Assignments

Data Diaries

I'll provide a new topic every week. Excerpts/screenshots/tidbits will be uploaded to Slack.

  • Week 1: Quantified Self
  • Week 2: Social Network Analysis
  • Week 3: Data Privacy & The US Census
  • Week 4: Text Analysis & More
  • Week 5: Brain Break + Organization

I want you to start keeping a data diary. Gather data and write for 15 minutes, for as many days per week as you can, aiming for a minimum of three. I will provide topics/jumping-off points each week, but feel free to diverge from these as needed. You can write by hand on scraps of paper, or a book, or you can type into a document on your computer or tablet or phone. It doesn’t matter what medium you choose, just that you observe and write and collect data. If you have more to gather or say on any given day, you can, of course write for longer! (I've adapted the timing and some structural suggestions from Dr. Andrea Kaston Tange).

New Final Project- 10%

Steps to completing your final project.

  • Meet in your pairs or trios over Zoom or phone by Sunday, April 26th and talk through these questions: https://docs.google.com/document/d/12YjKGyK6iz6024QWjBvjiQsTwKPYfwtL5Vvzbak9KRA/edit.
  • Email me by Sunday, April 26th with a description of what you think your final project might look like/how you are approaching it and whatever questions/concerns/thoughts you may have.
  • Also by Sunday, April 26th, post the following to this Slack channel. Please take one of the visualizations you've created for your data diaries thus far and write a short label (100 words or less) telling us what we are looking at, what it is about, and why it is significant.
  • By Sunday, May 3rd, post one of the images from your final project to the same Slack channel. This is the image that I will pull up for Monday's class when you...
  • Will talk in class on Monday, May 4th at 1:10pm CT about your data diaries and the images you've selected to show. Since there are 15 of us we can only do about 2-3 minutes per person. This isn't a formal presentation, but a chance to tell us what you've been doing and what you did or didn't learn from the visualization you show.
  • By Friday, May 8th, email me a 3-page reflection on the data diaries you kept. Please interweave descriptions of the visualizations you created and what you did or didn't learn from the process. Were there certain topics that were particularly interesting? Why?
  • Also by Friday, May 8th, email me those 3 visualizations that you've selected from your data diaries (or other iterations of them or inspired by them). These can be turned in as three JPGs, or a PDF, a URL to a blog, or whatever suits best. I know a couple of you prefer writing with pen and paper while others have been blogging throughout this time...so really whatever format transfers most easily for you.

More information on what you'll turn in on May 8th:

  1. You will be writing a final reflection (3 pages single-spaced or 1,500 words) , including a story about the data diaries you are keeping for the remainder of the term and explanation of how you chose, found and organized the data. What was this process like? Was it helpful as you experienced sheltering in place or quarantine?
  2. 3 visualizations of data you've gathered since Spring Break. These could be a drawing of the social network you've maintained over this time, a Tableau map of the places where your friends and family are sheltering in place, a bar chart reflecting the number of hours you did XYZ activity in a week, a visualization of your movement that is reminiscent of the cell phone pings tracked in this story about data privacy (https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/12/19/opinion/location-tracking-cell-phone.html), etc., etc.
  3. Your visualizations can be shared with me as a PowerPoint, a Google Site, a brief iMovie project, a PDF, or whatever sounds most feasible AND fruitful/interesting for you.

As I stated in the "Data Diary" prompt, you do not have to submit anything that you feel is too personal and you will not be submitting all the notes/diary entries you record. This will be a reflection and exercise in gathering, analyzing, and summarizing of your experiences over the next few weeks.

Archive

Blog Posts

For each blog post assignment, please write:

    • approximately 400 words (about 3 paragraphs) due by class on the days indicated.

Personal Data Postcard

Due date: February 19th in class

  • Physical postcard
  • Reflection in class

Final Project

February 26- Interest Survey (5%)

March 13- Project Charter & 5 Preliminary Research Questions (10%)

Attendance & Participation

Attendance is mandatory for this class. You are allowed two unexcused absences. While every class is important, it will be particularly hard to catch up after missing a lab session.

Please come to class prepared to discuss the readings that are due that day and, when applicable, having explored the data sets/projects/tools. This is an inclusive classroom built on mutual respect, civility, and the ability to listen to others.