University of Wisconsin-Madison
Introduction to how quantitative inference is used in education policy. Focuses on the use of quantitative reasoning as a tool to analyze and interpret data. Activities support understanding the basics of generating and interpreting data in both visual and numerical form. Includes a practical component that provides opportunities to practice interpreting and writing about data.
This introductory course helps students learn how quantitative inference is used in education policy. The course focuses on the use of quantitative reasoning as a tool to analyze and interpret data. Course activities support understanding the basics of generating and interpreting data in both visual and numerical form. The course includes a practical component that provides opportunities for students to practice interpreting and writing about data. The use of statistics and quantitative inference is not specific to educational research. Quantitative analysis is used regularly across the natural, social, and behavioral sciences. Learning statistics and using quantitative information will give tools that go beyond basic mathematical calculations. This course will provide a means for summarizing and describing complex information, a structure for reasoning under uncertainty, and can help you develop a systematic understanding of the role of randomness and chance in a wide range of phenomena.
Teaching Evaluations from Students and Professor
"I liked how Beto was engaging and immersive during their lecture. They made sure to ask questions throughout to keep the students engaged. "
"Beto was very prepared and stopped and explained more when he could sense that the class might be confused on a particular concept being taught."
"What truly stood out was Beto’s ability to explain complex statistical concepts in accessible and engaging ways. He carefully walked students through the logic and structure of confidence intervals, emphasizing the interpretation of confidence levels, the trade-off between confidence and precision, and the importance of understanding statistical inference in real-world educational research."