Stat 150 - Project 1

Human Development Trends

 

Working with a (randomly assigned) partner, you are to use the gapminder software to analyze questions of your choosing about how the world has changed over the past several decades.

 

You are to work with two different pairs of variables, among the dozens that are available with gapminder, different from the pairs that you analyze in class on Monday and Tuesday, October 5 and 6.  You might play around with many pairs before you decide on two pairs that reveal interesting findings.  You are to let your professors know of your choices for these pairs of variables by email (arossman@calpoly.edu, jdoi@calpoly.edu) before noon on Friday, October 9.

 

For each pair of variables:

·        Explain why you chose your variables and what you were expecting to see or what you found interesting about them.  In particular, pose some questions specific to these variables that you plan to investigate.  (Examples might be “Has internet use expanded more rapidly in Europe than in Africa?” or “Has internet use grown more quickly since the 1990s than phone use?”) 

·        Describe the association between the variables as of now (the most recent year available).  Be sure to also describe tendencies with regard to geographic region.

·        Describe the association between the variables as of then (a year of your choosing at least a few decades ago).  Again be sure to describe tendencies with regard to geographic region.

·        Describe how each variable, and the association between them, have changed over the years

·        Focus on the United States and two other countries of interest, describing what makes them interesting and how they have changed over the years.  You can choose different countries of interest for your two different pairs of variables.  At least one of those countries should be chosen because of something interesting that you observe in the data; the other country may be chosen simply because you find the country itself interesting for some reason.

 

This project will culminate in both an oral presentation and a written report. 

 

The oral presentation should concentrate on just one pair of variables.  Both team members should contribute to the presentation, during which one of the instructors can run the software for you.  You will have up to three minutes for the oral presentation and then two minutes to answer questions.  Everyone is expected to ask a question of at least one presentation.  These presentations will take place on Wednesday, October 14.  Be sure to refer to, and adhere to, the advice for oral presentations provided in class.

 

A complete draft of your written report (about both pairs of variables) is due on Tuesday, October 13.  Please bring three copies (which must be word-processed) to class.  We will have a peer review session during class: You will read someone else’s draft and offer constructive suggestions for improvement, while two other students will read your draft and provide helpful feedback on it.  You will then have an opportunity to revise your draft based on their comments, and also from any issues that may arise during your oral presentation.  The final report is due on Monday, October 19. 

 

Your written report should contain these sections:

  • Introduction, in which you explain why you chose your variables and what you were expecting to see
  • Analysis for first pair of variables, addressing the issues described above
  • Analysis for second pair of variables, again addressing the issues described above
  • Conclusion, summarizing what your analyses revealed and what you might be interested in exploring further

Also give your report a descriptive title.  Be sure to refer to, and adhere to, the writing advice from the Raibert article.

 

Also for your written report, you are expected to create screen captures of the software to illustrate your points (most recent year, earliest year, trails for 3 countries). To do so, when you have the image on screen, press the “print screen” button on your keyboard (may read PrtScn or PrntScrn or such). This places the image on your computer’s clipboard. If you then toggle to Word and select paste (Edit > Paste or ctrl-V) this should copy the image.  If you right click on the image and select Format Picture, then under the Picture tab you can crop some unnecessary parts of the image from the top, bottom and/or sides.

 

To summarize the timeline for this project:

  • Monday and Tuesday, October 5 and 6: Learn gapminder software, think about project ideas.
  • Friday, October 9: Inform professors by email of your choices for pairs of variables.
  • Tuesday, October 13: Bring three copies of complete draft to class.
  • Wednesday, October 14: Give oral presentation in class.
  • Monday, October 19: Submit final report.

 

More advice, based on drafts that were presented for peer review, is available here.