A.1 Course philosophy

Every course is different! And if you haven’t taken a 300-level elective before – or a course with me before – this one might be even more different. So things might not always look like what you’re used to, and I want to take a moment to talk about why they look the way they do.

I intend this course to be:

Come to think of it, this is a pretty good list of philosophies for applied statistics, too.

1. Ethical
2. Interesting
3. Flexible
4. Applicable
5. Feasible

Incidentally, I really enjoy talking about teaching and learning. So if you’re ever wondering why something is the way it is, I am super happy to chat with you about it!

Every choice I’ve made about the design and content of this course is motivated by these points. Sometimes they align nicely (like “interesting” and “applicable,” at least most of the time!). Sometimes they’re in conflict: for example, a completely flexible course isn’t feasible for me to lead, and some kinds of flexibility would interfere with equity or inclusivity, violating philosophy #1.

One particular result of this is that the flexibility in this course is largely “baked in” to the overall course structure. This is an equity thing: not everyone is equally comfortable asking for exceptions – for a variety of reasons – and so it is my goal that, as much as possible, you don’t need to ask. The exception I would give you is already there, plainly on the table, for everyone who needs it, whatever the reason. Tough day meant you couldn’t do your best on an Assessment, or you had to miss one? Don’t worry, you have a chance to try again the next week. Big Econ midterm meant you couldn’t finish the practice problems on time? No problem, you can make up the engagement credit with Topic Conversation posts. When things get tough or go wrong (and they do, at some point, for almost everyone!), these accommodations are there for you – no questions asked. You may never need them, but if you ever do, there they are.

Real Talk: I’ve done, and am doing, my best to balance all of my goals, both practical and philosophical. That said, this course isn’t perfect – and what’s perfect in one semester may not be in another semester. I want to encourage you to be open with me about what’s working well for you, what’s challenging or confusing, and what you think could be changed. Sometimes things can’t be changed, because that would end up creating another problem, but it’s still valuable for me to know what you think – and we can talk about ways to make the current situation work better for you. I want you to succeed in this course (whatever success means for you!), and I am here to help you make that happen.