Course Policies
Course objectives
By the end of the semester you will be able to...
- explore, visualize, and analyze data in a reproducible manner
- investigate patterns, model outcomes, and make predictions
- gain experience in data wrangling and munging, exploratory data analysis, predictive modeling, and data visualization
- work on problems and case studies inspired by real-world questions and data
- effectively communicate results in written reports
Lecture Structure
For every Tuesday and Thursday lecture, a repository on GitHub will be created for you. This repository will contain an R Markdown file with an outline of the day's topics, code examples, questions, and spaces for you to take notes. The repository will also contain any necessary datasets.
During lecture, take notes and work on code in this R Markdown file. Course notes are graded based on a good-faith effort towards completion of all parts and contribute to your participation grade. They are due three days following the lecture date and will be graded for completion.
Computing
We will use the R programming language for data exploration, visualization, and analysis. To interact with R we will use RStudio, an integrated development environment. You have access to RStudio through any web browser at https://cmgr.oit.duke.edu/containers/sta198-199 or at the link at the top of this page.
Activities and assessments
The following activities and assessments will help you successfully achieve the course learning objectives. They are designed to follow the Prepare, Practice, Perform format.
Prepare: Includes short videos, reading assignments, and a short quiz to introduce new concepts and ensure a basic comprehension of the material. The goal is to help you prepare for the in-class activities during lecture.
Practice: Includes in-class application exercises where you will begin to the concepts and methods introduced in the prepare assignment. the activities will graded for completion, as they are designed for you to gain experience with the statistical and computing techniques before working on graded assignments.
Perform: Includes labs, homework, exams, and the final project. These assignments build upon the prepare and practice assignments and are the opportunity for you to demonstrate your understanding of the course material and how it is applied to analyze real-world data.
Video Quizzes (5%)
Approximately once per week (which will roughly map to once per topic), there will be a short video comprehension quiz that you should complete before class. You will have up to 3 attempts on the quiz and your highest score will be recorded. I will alert you when you have a video quiz coming up. The first quiz will be a practice quiz and will not count towards your grade.
Homework (25%)
There are five individual homework assignments in this course. You will apply what you have learned during lecture and lab to complete data analysis tasks. You may discuss homework with other students, but assignments must be completed and submitted individually and you must note on your assignment submission who you worked with. The lowest homework grade will be dropped at the end of the semester.
Homework is assigned Thursday and due the following Thursday at 11:59 PM. You may turn in one assignment (lab or homework) late for any reason without penalty. Please contact me no later than 5 PM the day of the deadline if you would like to use this policy. Otherwise, unexcused late work will be penalized 5 points per day. I will not accept late work after three days (72 hours) without a valid excuse.
In order to receive credit, homework must
- be typed up using R Markdown
- correspond to an appropriate GitHub repository
- be submitted as a pdf file to Gradescope
Labs (15%)
There are nine labs. During lab, you will apply lecture concepts to data analysis problems. Most lab assignments will be completed in teams, with all team members expected to contribute equally. You will use your team's Git repository on the course GitHub page as the central platform for collaboration. Commits to this repository are used as a metric of each team member's contribution to the labs, and you will also be asked to evaluate your team members throughout the semester. The lowest lab grade will be dropped at the end of the semester.
Labs are assigned on Monday and due by Friday at 11:59 PM (i.e., a lab assigned on January 10 would be due on January 14), but are designed to be completed and submitted during the scheduled lab time. One lab due before the first exam will be due slightly earlier, but is a team lab that should be able to be completed by then. You may turn in one assignment (lab or homework) late for any reason without penalty. Please contact me no later than 5 PM the day of the deadline if you would like to use this policy. Otherwise, unexcused late work will be penalized 5 points per day. I will not accept late work after three days (72 hours) without a valid excuse.
In order to receive credit, labs must
- be typed up using R Markdown
- correspond to an appropriate GitHub repository
- be submitted as a pdf file to Gradescope
Exams (35%)
There are two individual, take-home, open-note exams worth 20% each. Each exam will include analysis and computing tasks related to the content covered in lectures, homework assignments, and labs. Details about the content and structure of the exams will be discussed later in the semester.
Exam dates cannot be changed and no make-up exams will be given. If no exam is submitted to Gradescope prior to the deadline, the most recent Github commit submitted prior to the deadline will be graded. If you must miss an exam, the absence must be officially excused by your academic dean prior to the due date. For officially excused absences, the missing exam grade will be imputed based on your performance on the other exams. Late work will not be accepted for the exams.
Final Project (15%)
The purpose of the final project is to use the data science tools you have developed to analyze an interesting data-based research question. The project will be completed with your lab teams, and each team will present their work in writing. More information about the project will be provided later in the semester. Late work will not be accepted for the final project.
Participation and Teamwork (5%)
Your participation grade is based primarily on completion of course notes. Notes for each lecture period will be made available in a GitHub repository. Course notes for each lecture will be graded based on a good-faith effort towards completion of all parts and are due one week following the lecture date (lecture notes for a Monday lecture are due the following Monday at 11:59 PM).
Periodic team feedback and small discussion assignments may also contribute to your participation and teamwork grade.
Grade Calculation
The final grade will be calculated as follows:
| Video Prep Quizzes | 5% |
| Homework | 25% |
| Labs | 15% |
| Exam 1 | 17.5% |
| Exam 2 | 17.5% |
| Final Project | 15% |
| Participation and Teamwork | 5% |
A letter grade will be assigned as follows:
| 93 | ≤ | A | ≤ | 100 |
| 90 | ≤ | A- | < | 93 |
| 87 | ≤ | B+ | < | 90 |
| 83 | ≤ | B | < | 87 |
| 80 | ≤ | B- | < | 83 |
| 77 | ≤ | C+ | < | 80 |
| 73 | ≤ | C | < | 77 |
| 70 | ≤ | C- | < | 73 |
| 67 | ≤ | D+ | < | 70 |
| 63 | ≤ | D | < | 67 |
| 60 | ≤ | D- | < | 63 |
| 0 | ≤ | F | < | 60 |
Regrade requests
Regrade requests should be submitted through the regrade request form on Gradescope. Requests for a regrade must be made within a week of when the assignment is returned; requests submitted later will not be considered. You should only submit a regrade request if there is an error in the grade calculation or a correct answer was mistakenly marked as incorrect. You should not submit a regrade to dispute the number of points deducted for an incorrect response. Please note that by submitting a regrade request, your entire assignment may be regraded and you may potentially lose points.
Due to the time consuming nature of responding to regrade requests, you must attend office hours and ask a member of the teaching team from our section (other than Nathan Varberg) about the feedback before submitting the request. When you submit a request, indicate which member of the teaching team you spoke with. Grades can only be changed by the instructor or Head TA Nathan Varberg. Other Teaching Assistants cannot change grades on returned assignments.
No grade will be changed after the final project is due.
Make-up policy and late work
The late work policy is designed to provide flexibility and also help you stay on top of the course work. If there are extreme extenuating circumstances that prevent you from completing assignments or keeping up with the material, please contact the instructor and/or your academic dean for further discussion.
Students who miss a class due to a scheduled varsity trip, religious holiday, or short-term illness should fill out the appropriate form. These excused absences do not excuse you from work; it will still be your responsibility to submit relevant assignments in accordance with the deadline. If you have a personal or family emergency or health condition that affects your ability to participate in class, you should contact your academic dean's office. More information about this procedure may be found on the Personal Emergencies page or provided by your academic dean.
Waiver for Extenuating Circumstances
If there are circumstances that prevent you from completing a lab or homework assignment by the stated due date, you may email Professor Smith before the deadline to waive the late penalty. In your email, you only need to request the waiver; you do not need to provide explanation. This waiver may only be used for once in the semester, so only use it for a truly extenuating circumstance. If you have a question about whether you have a waiver remaining, please contact Professor Smith no later than 5 PM on the day of the deadline.
If there are circumstances that are having a longer-term impact on your academic performance, please let your academic dean know, as they can be a resource. Please let Professor Smith know if you need help contacting your academic dean.
COVID-related policies
COVID and Attendance
We still find ourselves in challenging times with the pandemic. If you are feeling ill, please do not attend class. Your absence can be excused through a short-term incapacitation form (https://trinity.duke.edu/undergraduate/academic-policies/illness). Either I or a TA can meet with you over Zoom to discuss whatever you missed in class.
Other COVID-related policies
Per Duke policies, you should wear a face mask at all times during class. Please do not eat or drink during class. I understand that this is a long class; if you need a sip of water, please step out of the classroom and then return.
COVID and Class Flexibility
Duke is planning to have classes in-person this semester starting January 18. Given the trajectory of the pandemic however, there is always the possibility of changes needing to be made during the semester. I will let you know of any changes as quickly as I can over email should they need to be made. While I plan to follow the list of assignments and readings/videos below, a change in the semester could cause a need for changes to be made. I again will communicate these as quickly as possible.
Course Communication
The course webpage (https://sta199-spring2022.netlify.app/) contains the day-to-day schedule, policies, readings, slides, and assignments. Course announcements will be sent via email through Sakai.
Videos and links to the live lecture sessions and office hours are available on Sakai.
Students with questions that focus on class context should begin by posting on Ed Discussions.
Students with more specific questions that are not of a sensitive nature should first reach out to their Lab TA If a student feels that they would like further elaboration, they may second ask that the TA send the email to the Head TA. If the student still feels that they would like further elaboration they may third ask that the Head TA send the request to me.
Students may contact me first in the case of a matter that is sensitive (including involving an extension), something involving an accommodation, or asking for their one no excuse late assignment.
I will hold office hours on Zoom on Tuesdays from Noon to 1 and Thursdays from 2 PM to 3 PM on Zoom. Students interested in meeting on Zoom should sign up at https://calendly.com/jacobfhsmith. Appointments are 15 minutes and students may sign up for up to two slots per day. Students are welcome to sign up in groups if they have a similar question or if it is a group assignment.
If you have a question about a specific problem, I invite you to come to office hours or post on Ed Discussion. I am willing to answer shorter questions as time permits after class and will try set aside around 10 minutes at the end of class to answer questions. I ask that rather that crowding the front of the room after class that you remain in your seat and raise your hand if you have a question.
Academic Honesty
Academic honesty is of paramount importance in this class, and all work must be done in accordance with the Duke Community Standard, reproduced as follows:
To uphold the Duke Community Standard:
- I will not lie, cheat, or steal in my academic endeavors;
- I will conduct myself honorably in all my endeavors; and
- I will act if the Standard is compromised.
By enrolling in this course, you have agreed to abide by and uphold the provisions of the Duke Community Standard as well as the policies specific to this course. Any violations will automatically result in a grade of 0 on the assignment, be reported to the Office of Student Conduct for further action, and potentially a failing (F) course grade depending on the magnitude of the offense.
Reusing code: Unless explicitly stated otherwise, you may make use of online resources (e.g. StackOverflow) for coding examples on assignments. If you directly use code from an outside source (or use it as inspiration), you must explicitly cite where you obtained the code. Any recycled code that is discovered and is not explicitly cited will be treated as plagiarism.
On individual assignments, you may not directly share code or write up with other students. On team assignments, you may not directly share code or write up with another team. Unauthorized sharing of the code or write up will be considered an honor court violation for all students involved.
Diversity and Inclusion
In this course, we will strive to create a learning environment that is welcoming to all students and that is in alignment with Duke’s Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion. Your suggestions are encouraged and appreciated. Please let me know ways to improve the effectiveness of the course for you personally, or for other students or student groups.
Accessibility
Remote learning is a challenge. If any aspect of the course is not accessible to you due to challenges with technology, format, lack of access to quiet study spaces, time zones, etc, please let me know so we can make accommodations.
If you feel like your performance in class is being impacted by your experiences outside of class, please don't hesitate to come talk with me. If you prefer to speak with someone outside of the course, your academic dean is an excellent resource.
Duke University is committed to providing equal access to students with documented disabilities. Students with disabilities may contact the Student Disability Access Office (SDAO) to ensure your access to this course and to the program. There you can engage in a confidential conversation about the process for requesting reasonable accommodations both in the classroom and in clinical settings. Students are encouraged to register with the SDAO as soon as they begin the program. Note that accommodations are not provided retroactively.
Where to find help
Ed Discussion
If you have a broad question that is likely to be relevant to the entire class, you should begin by posting on Ed Discussion. Either a TA or myself will answer your question.
Office Hours
Many more specific questions are most effectively answered in-person, so office hours are a valuable resource. Please make use of them! A list of instructor and TA office hours can be found on the course website. Office hours are accessed through Zoom links available on Sakai.
Other specific questions can be answered over email; please follow the above communication policy to faciliate the fastest communication.
Other Resources
Academic Resource Center
There are times you may need help with the class that is beyond what can be provided by the teaching team. In those instances, I encourage you to visit the Academic Resource Center (ARC). The ARC offers free services to all students during their undergraduate careers at Duke. Services include learning consultations, peer tutoring and study groups, ADHD/LD Coaching, outreach workshops, and more. Because learning is a process unique to every individual, they work with each student to discover and develop their own academic strategy for success at Duke. Contact the ARC to schedule an appointment. Undergraduates in any year, studying any discipline can benefit.
CAPS
Duke Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS) helps Duke Students enhance strengths and develop abilities to successfully live, grow and learn in their personal and academic lives. CAPS recognizes that we are living in unprecedented times and that the changes, challenges and stressors brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic have impacted everyone, often in ways that are tax our well-being. CAPS offers many services to Duke undergraduate students, including brief individual and group counseling, couples counseling and more. CAPS staff also provides outreach to student groups, particularly programs supportive of at-risk populations, on a wide range of issues impacting them in various aspects of campus life. CAPS provides services to students via Telehealth. To initiate services, you can contact their front desk at (919)660-1000.
DuWell
DuWell is designed to provide students an understanding of what wellness is and how it applies to their lives. Moments of Mindfulness programs teach practical steps that students can use, in order to facilitate the growth of their personal wellness. Available at (919) 681-8421 or duwell@studentaffairs.duke.edu
WellTrack
WellTrack offers a suite of online tools and courses that help you identify, understand and address issues that you are having. Using the variety of tracking and assessment tools and practicing mindfulness can be essential in maintaining your mental health. Available at https://app.welltrack.com/.
DukeReach
DukeReach provides comprehensive outreach services to identify and support students in managing all aspects of their wellbeing. If you have concerns about a student's behavior or health visit the website above for resources and assistance. Available at http://studentaffairs.duke.edu/dukereach.
Blue Devils Care
Blue Devils Care is a convenient and cost-effective way for Duke students to receive 24/7 mental health support through TalkNow. Available at http://bluedevilscare.duke.edu.