AD2DAS: Data Skills

Module code: AD2DAS

Module provider: School of Agriculture, Policy and Development

Credits: 20

Level: Level 2 (Intermediate)

When you'll be taught: Semester 1 / 2

Module convenor: Dr Alice Haughan, email: a.haughan2@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students: Yes

Talis reading list: Yes

Last updated: 20 May 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

This module covers the principles of experimental design, data management and visualisation and common statistical methods for analysing datasets. It aims to provide students with the ability to collect data in a rigorous way, process that data, analyse and interpret it and communicate the results. 

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to: 

1. Design a simple experiment or survey to collect primary data and record the data in a way that can be analysed. 
2. Conduct a range of statistical analyses with standard software and interpret the results in a context similar to the student’s main area of study.  
3. Gain an understanding of statistical tests commonly used in environmental and social science. 
4. Present data effectively in figures and tables suitable for reports and showing the variability in the data, for example using boxplots and similar, scatterplots 
5. Report the method and results of a statistical analysis concisely whilst providing all key information. 

Module content

The module will cover data collection using designed experiments and simple questionnaires, data management in Excel, data visualisation and analysis using a common statistical software package and reporting results. 

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

Teaching will be delivered in a series of lectures covering the theory and weekly practical workshops in a computer laboratory where students will learn to apply data skills. A coursework project in which students collect and analyse data then report the results will consolidate skills. 

Study hours

At least 44 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 40% to pass this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Reporting results formative assessment – students submit a short write up on a data set analysed in class to get feedback on their writing style. 

Reassessment

Additional costs