Keith Robinson

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Sociology 317M is a general introduction to social research methods.  It is designed to introduce students to the intent and procedures of contemporary research methods.  For instance, we will discuss the factors determining the selection of particular data gathering techniques, their strengths and weaknesses, and the ethical and political issues that researchers may encounter during the research process.  A large part of the course will focus on the various methods used in research and data analysis.    

REQUIRED READINGS

Russell K. Schutt.  Investigating the Social World (5th edition, Pine Forge).  It is available at the Co-op bookstore. 

GRADING

Your overall grade for this course will be based on your performance on three in-class exams, five assignments (one of which is a final research paper), class participation and a presentation based on your final paper.  There will be a total of 250 available points for this course. No extra credit points will be available.

 A = 225-250                        D = 150-174                       

B = 200-224                        F = 149 and below                       

C = 175-199          

Exams                                     

There will be three in-class exams: the first will cover Chapters 1, 3, and 4; the second will cover Chapters 5, 6, and 8; the third will be considered a final exam and will cover Chapters 7, 9, 10, 14.  Exams will not be cumulative. 

POINT BREAKDOWN:

Assign 1= 5

Assign 2 = 20  

Assign 3 = 25

Assign 4 = 35 

Assign 5 (Final Paper) = 55

Exam 1 = 25  

Exam 2 = 35  

Exam 3 (Final) = 40

Participation = 10

Extra Credit = 5, 10 (see below)

Assignment #1: (5 points)

Group activity on validity. 

Assignment #2: Take-Home (20 points)

The focus of this assignment is the development of a preliminary research question for the final paper.  This assignment will be 1.5-2 pages in length double spaced. 

Assignment #3: Sampling (25 points)

 Assignment #4: Take-Home (35 points)

This assignment is meant to further develop your final research paper.  It will involve expanding what you did on assignment #2.  Paper length will be 5 pages. 

Assignment #5: Final Research Paper (55 points)

Students will be required to write a 10-page research paper.  Guidelines for the research paper will be distributed later in the semester.  

PARTICIPATION (10 points)

Participation points are part of the total 250 points.  Participation points have to be earned.  Simply coming to class is not considered participating.  Rather, receiving points is based on the contribution you make to a particular lecture discussion.  Asking questions (excluding ones for clarification), furthering the discussion with relevant points, answering questions posed by classmates or myself are ways to gain participation points. A maximum of 1 point per lecture can be gained through participation.  Only excused absences from lecture that constitute an emergency will allow you to make up points that were lost due to your absence. 

EXTRA CREDIT - PRESENTATIONS (10 points for presenters)

12 students will present an 8-10 minute Powerpoint slide on their research paper.  More details will be given during the course.

EXTRA CREDIT DURING PRESENTATIONS (5 points for non-presenters)

Non-presenters can gain a total of 5 points by contributing to the presentation discussion.  More details will be given in week 11. 

LATE ASSIGNMENTS & LATE RESEARCH PAPER

Will be marked down 5 points for every day the assignment is late unless a valid excuse is provided.  Assignments are officially late if not turned in by the end of the lab session in which they are due.  Late final papers will be accepted, but with a penalty for each day late.  Papers turned in after 3:00pm will be reduced by 5 points. Each day thereafter (a day ends at 3:00pm) will result in an additional 5 point deduction.  Papers that have not been turned in within four days of the due date will count for 0 points.

PLAGIARISM

Do not do it.

Course Description

The goal of this course is to help students develop statistical literacy. The course will examine data analysis, inference; graphical and numerical summaries of numerical and categorical data; correlation and regression; and estimation, confidence intervals, and significance tests. There will be an emphasis social science examples and cases.

The course is divided into three main sections: (1) Descriptive Statistics; (2) Inferential Statistics; and (3) Applied Techniques. Descriptive statistics will allow you to summarize and describe data. Inferential Statistics will allow you to make estimates about a population (e.g., this entire class) based on a sample (e.g., 10 or 12 students in the class). The third section of the course will help you understand and interpret commonly used social science techniques that will help you to understand sociological research.

Texts

James Levin, James Alan Fox, and David R. Forde, Elementary Statistics in Social Research, (11th Edition), Pearson Press, ISBN 978-0-205-57069-0

Grading Policy

Grades: Grading for this class is very straight forward. Final grades are based on students' total point score as determined by performance on exams, problem sets, and class participation. Grades are based on a percentage of 200 points: 1 midterm (35 points) and 1 final exam (65 points); 5 lab assignments (15 points each); and class participation (25 points).

Exams: Exams will be cumulative. Exams are progressively weighted in recognition of the cumulative nature of the course and to allow you a chance to "get your head into the course" before final grades are determined.

Problem Sets: There will be 5 problem sets in the class worth 15 points each. Each assignment will be turned in during lab. No credit will be given for assignments turned in late.

Class Participation: Worth 25 points. TBD

Course grades will be assigned in the following manner based on a 200 point system:
A+ 193-200
A 186-192
A- 180-185
B+ 174-179
B 166-173
B- 160-165
C+ 154-159
C 146-153
C- 140-145
D+ 134-139
D 126-133
D- 120-125
F <120

Attendance and participation is MANDATORY. It is very unlikely that you'll do well or even pass this class if you do not regularly attend (i.e. miss only 1 or 2 class meetings) class. You must attend at least once during the first week of class to guarantee your place in it. If you fail to do so, you may be administratively dropped at the discretion of the course instructor and/or department.

Description:

This seminar will focus on children's academic outcomes within the contexts of poverty, race, and schools in K-12 education.  As part of the effort to understand why some children have higher quality schooling experiences than others, we will assess a number of student groups including, poor children, Latino/as, Asian Americans, and African Americans.  We will also use these contexts to discuss the roles of teachers and parents in affecting children’s academic outcomes, with a primary emphasis placed on their importance in elementary and middle schooling.   Much of the course is based on contemporary readings by scholars in the fields of sociology and education.  Recognizing that schools play an important role in the quality of education individuals receive, this course will devote considerable attention to the dynamics of schools that have both positive and negative implications for student outcomes.  Currently, there are wide differences among schools in the types of classroom experiences schools provide students.   As we will discuss, these differences are linked to the ways in which schools are funded and in the ways in which teachers are distributed across schools. 

Grading and Requirements:

Each student is expected to take part in classroom discussions and also lead the class by presenting a selected set of readings.  Students will be graded on two reaction papers, two exams, and their participation.   

Course Description

The goal of this course is to help students develop statistical literacy. The course will examine data analysis, inference; graphical and numerical summaries of numerical and categorical data; correlation and regression; and estimation, confidence intervals, and significance tests. There will be an emphasis social science examples and cases.

The course is divided into three main sections: (1) Descriptive Statistics; (2) Inferential Statistics; and (3) Applied Techniques. Descriptive statistics will allow you to summarize and describe data. Inferential Statistics will allow you to make estimates about a population (e.g., this entire class) based on a sample (e.g., 10 or 12 students in the class). The third section of the course will help you understand and interpret commonly used social science techniques that will help you to understand sociological research.

Grading Policy

Grades: Grading for this class is very straight forward. Final grades are based on students' total point score as determined by performance on exams, problem sets, and class participation. Grades are based on a percentage of 200 points: 1 midterm (35 points) and 1 final exam (65 points); 5 lab assignments (15 points each); and class participation (25 points).

Exams: Exams will be cumulative. Exams are progressively weighted in recognition of the cumulative nature of the course and to allow you a chance to "get your head into the course" before final grades are determined.

Problem Sets: There will be 5 problem sets in the class worth 15 points each. Each assignment will be turned in during lab. No credit will be given for assignments turned in late.

Class Participation: Worth 25 points. TBD

Course grades will be assigned in the following manner based on a 200 point system:
A+ 193-200
A 186-192
A- 180-185
B+ 174-179
B 166-173
B- 160-165
C+ 154-159
C 146-153
C- 140-145
D+ 134-139
D 126-133
D- 120-125
F <120

Attendance and participation is MANDATORY. It is very unlikely that you'll do well or even pass this class if you do not regularly attend (i.e. miss only 1 or 2 class meetings) class. You must attend at least once during the first week of class to guarantee your place in it. If you fail to do so, you may be administratively dropped at the discretion of the course instructor and/or department.

Texts

James Levin, James Alan Fox, and David R. Forde, Elementary Statistics in Social Research, (11th Edition), Pearson Press, ISBN 978-0-205-57069-0

Course Description

The goal of this course is to help students develop statistical literacy. The course will examine data analysis, inference; graphical and numerical summaries of numerical and categorical data; correlation and regression; and estimation, confidence intervals, and significance tests. There will be an emphasis social science examples and cases.

The course is divided into three main sections: (1) Descriptive Statistics; (2) Inferential Statistics; and (3) Applied Techniques. Descriptive statistics will allow you to summarize and describe data. Inferential Statistics will allow you to make estimates about a population (e.g., this entire class) based on a sample (e.g., 10 or 12 students in the class). The third section of the course will help you understand and interpret commonly used social science techniques that will help you to understand sociological research.

Grading Policy

Grades: Grading for this class is very straight forward. Final grades are based on students' total point score as determined by performance on exams, problem sets, and class participation. Grades are based on a percentage of 200 points: 1 midterm (35 points) and 1 final exam (65 points); 5 lab assignments (15 points each); and class participation (25 points).

Exams: Exams will be cumulative. Exams are progressively weighted in recognition of the cumulative nature of the course and to allow you a chance to "get your head into the course" before final grades are determined.

Problem Sets: There will be 5 problem sets in the class worth 15 points each. Each assignment will be turned in during lab. No credit will be given for assignments turned in late.

Class Participation: Worth 25 points. TBD

Course grades will be assigned in the following manner based on a 200 point system:
A+ 193-200
A 186-192
A- 180-185
B+ 174-179
B 166-173
B- 160-165
C+ 154-159
C 146-153
C- 140-145
D+ 134-139
D 126-133
D- 120-125
F <120

Attendance and participation is MANDATORY. It is very unlikely that you'll do well or even pass this class if you do not regularly attend (i.e. miss only 1 or 2 class meetings) class. You must attend at least once during the first week of class to guarantee your place in it. If you fail to do so, you may be administratively dropped at the discretion of the course instructor and/or department.

Texts

James Levin, James Alan Fox, and David R. Forde, Elementary Statistics in Social Research, (11th Edition), Pearson Press, ISBN 978-0-205-57069-0

Course Description

The goal of this course is to help students develop statistical literacy. The course will examine data analysis, inference; graphical and numerical summaries of numerical and categorical data; correlation and regression; and estimation, confidence intervals, and significance tests. There will be an emphasis social science examples and cases.

The course is divided into three main sections: (1) Descriptive Statistics; (2) Inferential Statistics; and (3) Applied Techniques. Descriptive statistics will allow you to summarize and describe data. Inferential Statistics will allow you to make estimates about a population (e.g., this entire class) based on a sample (e.g., 10 or 12 students in the class). The third section of the course will help you understand and interpret commonly used social science techniques that will help you to understand sociological research.

Grading Policy

Grades: Grading for this class is very straight forward. Final grades are based on students' total point score as determined by performance on exams, problem sets, and class participation. Grades are based on a percentage of 200 points: 1 midterm (35 points) and 1 final exam (65 points); 5 lab assignments (15 points each); and class participation (25 points).

Exams: Exams will be cumulative. Exams are progressively weighted in recognition of the cumulative nature of the course and to allow you a chance to "get your head into the course" before final grades are determined.

Problem Sets: There will be 5 problem sets in the class worth 15 points each. Each assignment will be turned in during lab. No credit will be given for assignments turned in late.

Class Participation: Worth 25 points. TBD

Course grades will be assigned in the following manner based on a 200 point system:
A+ 193-200
A 186-192
A- 180-185
B+ 174-179
B 166-173
B- 160-165
C+ 154-159
C 146-153
C- 140-145
D+ 134-139
D 126-133
D- 120-125
F <120

Attendance and participation is MANDATORY. It is very unlikely that you'll do well or even pass this class if you do not regularly attend (i.e. miss only 1 or 2 class meetings) class. You must attend at least once during the first week of class to guarantee your place in it. If you fail to do so, you may be administratively dropped at the discretion of the course instructor and/or department.

Texts

James Levin, James Alan Fox, and David R. Forde, Elementary Statistics in Social Research, (11th Edition), Pearson Press, ISBN 978-0-205-57069-0

Course Description

The goal of this course is to help students develop statistical literacy. The course will examine data analysis, inference; graphical and numerical summaries of numerical and categorical data; correlation and regression; and estimation, confidence intervals, and significance tests. There will be an emphasis social science examples and cases.

The course is divided into three main sections: (1) Descriptive Statistics; (2) Inferential Statistics; and (3) Applied Techniques. Descriptive statistics will allow you to summarize and describe data. Inferential Statistics will allow you to make estimates about a population (e.g., this entire class) based on a sample (e.g., 10 or 12 students in the class). The third section of the course will help you understand and interpret commonly used social science techniques that will help you to understand sociological research.

Grading Policy

Grades: Grading for this class is very straight forward. Final grades are based on students' total point score as determined by performance on exams, problem sets, and class participation. Grades are based on a percentage of 200 points: 1 midterm (35 points) and 1 final exam (65 points); 5 lab assignments (15 points each); and class participation (25 points).

Exams: Exams will be cumulative. Exams are progressively weighted in recognition of the cumulative nature of the course and to allow you a chance to "get your head into the course" before final grades are determined.

Problem Sets: There will be 5 problem sets in the class worth 15 points each. Each assignment will be turned in during lab. No credit will be given for assignments turned in late.

Class Participation: Worth 25 points. TBD

Course grades will be assigned in the following manner based on a 200 point system:
A+ 193-200
A 186-192
A- 180-185
B+ 174-179
B 166-173
B- 160-165
C+ 154-159
C 146-153
C- 140-145
D+ 134-139
D 126-133
D- 120-125
F <120

Attendance and participation is MANDATORY. It is very unlikely that you'll do well or even pass this class if you do not regularly attend (i.e. miss only 1 or 2 class meetings) class. You must attend at least once during the first week of class to guarantee your place in it. If you fail to do so, you may be administratively dropped at the discretion of the course instructor and/or department.

Texts

James Levin, James Alan Fox, and David R. Forde, Elementary Statistics in Social Research, (11th Edition), Pearson Press, ISBN 978-0-205-57069-0

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Sociology 317M is a general introduction to social research methods.  It is designed to introduce students to the intent and procedures of contemporary research methods.  For instance, we will discuss the factors determining the selection of particular data gathering techniques, their strengths and weaknesses, and the ethical and political issues that researchers may encounter during the research process.  A large part of the course will focus on the various methods used in research and data analysis.    

REQUIRED READINGS

Russell K. Schutt.  Investigating the Social World (5th edition, Pine Forge).  It is available at the Co-op bookstore. 

GRADING

Your overall grade for this course will be based on your performance on three in-class exams, five assignments (one of which is a final research paper), class participation and a presentation based on your final paper.  There will be a total of 250 available points for this course. No extra credit points will be available.

 A = 225-250                        D = 150-174                       

B = 200-224                        F = 149 and below                       

C = 175-199          

Exams                                     

There will be three in-class exams: the first will cover Chapters 1, 3, and 4; the second will cover Chapters 5, 6, and 8; the third will be considered a final exam and will cover Chapters 7, 9, 10, 14.  Exams will not be cumulative. 

POINT BREAKDOWN:

Assign 1= 5

Assign 2 = 20  

Assign 3 = 25

Assign 4 = 35 

Assign 5 (Final Paper) = 55

Exam 1 = 25  

Exam 2 = 35  

Exam 3 (Final) = 40

Participation = 10

Extra Credit = 5, 10 (see below)

Assignment #1: (5 points)

Group activity on validity. 

Assignment #2: Take-Home (20 points)

The focus of this assignment is the development of a preliminary research question for the final paper.  This assignment will be 1.5-2 pages in length double spaced. 

Assignment #3: Sampling (25 points)

 Assignment #4: Take-Home (35 points)

This assignment is meant to further develop your final research paper.  It will involve expanding what you did on assignment #2.  Paper length will be 5 pages. 

Assignment #5: Final Research Paper (55 points)

Students will be required to write a 10-page research paper.  Guidelines for the research paper will be distributed later in the semester.  

PARTICIPATION (10 points)

Participation points are part of the total 250 points.  Participation points have to be earned.  Simply coming to class is not considered participating.  Rather, receiving points is based on the contribution you make to a particular lecture discussion.  Asking questions (excluding ones for clarification), furthering the discussion with relevant points, answering questions posed by classmates or myself are ways to gain participation points. A maximum of 1 point per lecture can be gained through participation.  Only excused absences from lecture that constitute an emergency will allow you to make up points that were lost due to your absence. 

EXTRA CREDIT - PRESENTATIONS (10 points for presenters)

12 students will present an 8-10 minute Powerpoint slide on their research paper.  More details will be given during the course.

EXTRA CREDIT DURING PRESENTATIONS (5 points for non-presenters)

Non-presenters can gain a total of 5 points by contributing to the presentation discussion.  More details will be given in week 11. 

LATE ASSIGNMENTS & LATE RESEARCH PAPER

Will be marked down 5 points for every day the assignment is late unless a valid excuse is provided.  Assignments are officially late if not turned in by the end of the lab session in which they are due.  Late final papers will be accepted, but with a penalty for each day late.  Papers turned in after 3:00pm will be reduced by 5 points. Each day thereafter (a day ends at 3:00pm) will result in an additional 5 point deduction.  Papers that have not been turned in within four days of the due date will count for 0 points.

PLAGIARISM

Do not do it.

Description:

This seminar will focus on children's academic outcomes within the contexts of poverty, race, and schools in K-12 education.  As part of the effort to understand why some children have higher quality schooling experiences than others, we will assess a number of student groups including, poor children, Latino/as, Asian Americans, and African Americans.  We will also use these contexts to discuss the roles of teachers and parents in affecting children’s academic outcomes, with a primary emphasis placed on their importance in elementary and middle schooling.   Much of the course is based on contemporary readings by scholars in the fields of sociology and education.  Recognizing that schools play an important role in the quality of education individuals receive, this course will devote considerable attention to the dynamics of schools that have both positive and negative implications for student outcomes.  Currently, there are wide differences among schools in the types of classroom experiences schools provide students.   As we will discuss, these differences are linked to the ways in which schools are funded and in the ways in which teachers are distributed across schools. 

Grading and Requirements:

Each student is expected to take part in classroom discussions and also lead the class by presenting a selected set of readings.  Students will be graded on two reaction papers, two exams, and their participation.   

Course Description

The goal of this course is to help students develop statistical literacy. The course will examine data analysis, inference; graphical and numerical summaries of numerical and categorical data; correlation and regression; and estimation, confidence intervals, and significance tests. There will be an emphasis social science examples and cases.

The course is divided into three main sections: (1) Descriptive Statistics; (2) Inferential Statistics; and (3) Applied Techniques. Descriptive statistics will allow you to summarize and describe data. Inferential Statistics will allow you to make estimates about a population (e.g., this entire class) based on a sample (e.g., 10 or 12 students in the class). The third section of the course will help you understand and interpret commonly used social science techniques that will help you to understand sociological research.

Grading Policy

Grades: Grading for this class is very straight forward. Final grades are based on students' total point score as determined by performance on exams, problem sets, and class participation. Grades are based on a percentage of 200 points: 1 midterm (35 points) and 1 final exam (65 points); 5 lab assignments (15 points each); and class participation (25 points).

Exams: Exams will be cumulative. Exams are progressively weighted in recognition of the cumulative nature of the course and to allow you a chance to "get your head into the course" before final grades are determined.

Problem Sets: There will be 5 problem sets in the class worth 15 points each. Each assignment will be turned in during lab. No credit will be given for assignments turned in late.

Class Participation: Worth 25 points. TBD

Course grades will be assigned in the following manner based on a 200 point system:
A+ 193-200
A 186-192
A- 180-185
B+ 174-179
B 166-173
B- 160-165
C+ 154-159
C 146-153
C- 140-145
D+ 134-139
D 126-133
D- 120-125
F <120

Attendance and participation is MANDATORY. It is very unlikely that you'll do well or even pass this class if you do not regularly attend (i.e. miss only 1 or 2 class meetings) class. You must attend at least once during the first week of class to guarantee your place in it. If you fail to do so, you may be administratively dropped at the discretion of the course instructor and/or department.

Texts

James Levin, James Alan Fox, and David R. Forde, Elementary Statistics in Social Research, (11th Edition), Pearson Press, ISBN 978-0-205-57069-0

Course Description

The goal of this course is to help students develop statistical literacy. The course will examine data analysis, inference; graphical and numerical summaries of numerical and categorical data; correlation and regression; and estimation, confidence intervals, and significance tests. There will be an emphasis social science examples and cases.

The course is divided into three main sections: (1) Descriptive Statistics; (2) Inferential Statistics; and (3) Applied Techniques. Descriptive statistics will allow you to summarize and describe data. Inferential Statistics will allow you to make estimates about a population (e.g., this entire class) based on a sample (e.g., 10 or 12 students in the class). The third section of the course will help you understand and interpret commonly used social science techniques that will help you to understand sociological research.

Grading Policy

Grades: Grading for this class is very straight forward. Final grades are based on students' total point score as determined by performance on exams, problem sets, and class participation. Grades are based on a percentage of 200 points: 1 midterm (35 points) and 1 final exam (65 points); 5 lab assignments (15 points each); and class participation (25 points).

Exams: Exams will be cumulative. Exams are progressively weighted in recognition of the cumulative nature of the course and to allow you a chance to "get your head into the course" before final grades are determined.

Problem Sets: There will be 5 problem sets in the class worth 15 points each. Each assignment will be turned in during lab. No credit will be given for assignments turned in late.

Class Participation: Worth 25 points. TBD

Course grades will be assigned in the following manner based on a 200 point system:
A+ 193-200
A 186-192
A- 180-185
B+ 174-179
B 166-173
B- 160-165
C+ 154-159
C 146-153
C- 140-145
D+ 134-139
D 126-133
D- 120-125
F <120

Attendance and participation is MANDATORY. It is very unlikely that you'll do well or even pass this class if you do not regularly attend (i.e. miss only 1 or 2 class meetings) class. You must attend at least once during the first week of class to guarantee your place in it. If you fail to do so, you may be administratively dropped at the discretion of the course instructor and/or department.

Texts

James Levin, James Alan Fox, and David R. Forde, Elementary Statistics in Social Research, (11th Edition), Pearson Press, ISBN 978-0-205-57069-0