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Frequently Asked Questions About SSDAN Census in the Classroom What is SSDAN Census in the Classroom? SSDAN Census in the Classroom provides a way that college
teachers in the social sciences can access US census data, and share data analysis exercises to use in their
courses. The datasets are prepared by the Population Studies Center of the University of Michigan. Data analysis
exercises will continue to be made available via this website by contributing faculty in the
network. For what levels or kinds of courses are SSDAN datasets useful? Our datasets are useful for all levels of social science courses. Our philosophy in producing these datasets is to make data analysis accessible to students as early as possible in the college curriculum. While our datasets and exercises can certainly be used in upper-level statistics or methods courses, we have tailored them to be appropriate for lower-level courses. In fact, we encourage instructors to introduce a data analysis component into early social science courses which have never included one. To make our datasets more accessible, we focus on:
All of the SSDAN census datasets were constructed so that they might be accessed
with StudentCHIP software. This software was selected because of its ease of use, low expense for students, and
appropriateness for straightforward contingency table analyses of census data. What kinds of topics can be explored with SSDAN datasets? A whole range of topics related to American social, economic and geographic
issues. Our datasets are drawn from the US census and include variables such as: race-ethnicity, gender,
immigration status, earnings, education, occupation, cohabitation, full and part-time work, among many others.
Some of our datasets permit the analyses of trends over the census years: 1950, 1960, 1970, 1980, 1990, and 2000. A
larger number of files permit more in-depth analyses of population groups and geographic areas from the 1990 and 2000 U.S. Censuses. How do I obtain SSDAN datasets and exercises? What is the cost? We wish to make examination copies of all of our materials available to any
instructor who requests them for possible use in a course that he/she teaches. Via this website, you can request
a free examination copy of the recently published student workbook,
Investigating Change in American Society. Also, from this website, you can download datasets and exercise modules developed by other
instructors in the network. How can I participate in SSDAN? One of the easiest and most exciting ways to get involved is to work
interactively with the SSDAN staff through our virtual workshop via this world wide website. In doing so, you can
use existing or custom datasets to design your own exercises. You can also download and use exercises and datasets developed by other faculty in the
network. The website is a great way to explore all aspects of SSDAN and link to other relevant internet
resources. How can I get further information? Please contact Dr. William H. Frey, SSDAN Director, Population Studies Center,
University of Michigan, 426 Thompson Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48106. You can also contact SSDAN via email: bill.frey@usa.net or ssdan-staff@umich.edu How is SSDAN Census in the Classroom being supported? SSDAN Census in the Classroom is
being supported by NSF Division of Undergraduate Education. The project provides for the development of course materials at the University of Michigan
Population Studies Center, in collaboration with participating faculty. It builds upon earlier funding from the US Department of Education FIPSE
project (Fund for the Improvement for Post-Secondary Education), the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and the University of Michigan President's
Undergraduate Initiative Fund, which supported the initial development of these materials for Professor Frey's course at the University of
Michigan. |
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