Students will be able to read and report basic frequencies from a large data set, form hypotheses about the relationship between two variables, learn how to introduce and explain the effect of control variables, and describe bivariate and control tables, both orally and in a formal paper.
This exercise is aimed for all college levels and does not assume any prior experience working with data. It is taught in a Sociology of Health class as a vehicle for better understanding disability. It is a lengthy exercise, taking four days, but could be adjusted to be shorter.
In this exercise, students examine difficulty in self-care and independent living by race, sex, poverty, and age. Students will identify independent and dependent variables, form hypotheses about the relationship between two variables, analyze relationships between two variables as presented in bivariate tables, and learn how to introduce and explain the effect of control variables. Students write a paper, drawing from at least one article on disability and describing their results with properly formatted tables. A detailed description of the paper and writing requirements is provided.