AGEC 4213 COURSE SYLLABUS (Fall 2014)
(Note: any changes will be indicated by red font)
Class Objectives
Humans have always sought to understand the world by observation—sometimes for business, sometimes for government, sometimes for pleasure. This has always required recording observations and then using abstract thought (logic, imagination, intuition) to infer the workings of the world. It is a mixing of the abstract and the real.
What makes the modern age different is our heightened ability to record observations through data, and our use of mathematical tools for infering what the data say. The importance of abstract thought has not changed, however. This class is about
- How to use modern computer, IT, and mathematical tools for analyzing data,
- Developing a disciplined capacity for abstract thought in interpreting the data analysis,
- Giving the appearance of (in addition to actually possessing) professional competence.
Class Content
The class is comprised of three articles about how to think about number-crunching and three articles on how to crunch numbers in Excel. All articles are located at the AGEC 4213 homepage. These six articles serve as the class textbook, and you will be tested on the article contents in three examinations.
There will be in-class worksheets and homeworks on the articles, both of which serve as study guides for tests. Some of the worksheets, homeworks, and/or tests will require you to compose brief but well-written emails.
I do not take attendance but the class content is cumulative. Missing class puts you behind, and since we work on computers every class, building upon what we did last class, missing a few classes can get you hopelessly behind. Attendance is not directly penalized because I know it will show up on homework and exam scores. If you only miss occassionally
Gmail address is required of each student
One technology we will learn is Google Drive, which contains text documents, spreadsheets, presentations, forms, and other tools we can share. In time these might replace Microsoft Office, but even if they don't they are already being used throughout the world. Each student is required to have a gmail address with Google, which is free. If you don't have one just see mail.google.com. Once you have your gmail address please tell me the address at this page.
blah blah blah
() How every class begins
- One student stands before the classroom and speaks about why we study quantitative methods. They should describe a use for math, number-crunching, graphing, Excel, or the like, and give some examples.
- Students may select from the content in the chapter (AD.A.2) Why we study quantitative methods or find their own information.
- If students use chapter (AD.A.2), they should choose the first example in the chapter which hasn't been covered thus far. Meaning, the first person discusses (A.1) the second person chooses (A.2), and so on.
Creative Project: Ideas for Using Big Data
The main purpose of this project is to expose you to the newest trend in number-crunching: big data. A second purpose is for you to learn how to design, implement, and upload a PowerPoint presentation to YouTube.
Your assignment is upload a 10-20 minute video presentation on YouTube.com describing how big data could be used to help identify food poisoning outbreaks quickly, and to identify the store where the food was contaminated. There are multiple ways of implementing this; one is to use the free software EZVID to record a video of a PowerPoint presentation (using a microphone for the audio). Then simply upload the video to YouTube.com. I won't help you much with this, because I know you can figure out how to do it on your own, and I want you to gain confidence in your ability to learn new technologies on your own.
Pretend that you work for Norwood Consulting, and that I am the CEO. One of your bosses asks you to look into ways "big data" can be used to control food poisoning outbreaks. As a consultant, you are seeking statistical tools that you can sell to clients that are food processors. For example, you might sell a service to Cargill Beef where you seek to locate outbreaks of food poisoning from Cargill ground beef products. If the product helps Cargill stop outbreaks before they get too big, and allows them to voluntary recall meat products before the USDA orders them to, it would enhance Cargill's reputation. Your job, then, is to find ways to use big data to produce services that Cargill is willing to pay for. That is just an example.
The presentation is to me, not a client. What you are trying to do is give me, your CEO, good ideas about new products involving big data in the food sector. Assume the CEO, someone you have never met and may never meet, will view your presentation. Do not feel obligated to focus solely on food safety. If, along the way in your research, you come up with other services using big data that Norwood Consulting might be able to sell to clients, please share it. Even if it has nothing to do with agriculture or food. The CEO of Norwood Consulting only cares about making more money, and cares little on how the money is made (so long as it is within the law and acceptable norms).
That is all I will tell you. It is important that you learn how to complete vague assignments. A business hires a college graduate because they believe graduates should be able to work without strict supervision and can figure out most of what they need to do without being told. A business expects you to use your knowledge, talents, and passions in autonomous settings. You must learn to impress people without being asked, or told how to impress.
How will I grade you? I will simply view your presentation and grade you based on how well you understand the concept of big data, how it can be used, the ideas you generate, and the presentation. Obviously, if the CEO will view your presentation on YouTube, it should be polished, interesting, indicative of hard work and intellect, free of any grammatical or technological errors. Just one misspelled word in your presentation will cast doubt over you and your ideas.
Grading
Homeworks (10% total)—Some homeworks will be given online using Google forms, some will require the creation of graphs and Excel work, and some will require writing. Some homeworks will be weighted more than others, depending on the amount of work they require. Late homeworks are penalized 15 percentage points they are late (excluding Saturdays and Sundays). You may drop two homeworks.
Three Exams (20% each; 60% total)—One exam includes the final which is not deliberately cumulative but requires you to build upon tools you learn earlier in class.
Online presentation (20%)—See above. The online presentation will be penalized 10 percentage points for each day it is late (including weekends).
Appearance of professional competence (10% total)—This is based on my impression of your dedication to the class, manners, rhetoric, emails, and the like. This is purely subjective, so you must learn to expect how other people judge you in interactions.
