Unit information: Convincing stories? Numbers as evidence in the social sciences in 2021/22

Unit name	Convincing stories? Numbers as evidence in the social sciences
Unit code	UNIV10002
Credit points	20
Level of study	C/4
Teaching block(s)	Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12)
Unit director	Dr. Timmerman
Open unit status	Open
Pre-requisites	None
Co-requisites	None
School/department	School of Geographical Sciences
Faculty	Faculty of Science

Description including Unit Aims

Quantitative methods are central to social and scientific research, to business and to industry, and knowledge of them is a transferable skill that is attractive in the jobs market. This innovative unit, sponsored by the British Academy, Economic and Social Research Council and the Higher Education Funding Council for England, offers an introduction to quantitative social science, looking at how numbers are used (and abused) to create "stories" in the media, public policy, and in social and scientific debate. The aim of the unit is to prepare students for the sorts of methods and techniques they will encounter in their own discipline by discussing and debating the ideas and concepts that are used to create evidence in an uncertain world, and upon which decisions are made. The unit will encourage students to engage critically with research and debate in their own subject areas, placing them in a better position to learn quantitative skills. This is not a standard "textbook" class on statistics but a class about how and why numbers are used in society, encouraging students to consider how data may be used in their own research and studies. Students who have little or no interest in quantitative methods, who are anxious about mathematics or who simply want to get a head start in their studies are especially welcome on the unit.

Intended Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this unit, students will:

1. have an appreciation of the wide-ranging use of quantitative methods in social and scientific research, and in social and policy debate;
2. understand the importance of structured form of enquiry to form evidence and knowledge from uncertainty and to help make sense of the real world;
3. be prepared to"talk back" to a statistic and ask critical questions about how it was created and what it represents;
4. have knowledge about ideas and concepts such as sampling, probability, measurement, experimentation, causation, randomness and uncertainty;
5. be better prepared for the sorts of discipline specific methods courses they will encounter in their studies.

Teaching Information

The unit will be taught through a blended combination of online and, if possible, in-person teaching, including

• online resources
• synchronous group workshops, seminars, tutorials and/or office hours
• asynchronous individual activities and guided reading for students to work through at their own pace
• computer practical work; students who either begin or continue their studies in an online mode may be required to complete practical work, or alternative activities, in person, either during the academic year 2020/21 or subsequently, in order to meet the intended learning outcomes for the unit, prepare them for subsequent units or to satisfy accreditation requirements

Assessment Information

Group Project (100%), supplemented with formative lab work and seminars.

It is intended that the group project will be presented on-line and marked by other students (with marking criteria, quality assurance and a means to appeal provided by and overseen by the academic staff) Engagement with classes and seminars/labs is also required and credit will be withheld for non-engagement.

Resources

If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.

If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. UNIV10002).

How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks, independent learning and assessment activity.

See the Faculty workload statement relating to this unit for more information.

Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit. The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. If you have self-certificated your absence from an assessment, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (this is usually in the next assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any extenuating circumstances and operates within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.