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EV5804: ECOLOGICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL DATA ANALYSIS USING R (2024-2025)

Last modified: 4 Days, 9 Hours, 25 Minutes ago


Course Overview

This course is uniquely tailored for environmental scientists and ecologists and will provide students with the required background theory and practical skills relevant to modern science. Our example-led lectures and real-world based practical sessions will provide you with a foundation to become confident and proficient in analysing real data. Throughout this course, we will introduce you to using the programming language R to implement modern statistical modelling techniques. You will use the flexible linear and generalised linear modelling frameworks to analyse environmental and ecological data with an emphasis on robust and reproducible statistical methods.

Course Details

Study Type Postgraduate Level 5
Session Second Sub Session Credit Points 15 credits (7.5 ECTS credits)
Campus Aberdeen Sustained Study No
Co-ordinators
  • Dr A Douglas

What courses & programmes must have been taken before this course?

What other courses must be taken with this course?

None.

What courses cannot be taken with this course?

None.

Are there a limited number of places available?

No

Course Description

This course will be divided into two themed weeks during which you will gain a foundational understanding of statistical theory through example-led lectures and practical skills by completing computer-based exercises.

Week 1: An Introduction to R. Three days of structured lessons will allow you to learn to use R in your own way and at your own pace. You will learn how to conduct basic operations in R and R Studio, how to import and manipulate dataframes, how to visualise data and then to run basic statistics in R. At the end of the week you will have a MyAberdeen based assessment on statistical inference and R.

Week 2: Linear Modelling using R. In this week you learn about the theory and practice of fitting simple linear models in R, how to validate and interpret linear models, how to extend the linear modelling framework and apply it to more complex models and data. You will also learn how to compare different plausible models and select the most informative model. The first four days of the week you work through structured lessons and on the fifth day you complete the second assessment.

The second assessment for the course is a MyAberdeen based assessment on linear models with a single continuous variable.


Contact Teaching Time

Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.

Teaching Breakdown

More Information about Week Numbers


Details, including assessments, may be subject to change until 30 August 2024 for 1st half-session courses and 20 December 2024 for 2nd half-session courses.

Summative Assessments

MyAberdeen based test on linear modelling

Assessment Type Summative Weighting 70
Assessment Weeks 37 Feedback Weeks 38

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Feedback

120-minute Myaberdeen based test.

Written and verbal feedback will be provided individually.

Learning Outcomes
Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
ConceptualApplyUnderstand the theory of linear modelling and how to apply this theory to fit models to biological and ecological data using R.
ConceptualEvaluateBe able to critically evaluate linear models through model validation and also interpret model output in a biological context.
ConceptualUnderstandHave an appreciation and working knowledge of how to conduct your data analysis in a robust and reproducible way.
ProceduralUnderstandHave a good understanding and working knowledge of using R.

MyAberdeen based test on inference and R

Assessment Type Summative Weighting 30
Assessment Weeks 35 Feedback Weeks 36

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Feedback

90-minute MyAberdeen based test.

Written feedback will be provided for each question.

Learning Outcomes
Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
ConceptualUnderstandHave an appreciation and working knowledge of how to conduct your data analysis in a robust and reproducible way.
ConceptualUnderstandUnderstand how we can ask questions in science and specifically how we can apply statistical inference to estimate population parameters.
ProceduralApplyBe able to visualise and explore biological and ecological data using appropriate graphs and summary tables using R.

Formative Assessment

There are no assessments for this course.

Resit Assessments

Resit of failed component(s) of the assessment

Assessment Type Summative Weighting
Assessment Weeks Feedback Weeks

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Feedback

Any components that were previously passed will be carried forward.

Learning Outcomes
Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
Sorry, we don't have this information available just now. Please check the course guide on MyAberdeen or with the Course Coordinator

Course Learning Outcomes

Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
ConceptualUnderstandUnderstand how we can ask questions in science and specifically how we can apply statistical inference to estimate population parameters.
ProceduralApplyBe able to visualise and explore biological and ecological data using appropriate graphs and summary tables using R.
ConceptualApplyUnderstand the theory of linear modelling and how to apply this theory to fit models to biological and ecological data using R.
ConceptualEvaluateBe able to critically evaluate linear models through model validation and also interpret model output in a biological context.
ProceduralUnderstandHave a good understanding and working knowledge of using R.
ConceptualUnderstandHave an appreciation and working knowledge of how to conduct your data analysis in a robust and reproducible way.

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