Tag: Data Story Session 1CS

Teaching, Learning, and Achievement: Are Course Evaluations Valid Measures of Instructional Quality at the University of Oregon?

Presenter(s): Emily Wu − Economics, Mathematics And Computer Science

Faculty Mentor(s): Bill Harbaugh

Data Story Session 1CS

Research Area: Economics

This study explores the legitimacy of the use of Student Evaluations of Teaching (SETs) as a measure of teaching quality. To do so, we seek to answer two questions surrounding the creation and implications of SETs. Using data from the University of Oregon (UO) we first analyze the influence of a variety of factors commonly hypothesized to bias SET scores. Second,
we investigate the relationship between SET scores and future student achievement. We find that a many of these factors influence SET scores, and that SET scores for a class are not a useful measure for predicting how well students will do in future classes. These findings suggest that SET scores are not a valid measure of teaching quality at the UO.

Visualizing Assault Reports in Seattle, Washington

Presenter(s): Lillie Scarth − Spatial Data Science & Technology, Anthropology

Faculty Mentor(s): Joanna Merson

Data Story Session 1CS

Research Area: Social Science

The Seattle Police Department maintains robust, qualitative, open data on criminal activity in the city. While working with previous versions of these data, high rates of assault and abduction among Asian-American women in Southeastern Seattle were identified. These observations corresponded with investigations inside a sex trafficking ring. The goal is to continue this exploration with the most recent version of these data and explore interactive, animated displays using mapping APIs or R Studio. The intent of this exploration is to recognize and display that safety is an intersectional issue.

The Challenges, Academic Potential, and Personal Power of Qualitative Research

The Challenges, Academic Potential, and Personal Power of Qualitative Research

Gabrielle Aufderheide – Women Gender and Sexuality Studies, Biology

Faculty Mentor(s): Judith Raiskin, Jessica Cronce

Data Story Session 1CS

Research Area: Public Health

I performed qualitative interviews with ten individuals from the HIV Alliance in Eugene, Oregon to investigate how the agency employs the harm reduction philosophy when providing services and how this impacts their clients who inject drugs. The stories interviewees recalled and the vocabulary they used provided insight to their understanding and implementation of harm reduction. I felt unsuccessful at relaying the profundity of information I obtained from the interviews. However, the information greatly impacted how I did interpret my research and influenced my own definition of harm reduction and my overall opinion on harm reduction interventions targeting HIV prevention.