This course will introduce students to the R programming language and RStudio integrated development environment within the context of the aquatic and fishery sciences. Students will learn how to read data files into RStudio, create exploratory plots, manipulate data to prepare for analysis, and write functions. This course also introduces students to best practices for programming in R (e.g., commenting, syntax spacing, code testing, and using R projects). In general, students will use case studies from various fisheries disciplines and focus on critically evaluating data documentation and quality assurance, integrating multiple data sources, and preparing data for statistical analyses.
Kristin Privitera-Johnson
PhD Student, School of Aquatic & Fishery Sciences
Office Hours: TBA, FSH 336
Email: kpjohns@uw.edu
M/W from 11:30 am - 1:20 pm in MGH 044
First class meeting: 09/28/2022
Last class meeting: 11/02/2022
Followed immediately by 10 lectures of FISH 553 Advanced R Programming (requires separate enrollment).
There are no course pre-requisites.
No required textbooks. All readings are provided by the instructor.
I teach this course with the intent to serve students from all backgrounds and perspectives, to address students’ learning needs both in and out of class, and to honor the diversity that students bring to this class as a resource, strength, and benefit. I intend to design and present course materials and activities that are respectful of diversity: gender, sexual orientation, disability, age, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, race, culture, perspective, and other background characteristics. I acknowledge that it is possible that there may be both overt and covert biases in the material due to the lens with which it was written, even though the material is primarily of a scientific nature. Your suggestions about how to improve the value of diversity in this course are encouraged and appreciated. Please let me know (in person or electronically) ways to improve the effectiveness of the course for you personally or for other students or student groups. I will provide opportunities for anonymous feedback throughout the course.
I strive to create a learning environment for my students that supports a diversity of thoughts, perspectives and experiences, and honors your identities. To help accomplish this:
If you have a name/or set of pronouns that differ from those that appear in your official UW records, please let me know at your convenience.
If you feel like your performance in the class is being impacted by your experiences outside of class, please don’t hesitate to come and talk with me. I want to be a resource for you. If you prefer to speak with someone outside of the course, the College of the Environment Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion office, is an excellent resource.
I (like many people) am still in the process of learning about diverse perspectives and identities. If something was said in class (by anyone) that made you feel uncomfortable, please talk to me about it. (Again, anonymous feedback is always an option).
I am dedicated to providing a welcoming and supportive environment for all people, regardless of background, identity, physical appearance, or manner of communication. Any form of language or behavior used to exclude, intimidate, or cause discomfort will not be tolerated. This applies to all course participants (instructor, students, guests). In order to foster a positive and professional learning environment, I encourage the following kinds of behaviors:
Use welcoming and inclusive language
Be respectful of different viewpoints and experiences
Gracefully accept constructive criticism
Show courtesy and respect towards others
Please note: If you believe you have been a victim of an alleged violation of the Student Conduct Code or you are aware of an alleged violation of the Student Conduct Code, you have the right to report it to the University.
Credit/no credit, 2 credits. Credit awarded based on the completion of all assignments.
There are two 1 hour and 50-minute class meetings per week. Lectures are pre-recorded and made available on Canvas before class. Students are expected to watch the lectures before class to prepare for the hands-on in-class exercises and homework problem sets.
There are three graded assignment types:
The lecture swirl exercises are self-guided reviews of the lecture materials and are due before each class meeting. The four homework problem sets are individual assignments (i.e., not group work) and students are expected to submit their own work. There will be dedicated class time to work on the homework problem sets. Module exit slips are an opportunity for students to summarize the main objectives and key points of the module (i.e., the lecture theme), provide and receive feedback, and self-evaluate their learning progress. Exit slips are typically completed during the dedicated class meeting time.
Course credit is awarded based on the completion of all assignments. Students are provided with 2 no-questions-asked two-day extension opportunities: 1 two-day extension for completing a missed pre-recorded lecture viewing/swirl exercise and 1 two-day extension for completing a missed homework problem set. These are not interchangeable nor renewable. Please consider using these opportunities for planned and unplanned life events.
There is a Canvas website that will be used to distribute resources for the course. To access materials on Canvas, you will need your UW NetID and password. A Canvas email list will be used for course notifications. Please check your UW email regularly for course announcements.
This course provides a unique opportunity to practice R programming skills in a low-stakes, hands-on classroom environment. Attendance is expected for every class meeting. This course is designed to maximize your learning of R and advance your skills through a variety of activities. Therefore, my attendance policy is aimed at supporting our educational goals.
Assignments designed to help you prepare for class (e.g., online videos/readings/quizzes/discussions or homework) will not be accepted after the due date and time without prior approval from the instructor (see Assignments section above regarding deadline extensions). Please notify the instructor of anticipated conflicts as early as possible.
Work scheduled to be presented or performed in class (e.g., Poll Everywhere, presentations, leading discussions) will not be accepted after the due date and time.
In-class lab exercises are critical to your learning and your ability to successfully complete the graded assignments.
Excused absences: My attendance policies are flexible only under specific circumstances. Excuses absences are religious holidays, pre-approved professional activities, injury or illness of a student or immediate family member. Brief discussion of these events will be needed and I do not require nor request medical or legal documentation. Notification of anticipated absences must occur as early as possible.
All students deserve access to the full range of learning experiences, and the University of Washington is committed to creating inclusive and accessible learning environments consistent with federal and state laws.
If you have already established accommodations with Disability Resources for Students (DRS), please communicate your approved accommodations to me at your earliest convenience so we can discuss your needs in this course. If you have not yet established services through DRS, but have a temporary health condition or permanent disability that requires accommodations (e.g., mental health, learning, vision, hearing, physical impacts), you are welcome to contact DRS at 206-543-8924 or via email or their website. DRS offers resources and coordinates reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities and/or temporary health conditions. Reasonable accommodations are established through an interactive process between you, your instructor(s) and DRS.
Full participation in this course requires the following types of engagement:
In-class Lab Activities (Remote/Zoom): the ability to attend two 1 hour and 50-minute lecture/lab sections per week with 40 other students; participation in small group discussions during in-class exercises; make short oral presentations that synthesize small group discussions and/or results of the in-class exercises.
Online (via Canvas): the ability to review recorded (with captions) lectures and assigned readings before each class meeting, not to exceed 2 hours of recorded content per week.
Students who expect to miss class or assignments as a consequence of their religious observance will be provided with a reasonable accommodation to fulfill their academic responsibilities. Absence from class for religious reasons does not relieve students from responsibility for the course work required during the period of absence. It is the responsibility of the student to provide the instructor with advance notice of the dates of religious holidays on which they will be absent. Students who are absent will be offered an opportunity to make up the work, without penalty, within a reasonable time, as long as the student has made prior arrangements.
This course will revolve around hands-on computing exercises that demonstrate the topics of interest. For students without access to a personal laptop: it is possible to check out UW laptops for an entire quarter (see the Student Services office for details).
All of the software we will be using is free and platform independent, meaning students may use macOS, Linux, or Windows operating systems. In addition to a web browser, we will be using the free R software and the desktop version of the R Studio integrated development environment (IDE). We will also be using various packages not contained in the base installation of R, but we will wait and install them at the necessary time. The instructor will be available during the first week of class to help students troubleshoot any software installation problems.
Faculty and students at the University of Washington are expected to maintain the highest standards of academic conduct, professional honesty, and personal integrity. Plagiarism, cheating, and other academic misconduct are serious violations of the Student Conduct Code. I have no reason to believe that anyone will violate the Student Conduct Code, but I will have no choice but to refer any suspected violation(s) to the College of the Environment for a Student Conduct Process hearing. Students who have been guilty of a violation will receive zero points for the assignment in question.
We are in the midst of an historic pandemic that is creating a variety of challenges for everyone. If you should feel like you need some help, please consider the following resources available to students.
If you are experiencing a life-threatening emergency, please dial 911.
Crisis
Clinic
Phone: 206-461-3222 or toll-free at 1-866-427-4747
UW
Counseling Center
Phone: 206-543-1240
Immediate
assistance
If you feel unsafe or at-risk in any way while taking any course, contact SafeCampus (206-685-7233) anytime–no matter where you work or study–to anonymously discuss safety and well-being concerns for yourself or others. SafeCampus can provide individualized support, discuss short- and long-term solutions, and connect you with additional resources when requested. For a broader range of resources and assistance see the Husky Health & Well-Being website.
No student should ever have to choose between buying food or textbooks. The UW Food Pantry helps mitigate the social and academic effects of campus food insecurity. They aim to lessen the financial burden of purchasing food by providing students access to shelf-stable groceries, seasonal fresh produce, and hygiene products at no cost. Students can expect to receive 4 to 5 days’ worth of supplemental food support when they visit the Pantry, located on the north side of Poplar Hall at the corner of NE 41st St and Brooklyn Ave NE. Visit the Any Hungry Husky website for additional information, including operating hours and additional food support resources.