Revision and evaluation of module

If there is anything that you want me to find more material on or explain then please let me know.

Using SPSS II (factor analysis)

Again, using the SPSS file that was supplied for this session think of some other analyses you can do and try to do them.

Using SPSS I (descriptive and inferential)

Using the SPSS file that was supplied think of some other analyses you can do and try to do them.

Item response theory (Mokken scaling)

Try to understand the following terms from item response theory: item response function (also known as the ‘item characteristic curve’); monotone homogeneity; double monotonicity/invariant item ordering.

Factor analysis

Make sure that you know the difference between exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis.

Quantitative analysis II (inferential)

Make sure you know what the following tests are used for: t-test; One-way ANOVA; Pearson’s correlation; Chi-squared test.

Quantitative analysis I (descriptive)

If anything was new to you here or you did not understand it then please take this opportunity to make sure that you do by reading more, searching online or asking your colleagues.

Quantitative design II (surveys)

Take a look at TheBaltimore Longitudinal Study of Ageing and the Lothian Birth Cohorts studies and see what kind of phenomena they are studying and what we are learning from them.

Quantitative design I (experiments)

Find the CONSORT guidance online and familiarise yourself with the various aspects of the checklist and also find a few examples of articles which report clinical trials where the CONSORT guidelines—especially the inclusion of the CONSORT flow diagram—have been followed.

Measurement and prediction II (reliability, validity, sensitivity and specificity)

Look at all of the articles your colleagues have posted and comment on them making sure that you understand all of the main concepts; where you do not understand something try to search the internet for an explanation.

Measurement and prediction I (levels of measurement, sources of error, probability)

Your self-directed learning should be based around anything that was new to you or that you did not understand about the content of this session.  In particular make sure that you understand why a low level of probability is preferable when deciding whether or not the outcome of a study is statistically significant or not.

Introduction to module (aims & objectives, installing SPSS, setting up a blog, aims of the assessment)

Familiarise yourself with the features of blogger such as making an entry, creating hypertext links to material that is online, uploading pictures and inserting video links.  Take a look at a few blogs and see what features you might want to use to make yours readable, informative, interesting and attractive.