Special Topics in Plant Biology and Conservation (470-0-2)

Topic

Intro to Data Science & Visualization for Ecologis

Instructors

Gordon Smith

Meeting Info

Technological Institute LG52: Mon, Wed 2:00PM - 3:50PM

Overview of class

In this course we will explore the fundamentals and best practices in data science using the open-source tool R, building a foundation in the necessary coding and statistical analysis skills required to examine data of all types. While this class is designed to serve as an introduction to these topics for biologists and environmental scientists, the foundations and applications taught are intended to be relevant to students with more experience as well. Class activities will include a mix of lectures, hands-on coding assignments, and independent projects using data applicable to students' interests.

Learning Objectives

After participating in this course, you will be able to:

Explore, manage, and wrangle data of different structures using the R programming language

Select, apply and interpret appropriate statistical tests to answer environmental questions

Display statistical results using data visualization best practices and communicate these results to scientific audiences

Evaluation Method

Class grades will be based on the following major components:

Class participation - 10%

Skills checks - 20%

Assignments - 40%

Final project - 30%

Class Materials (Required)

On Canvas. If you don't have access to this Canvas site or are having trouble with it, let me know as soon as you can! There is no required text for this class.