Quantitative Analysis

Level of Study

Bachelor

Teaching semester

Spring

Objectives and Content

The aim of the course is to introduce the main techniques of quantitative analysis employed by both physical- and human geographers, and to enable the students to use computer software in the analysis of quantitative data.

Content

The course will cover methods that are commonly applied when analyzing quantitative data in geography. This includes descriptive statistics, probability distributions, hypothesis testing, correlation- and regression analysis, and an introduction to multivariate analysis.

Learning Outcomes

A student who has completed the course should have the following learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence:

Knowledge

The student

• knows what quantitative data are, how they are collected, and how they can be applied
• has adequate knowledge about descriptive statistics
• possesses an overview of methods used to investigate the relationship between different types of variables and datasets
• has basic knowledge about multivariate analysis

Skills

The student

• knows how to present data graphically
• can perform basic quantitative analysis using a relevant statistical software
• can perform basic hypothesis testing
• knows how to assess the significance of results from statistical analyses

General competence

The student

• is familiar with the basic terms related to statistics and quantitative analysis
• is able to do an assessment of which statistical methods are most suitable for analyzing different types of data

Required Previous Knowledge

None

Credit Reduction due to Course Overlap

None

Access to the Course

The course is open for students at UiB.

Teaching and learning methods

• One 2-hour lecture a week, in total 5-6 lectures.
• One 2-hour data lab/seminar a week, in total 3-5 data labs/seminars.

Compulsory Assignments and Attendance

3-5 compulsory assignments.

Approved assignments will be valid for the following four semesters.

Forms of Assessment

3 hours written exam

Grading Scale

Grading A-F

Assessment Semester

Assessment in teaching semester. New exam the following semester only for students who have valid document of absence.

Reading List

A relevant package of statistical programs will be used in data labs.

Course Evaluation

All courses are evaluated according to UiB's system for quality assurance of education.