Extra Credit Opportunities
October 11, 2013
In class on Thursday I offered two Extra Credit opportunities. I assigned them on a first-hand-in-the-air basis but it looks like a lot of students were interested. Please comment below if you would like to be considered for future “one-off” extra credit assignments. The assignment will be graded (generously – full credit unless you do a poor job) and replace your lowest exercise score.
Also, I have an opportunity available to everyone who would like to earn extra credit. This will involve downloading, learning and using free, open source statistical computing software. Here are the eligible software packages:
- PSPP – http://www.gnu.org/software/pspp/pspp.html
- SOFA – http://www.sofastatistics.com/
- Statistical Lab – http://www.statistiklabor.de/en/index.html
Here’s how it will work.
- Choose one of the software packages listed above; download and install the software.
- Become familiar with the software and use it to analyze the Pueblo Property data.
- Use the software to compute summary descriptive statistics, make graphics (e.g., histograms, scatter plots), run correlation analysis, generate bivariate and multiple regression models with the Pueblo Property data.
- Make a “Pros and Cons” list comparing your chosen software package with Excel and the Data Analysis ToolPak.
- Demonstrate what you’ve learned by having a brief meeting with me where we sit down in front of a computer for 5-10 minutes (you must provide the computer – if you don’t have a laptop check with campus IT to see if they have any equipment that can be borrowed or used for this activity) and you walk me through an analysis while I watch and ask questions.
For successful completion of the steps above, you can choose one (and only one) from the following extra credit award options.
- Drop your lowest 3 Exercise scores and replace them with 3 perfect (100%) scores.
- Drop your lowest 3 Quiz scores and replace them with 3 perfect (100%) scores.
- Add 10% to your lowest exam score.
- Add 15% to your term project grade.
BONUS: If you do all 5 steps above successfully you have the option to make a brief (5-10 min) presentation during class. Upon successful completion of the in-class presentation then, in addition to one of the selections above, I will boost your overall grade by 1%, 2%, 3%, 4% or 5% depending on the quality of the presentation.
Note that this extra credit assignment won’t be easy, requiring a fair amount of effort (although some of the effort will overlap with the term project). Furthermore, I won’t be available to provide extensive assistance. This is an independent study extra credit project. Students may work together on this but every individual will need to make their own presentation and answer questions without assistance from other students. If a student attempts to earn extra credit but hasn’t put in the effort to learn the software and analyze the property data I will probably find out during questions. In that case you may not earn any extra credit at all.
