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Curricular information is subject to change
What will I learn?
On completion of this module, you should be able to:
1. Identify the key social policy data sources that are available online for Ireland and the EU;
2. Understand what kinds of information those sources contain;
3. Access these sources and locate information within them on particular social policy topics;
4.Extract and download data on these topics;
5. Use Excel spreadsheets to organise the data and present them in graphs and tables;
6. Apply basic descriptive statistics in Excel;
7. Write short descriptive accounts of what the data reveal;
8. Work effectively in groups.
How will I learn?
The course delivery is a mix of lectures and hands-on computer workshops in small groups. Additional videos and step-by-step guides will assist your learning.
The first assignment is a group work to encourage debate, mutual support and effective collaboration.
The key aim of the module is to introduce students to social science data analysis. Throughout the module the main examples are drawn from analysing the labour market which includes unemployment, education level, gender pay gap, occupational segregation, female managers and the effects of Covid-19 on employment levels. With a focus on Ireland all data analysis compares European countries and contextualises Ireland within the European Union.
Student Effort Type | Hours |
---|---|
Lectures | 10 |
Small Group | 2 |
Computer Aided Lab | 6 |
Specified Learning Activities | 45 |
Autonomous Student Learning | 40 |
Total | 103 |
To learn about the power of stats watch this video:
https://www.ted.com/talks/hans_rosling_shows_the_best_stats_you_ve_ever_seen
Description | Timing | Component Scale | % of Final Grade | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Assignment(Including Essay): Individual end-of-term assignment. Students are asked to retrieve data, display it appropriately and analyse their findings in an essay. | n/a | Standard conversion grade scale 40% | No | 70 |
|
Group Work Assignment: Students will retrieve and analyse data in groups of two. This assignment covers basic data analysis and writing skills based on the computer labs. The essay is graded at the group level. | n/a | Standard conversion grade scale 40% | No | 30 |
Resit In | Terminal Exam |
---|---|
Spring | No |
• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment
The mid-term assignment will develop your analytical and writing skills with detailed feedback to improve data analysis. The final assignment asks for a more comprehensive and advanced data analysis and the previous feedback should be considered. In the data analysis workshops oral feedback is provided, but there will be no feedback on the submission of workshop outcomes.
Name | Role |
---|---|
Dr Maria Pierce | Lecturer / Co-Lecturer |