[R] Using R in a university course: dealing with proposal comments

[bartjoosen]

You can use a GUI to teach R, so the programming-style is gone.
But using the command line aproach, it forces you to think about your
analysis.
In an GUI, it's easy to point and click, without knowing what you are doing.
With the command line, you know where you start, and from there you go to
the next step, and so on.
I think you learn more this way.

And of course, its free, so if they are off school or somewhat further, at
work, they still have the possibility to use what they have learned (in
contrary of SPSS maybe).

Bart


Arin Basu-3 wrote:
> 
> 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)
> 
> 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 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
> 
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