until you hear back from me, please do not assume that you have the extension. You may only ask for one extension per assignment.

Emergency Extensions/Illness

Life happens and things can suddenly go sideways. In such an event, please reach out to me as soon as you can so that we can work together to get you back on track.

If you find yourself asking for multiple extensions, please reach out to me to discuss what's going on. I'll do the same if I feel that you've made a large number of extension requests.

Viewing Answers

Due to the existence of Late Passes and extensions, I will not make full answer keys available to students until after all assignments are submitted. Calculational answers will be available in the homework system once you've submitted the assignment and the Late Pass Period has passed. Keep in mind that if you opt to view answers after the due date, the system will bar you from using a Late Pass.

Testing Policy

The class will vote on the conditions for tests and final exam.

Grading Policy

I use a Standards-Based Grading System in this course. This means that I live and breath the learning outcomes when thinking about assessing each one of you. Throughout each assignment (homework, quizzes, tests, final exam, and course project), every question connects to at least one of the learning outcomes. Each time you answer a question, you are adding to the body of evidence about your understanding for each outcome. I use that entire body of evidence to evaluate where you end up for each learning outcome.

In an ideal world, I would report multiple grades to the Registrar; one for each of the Learning Outcomes. However, I can only report a single letter grade. Thus, at the end of the semester, I am tasked with determining the most appropriate letter grade based upon the semester's worth of data on the Learning Outcomes and Learning Objectives for each of you.

I do this in a data driven way thus each semester is a little bit different. This allows me to make adjustments to account for the unique elements of each semester. The general process involves me looking at the following:

  1. How many of your assessed Learning Outcomes are at the Adept or Highly Developed Proficiency Level?
  2. How many of your assessed Learning Outcomes are at any of the three Proficiency levels (Adept, Highly Developed, Skillful)?
  3. How many of your assessed Learning Objectives are at the Adept or Highly Developed Proficiency Level?
  4. How many of your assessed Learning Objectives are at any of the three Proficiency levels (Adept, Highly Developed, Skillful)?

Notice that I focus on Learning Outcomes and Objectives; I'm not looking at homework scores, assessment scores, your participation, or your attendance. The assessment scores are a function of learning outcomes but can create confusion. For example, if you demonstrate Adept Proficiency on one Learning Objective but Not Yet, Not Shown on another--and the assignment is just those two questions--the assignment score looks like a 50%; you don't get the credit for the outcome you have a great understanding of. Your participation and attendance will impact your learning, thus there's no need to grade you on them. (Grading participation and attendance can also unfairly impact students in a number of ways.)

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What's the course schedule look like? (Tentative Course Calendar)

Tentative Fall 2024 Schedule
Week Date Unit Topic
1 Wednesday, August 28, 2024 Unit 1: The Basics Welcome
Friday, August 30, 2024 Activity 0 and Activity 1
2 Wednesday, September 4, 2024 Getting Started
Friday, September 6, 2024 Object Names; Activity 2
3 Wednesday, September 11, 2024 Functions in R
Friday, September 13, 2024 Creating Functions; Activity 3
4 Wednesday, September 18, 2024 Unit 2: Data Wrangling Working with Data
Friday, September 20, 2024 Activity 4
5 Wednesday, September 25, 2024 Data Wrangling
Friday, September 27, 2024 Activity 5
6 Wednesday, October 2, 2024 Data Scrapping and Table Joins
Friday, October 4, 2024 Activity 6
7 Wednesday, October 9, 2024 Unit 3: Data Analysis EDA vs. CDA; Desc./Incisive Statsitics
Friday, October 11, 2024 Activity 7
8 Wednesday, October 16, 2024 Desc./Incisive Stats cont.
Friday, October 18, 2024 Activity 8
9 Wednesday, October 23, 2024 Data Visualizations, part 1
Friday, October 25, 2024 Data Visualizations, part 2
10 Wednesday, October 30, 2024 Grammar of Graphics
Friday, November 1, 2024 Activity 9
11 Wednesday, November 6, 2024 Unit 4: Reproducible Work Open Science and FAIR Principles
Friday, November 8, 2024 Using Quarto
12 Wednesday, November 13, 2024 Tips and Tricks with Quarto
Friday, November 15, 2024 Activity 10 (blend old Activities 9 and 10)
13 Wednesday, November 20, 2024 Intro to Git/GitHub
Friday, November 22, 2024 Activity 11
14 Wednesday, November 27, 2024 Thanksgiving--No Class
Friday, November 29, 2024 Thanksgiving--No Class
15 Wednesday, December 4, 2024 Course Project Workday
Friday, December 6, 2024 Course Project Workday
16 Wednesday, December 11, 2024 Group Presentations
Friday, December 13, 2024 Group Presentations
17 Wednesday, December 18, 2024 Finals Week
Friday, December 20, 2024

Please keep in mind that this calendar may change at any time to best meet the needs of the class.

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Is Our Class Inclusive? YES! (Inclusive Practices)

As a class community, we need to be respectful and welcoming of all members. Inclusive practices start from day one and are important to me.

Land Acknowledgement

The Pennsylvania State University campuses are located on the original homelands of the Erie, Haudenosaunee (Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida, Mohawk, and Tuscarora), Lenape (Delaware Nation, Delaware Tribe, Stockbridge-Munsee), Monongahela, Shawnee (Absentee, Eastern, and Oklahoma), Susquehannock, and Wahzhazhe (Osage) Nations. As a land grant institution, we acknowledge and honor the traditional caretakers of these lands and strive to understand and model their responsible stewardship. We also acknowledge the longer history of these lands and our place in that history.

Gender Identity

Our institution's official policy states that "The Pennsylvania State University recognizes the need or preference for members of the University community to refer to themselves by a first name other than their legal first name as well as self-assert a gender other than their legal gender or their gender at the time of birth (AD 84)." One way we can support self-identification is by honoring the name and pronouns that each of us go by.

Many people (e.g., international students, performers/writers, trans & non-binary people, and others) might go by a name in daily life that is different from their legal name. In this classroom, we seek to refer to people by the names that they go by.

Pronouns can be a way to affirm someone's gender identity, but they can also be unrelated to a person's identity. They are simply a public way in which people are referred to in place of their name (e.g., "he" or "she" or "they" or "ze" or something else). In this classroom, you are invited (if you want to) to share what pronouns you go by, and we seek to refer to people using the pronouns that they share. The pronouns someone indicates are not necessarily indicative of their gender identity.

Visit Trans and Non-Binary Penn State to learn more.

Educational Equity and Reporting Bias

Penn State University has adopted a Protocol for Responding to Bias Motivated Incidents that is grounded in the policy that the "University is committed to creating an educational environment which is free from intolerance directed toward individuals or groups and strives to create and maintain an environment that fosters respect for others." That policy is embedded within an institution traditionally committed to academic freedom.

Bias motivated incidents include conduct that is defined in University Policy AD 91: Discrimination and Harassment, and Related Inappropriate Conduct. Students, faculty, or staff who experience or witness a possible bias motivated incident are urged to report the incident immediately by doing one of the following:

  • Submit a report via the Report Bias webpage
  • Contact one of the following offices:
    • University Police Services, University Park: 814-863-1111
    • Multicultural Resource Center, Diversity Advocate for Students: 814-865-1773
    • Office of the Vice Provost for Educational Equity: 814-865-5906
    • Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs: 814-865-0909
    • Affirmative Action Office: 814-863-0471
    • Dial 911 in cases where physical injury has occurred or is imminent.

Academic Accommodations

One of the greatest things about being human is that we are each our own unique person. As such, there is a whole realm of neurodiveristy in any classroom. What some people need to have comfort and success in our class will be different from those of others. We welcome all individuals from across the neurodiviersity spectrum. I ask that we provide grace and space for all people to be themselves. Graduate students are entitled to appropriate academic accomodations just as undergraduate students.

If you are feel like you're having problems in the course, please come see me and let's see what we can do to help you. This might include reaching out the Student Disability Resources office (or other offices on campus).

If you currently have academic accommodations, please make sure to talk with me as soon as possible so that we can get everything in place.

If you've had academic accommodations in the past but haven't registered with the Student Disability Resources office, I encourage you to do so. Having the accommodations does not mean that you have to use them but they do provide you with an additional support system. To start the process, please reach out through the Student Disability Resources (SDR) website, which provides contact informaiton for every Penn State campus.

Counseling and Psychological Services

Many students at Penn State face personal challenges or have psychological needs that may interfere with their academic progress, social development, or emotional well-being. The university offers a variety of confidential services to help you through difficult times, including individual and group counseling, crisis intervention, consultations, online chats, and mental health screenings. These services are provided by staff who welcome all students and embrace a philosophy respectful of clients' cultural and religious backgrounds, and sensitive to differences in race, ability, gender identity, and sexual orientation.

Military Personnel

Veterans and currently serving military personnel and/or spouses with unique circumstances (e.g., upcoming deployments, drill/duty requirements, disabilities, VA appointments, etc.) are welcome and encouraged to communicate these, in advance if possible, to the instructor in the case that special arrangements need to be made. Check out Penn State's Veterans Affairs and Services website for more information.

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What is the policy on cheating and/or getting help in the class?

Why is academic integrity important?

A central aspect of education is that you build your knowledge and develop ways of thinking that will support you in your life and career. As one of your educators, part of my role is to assess your learning so that I can help you build the most productive ways of thinking. In order for me to best help you, I need the most accurate and reliable data about your thinking and learning. Academic integrity is a key to this process.

A person demonstrates academic integrity when they engage in any scholarly/educational activityin an open, honest, and responsible manner. This is part of our Shared Responsibilities.

What are the different ways in which a person might violate academic integrity policies?

There are many different ways in which a person's actions may directly or indirectly lead to violating Academic Integrity. Keep in mind whether a person acts intentionally or accidentaly, that action could still result in violating Academic Integrity. The best advice I can give is to always talk with your instructors before you submit the assignment. Here are a few of the broad categories of actions that lead to violation of academic integrity.

Plagiarism
This action occurs when someone presents someone else's work as their own, including their own. This can describe situations from forgetting to cite a source to copying someone's work without their knowledge. Avoid plagiarism by citing your sources (for figures, images, code, etc.) and giving credit to the ideas and work of others.
Self-Plagarims
Self-plagiarism occurs when a person submits work that they've submitted elsewhere; for example, taking a paper from one class and submitting that paper (even with minor changes) for a grade in a different class without prior authorization. Avoid self-plagarism by talking with your instructors about whether improving a past assignment might be work for the assignment's learning objectives.
Collusion
This action is similar to plagiarism but rather than one person being at fault, multiple people are working together. If one person gives another the answers to an assignment, that person is violating Academic Integrity just as much as the person submitting the assignment. Keep in mind that collusion can happen between students who aren't enrolled in the same section or even the same course. Avoid collusion by verifying with your instructor from the start whether you can work with others; then be sure to give credit to who did what.
Ghost Writing
This action is a more consequential form of collusion. Here someone does and submits work the behalf of someone else, by pretending to be this other person. Typically, the ghost writer is getting some benefit (e.g., a payment) to do the work, but not always. Avoid ghost writing by doing your own work; if you need assistance (e.g., typing assistance) be sure to talk with your instructor and the Student Disabilty Resources Office.
Improper Technology Use
What qualifers as proper and improper technology usage will vary from course to course. Generally, this captures any actions where technology plays a central role in the violation. This spans actions such as (but not limited to) using devices that aren't allowed on the assignment, using artificial intelligence systems (e.g., chatbots), using messaging groups to share answers, and getting/posting answers online (e.g., sites like Chegg, CourseHero, etc.). At the core of all these actions lies a person presenting someone else's work as their own. Avoid using technology improperly by seeking clarification about when, how, and what technologies are allowed on assignments.

The best advice I can provide is to talk with your instructor before you submit any assignment. Once you submit, you've solidified your action and there isn't anything your instructor can except to report the violation.

A person violates academic integrity when they act in a way either (dis-)advantages themselves or (dis-)advantages someone else that is not explicitly allowed ahead of time. While people have a variety of reasons for choosing to act in such ways (e.g., stress, lack of time, perssure to perform, etc.), we need to keep in mind that choosing to violate academic integrity impacts everyone. The person violating academic integrity weakens their own academic growth--they do not receive the feedback that is actually necessary for their growth. The class community suffers as such cases delay giving feedback, and erode the sense of trust in the community.

It is expected that any work submitted is your own. Class members may work on homework assignments and lab assignments in groups, but each student must write up answers in their own words and submit lab quizzes and homework assignments separately.

What are the differences between collusion, people working together, and group work?

The major distinction between collusion, working together, and group work comes down to what has been explicitly allowed by the instructor. Collusion is never allowed.

I encourage students to work together on assignments. However, when students work together, each person is individually responsible for their own work. Having one person answer the questions, write the code, etc. and then pass the results to the other person is not working together. Rather, each person should be engaged in the problems, sharing ideas, thoughts, and approaches. The individual differences in how we each write and talk should be present in the answers and work each person submits. Working together can enrich the learning of all those who are actively participating.

Group work occurs when the instructor gives an activity or assignment that is meant to be completed by a group of students together with a single submission for the group. This is not a violation of academic integrity due to the specifications the instructor has set up for the assignment.

Where can I get help for this course?

Part of learning involves running into situations where you don't instantly have a solution. Rather, you have to think about the problem, try a few things, and then pieces fall into place. You do not have to engage in such struggles alone. Getting help is a great way to help you engage in productive struggle that leads to better learning. However, not all sources of help will actually support your learning and growth. Here are my suggestions for places to seek help.

  1. Check your course notes and class recordings.
  2. Check the documentation in R.
  3. Talk with your classmates.
  4. Make use of Student Hours.
  5. Email your instructor.
  6. Talk to others who are not part of our course. (Use caution.)
  7. Search the internet. (Use caution.)

You'll notice that on the last two I've placed the phrase "Use caution." While you might learn how to handle the specific problem you ask about, there's no guarantee that what you get from these will help you later on in the course. Additionally, there may be differences in approaches that might cause you more problems. For example, online resources (e.g., Stack Overflow) may show solutions that are 1) out of date/not recommended anymore, 2) rely on packages that are no longer available, 3) use techniques that are well-beyond what we're trying to do, 4) and/or cause new problems when you attempt to incorporate them into your work. If you find a solution online or got from someone not associated with our course, feel free to come talk to me about it. We can go over it together and I can show you how we can evaluate such advice.

When you are getting help be sure that you are not crossing the line and having someone else do your learning for you.

Can I use ChatBots/Generative AI in this course?

Chatbots such as OpenAI's ChatGPT, Google's Gemini, or Microsoft's Copilot appear confident in the answers they provide. However, their answers are not always logical nor stand up to scrutiny. If a person relies upon chatbots to do their work, they will miss out on critical opportunities to develop the ways of thinking necessary to detect problems with AI generated answers.

An important part aspect of this course is to help you develop foundational ways of thinking about programming in R so that you can go on to write your own code for conducting analyses. Overly relying on other tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Bard, CodePilot, Stack Overflow, etc.) will limit your growth. This can then have implications for your job if you are constantly using these tools to do your work.

The Fall 2024 class will have an opportunity to help shape this policy.
Therefore, unless explicit permission is given for a particular assignment, the entire class community (the instructor, the students, TAs, etc.) should actively refrain from using generative AI tools. When such use is explicitly authorized, that work should be properly documented. Direct usage of output from chatbots should be treated much like a direct quotation; derivations of such output should be treated as paraphrased text.

Consequences

Any instances of academic dishonesty will be pursued under the University and Eberly College of Science regulations concerning academic integrity. For more information on academic integrity, see Penn State's statement on plagiarism and academic dishonesty.

The class will have an opportunity to create the matrix of proposed consequences/sanctions for violating academic integrity.

Fall 2023 Consequences/Sanctions for Violating Academic Integrity
First Time Second Time Third or Higher Time
Minor Redo the assignment Assignment Grade is lowered by 3 rubric levels Assignment Grade of 0
Moderate Assignment Grade is lowered by 1-2 rubric levels Assignment Grade of 0 Course Grade lowered by 1 step
Major Assignment Grade of 0 Course Grade is lowered by 1 step Fail the Course (Grade XF)

I will use the above table for my recommendations. Keep in mind the the Eberly Committee on Academic Integrity as well as the Office of Student Conduct may choose alter the consequences, including increasing them.

Issues involving violations copyright law (e.g., posting assignments to websites such as Chegg, CourseHero, etc.) will not only constitute a Major violation of the Academic Integrity policies of this course, but will also entail a separate violation of the Penn State Student Code of Conduct.

What other course policies are there? (University Policies)

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Important Dates for the Fall 2024 Semester

  • Classes Begin on Monday, August 26, 2024
  • Regular Drop Deadline is Saturday, August 31, 2024
  • Regular Add Deadline is Sunday, September 1, 2024
  • Labor Day-No Classes-Monday, September 2, 2024
  • Final Exam Conflict Filing Period is September 30 to October 20, 2024
  • Late Add/Drop Deadline is Friday, November 15, 2024
  • Thanksgiving Holiday-No Classes-November 24-November 30, 2024
  • Withdrawal Deadline is Friday, December 13, 2024
  • Classes End on Friday, December 13, 2024

University Closings

Should the university close due to weather or campus emergencies, please be sure to follow any directions included in the University's official announcement. You can stay up to date on such announcements by signing up for PSUAlert (https://psualert.psu.edu/psualert) and/or following Penn State on social media.

In the event of university closure, we will not meet in person. Please check your PSU email and Canvas for further course announcements.

Deferred Grades

If you are prevented from completing this course within the prescribed amount of time for reasons that are beyond your control, it is possible to have the grade deferred with the concurrence of the instructor, following Penn State Deferred Grade Policy 48-40. To seek a deferred grade, you must submit a written request (by e-mail or U.S. post) to the instructor describing the reason(s) for the request. Non-emergency permission for filing a deferred grade must be requested before the beginning of the final examination period. It is up to the instructor to determine whether or not you will be permitted to receive a deferred grade. If permission is granted, you will work with the instructor to establish a communication plan and a clear schedule for completion within policy. If, for any reason, the coursework for the deferred grade is not complete by the assigned time, a grade of "F" will be automatically entered on your transcript.

Instructor Absence

In the event that I'm not able to attend class, I will send out an annoucement for what the plan will be. This may include having a guest speaker/instructor (a substitute), for work time (independent or in groups), or cancel the session. Such information will be announced as needed via PSU email/Canvas.

Syllabus Changes

The syllabus for this course (and all other course syllabi) does not constitute a legal contract. Further, I intend for this syllabus to change to reflect the decisions we make as a community on several areas listed above as well as adapting to our needs throughout the semester. Changes to the syllabus will be announced in class and updated here.

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