BIOL 202 Data: the Good, the Bad, and the Misleading

In this course, students will learn about common types of miscommunication and misunderstandings associated with visual representation of data and about best practices for data visualization. Through a series of case studies, students will critically evaluate relevant data, the format of its presentation, and the impact the method of presentation has on the reader. Specifically, through critical analysis of the format of the graphs, figures, and tables students will determine whether the chosen methods enable straightforward, independent analysis or push the reader to accept the author's conclusions. Students will reformat the presentation of the data to determine whether other representations would reveal / support different conclusions. In a final project, students will use and build up on previous knowledge to analyze data to related to a global, national, or policy decision. [STSC]

Cross Listed Courses

CE 202

Prerequisite

Any 100-level lab-based course in the natural sciences

Instructor

Caslake, Roth