Course Syllabus

Course Information

Location: Hall of Government, Rm 102

Meeting times: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 11:10 a.m. – 12:25 p.m.

Instructor: Prof. Emmanuel Teitelbaum
Email: ejt@gwu.edu

The best way to contact me is via the course Discord server for inquiries about code or course material and by email or during office hours for personal matters.

Office Hours: Mondays 3-5 p.m. and by appointment.

Credit Hours: 3.0.

What Our Course Is About

This course will focus on working with data and code to engage data science questions. Students will develop coding, data visualization, and data presentation skills.

Course Objectives: What You’ll Be Able To Do

Course and module objectives are guides to gauge your skill and knowledge development. By the end of this course, you should be able to:

  • Analyze data sets using modern computational tools.
  • Identify salient data points as they relate to key political science concepts.
  • Explore ethical issues around data wrangling and visualization.
  • Apply data wrangling concepts to optimize data for modeling purposes.
  • Summarize simple and complex relationships between and among variables in a data set.
  • Identify the most appropriate visualization format for a given data set.
  • Model and visualize data based on requirements provided by stakeholders.

Aiming For Success

I care about your learning and also about this subject matter, and I am here to help you have a meaningful learning experience. I expect you to take ownership of your learning: you can get more out of the course by thoughtfully participating in discussions, actively taking notes on readings and lectures, and giving your best effort overall. I will hold you to the highest standards for academic honesty and integrity in your work. I will also encourage you to collaborate and learn from your peers through thoughtful and respectful discussion. It is recommended you log in daily order to keep up with course requirements. I must highlight that communication is vital, so I hope you feel comfortable reaching out to me if you are struggling or have concerns or need accommodations beyond accessibility. We can determine strategies to set you up for success. Finally, I look forward to collaborating with you in this course to create a meaningful experience for everyone.

Policy on AI Tools

Why this policy

This course exists so that you develop genuine skill in R and data visualization. AI coding assistants—such as ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Copilot, and IDE-integrated tools like Cursor—are now a real part of data-science practice, and you are welcome to use them. But how and when you use them determines whether you actually learn. There is an important distinction between using AI as a learning support and using it to replace learning entirely. Submitting AI-generated work as your own defeats the purpose of the course.

The four principles

Follow these principles whenever you use AI tools:

  • Try first: Before turning to an AI tool, consult the course materials, lecture videos, and readings. For labs, work through the guided hints before seeking AI assistance. For homework, it is appropriate to consult AI if you are genuinely stuck.

  • Use AI as a consultant, not a ghostwriter: Asking an AI tool to explain how a function works, debug code that isn’t running, or decipher an error message is a legitimate use. Asking it to complete your assignments for you is not.

  • Think critically: AI tools make mistakes. They hallucinate functions, write syntactically incorrect code, and sometimes give confidently wrong answers. You are responsible for understanding and verifying any code you submit.

  • Acknowledge your use: If you use an AI tool in completing an assignment, note this in your submission and confirm that the tool was used in an advisory capacity rather than to generate your final product.

What this means by assessment type

  • Quizzes: No AI. Quizzes check your own understanding, and you complete them on your own during class.

  • In-class labs: You work in groups during class. You may use AI to ask conceptual questions or to help debug, but not to write your code for you—the goal is for your group to reason through the problem together. Add a one-line note to each lab saying whether and how you used AI.

  • Final project: A full, modern AI-assisted workflow is encouraged—AI is a real tool that data scientists use every day. The design, data choices, analysis, and interpretation must still be your own, and you should be able to explain and defend everything in your app.

Office Hours

Another way we can work toward your success in the course is through office/student hours. Please make an appointment to talk with me during this time. You can work with me to:

  • Clarify any questions about the syllabus or course content
  • Review an assignment you’ve completed and have questions about
  • Step through practice problems or questions
  • Get study strategies
  • Discuss grades

To make the meeting more effective, you can:

  • Gather materials (assignments, notes, etc.) ready in advance
  • Be ready to take notes during office hours
  • Ask follow up questions if you need clarification
  • Confirm any action plan at the close of the meeting
  • Following through on any action plan

Prerequisites

Academic

PSC 2101 or STAT 1051/1053/1111.

Technological

Configuration and software

To fully participate in our course, you will need regular access to broadband Internet access as well as other technology components. Please consult GW Online’s Technical Requirements and Support for details on recommended configurations and software available to you. You will need to use the following tools and platforms:

  • RStudio: an IDE for generating data visualizations using the programming language, R.
  • GitHub: a web-based code repository.
  • Git: version control protocol.
  • Discord: a real-time chat application.

Please see the Blackboard Ultra course website for more on these tools and their policies.

Skills

For our course, you should be able to:

  • Access and use GW’s Blackboard system.
  • Use your GW email for university-related communications per university policy.
  • Use productivity software (e.g., Office 365, Google Suite) to collaborate with peers and submit assignments.
  • Use web conferencing tools (e.g., Zoom, Webex) to collaborate with peers and me.
  • Use a mobile device and/or computer to upload documents, images, and recordings.
  • Seek technology help and tools by contacting GW Information Technology | (202)-994-4948 | ithelp@gwu.edu.

If you need assistance with technology tools we’ll use in this course, please visit the Technology Support link in the left navigation menu in our course on Blackboard.

Materials You’ll Need

You will need to download RStudio, Git and the Discord desktop application. You can find our weekly assigned readings through GW libraries. You must use your GW credentials to access these readings. Other course materials will be provided in our Blackboard course modules.

We draw on two excellent, freely available online books. There is nothing to purchase.

Course Credit Hour Policy

This is a 3-credit course. Following the university credit-hour policy, over the roughly 15-week semester you should expect approximately 2.5 hours of direct instruction per week (our Tuesday and Thursday class meetings) and a minimum of 5 hours per week of independent work—including readings, quizzes, lab preparation, and your final project. Over the term this amounts to about 37.5 hours of direct instruction and 75 hours of independent coursework.

How this applies to you

Use the credit hour policy to plan and manage your workload and time spent on this course. Please contact me if you are having difficulty managing your workload, and we can discuss strategies to help you succeed in the course.

How You Will Learn and Demonstrate Knowledge

My aim is to provide you opportunities for active learning and skills development that help you meet course learning objectives and also grow in your knowledge of this field.

Instruction

I’ve designed the following instructional components to support your learning and growth in the course.

  • Lecture Videos: Each week you will be responsible for watching or listening to video mini-lectures and/or podcasts. These media support provide you essential information in order to complete course activities and assessments. Please note that recorded lectures and podcasts are not a substitute for required readings.

  • Tutorial Videos: Each week you have the opportunity to explore a topic further by watching additional videos. These draw on the expertise of various organizations or individuals and can be used to help you complete activities and assessments.

  • Readings: Each week you will be responsible for various reading assignments. The readings contain essential content for completing the course assignments.

Assessment

The following assessments help you gauge and demonstrate your progress in the course and support you in meeting course learning objectives.

  • Discord: We will discuss course topics further through the Discord. Please post your questions and help other students with their questions when you can.

  • In-class labs: Most weeks you will work through a hands-on lab with your group during class. Labs let you apply new skills to real data while you have your classmates and me on hand to help.

  • Quizzes: Short in-class quizzes give you—and me—a quick read on how well the week’s material and readings are landing. They provide immediate feedback and support ongoing learning.

  • Final Project: You will design and build your own interactive data visualization application (a Shiny app) as your final project, developed over the second half of the semester and presented in class during our final session.

You’ll find support for Blackboard and other tools used for course activities and assignments under the Technology Support link in the left navigation menu in our course on Blackboard.

Demonstrating Academic Integrity

All of us in the course will comply with the GW Code of Academic Integrity. It states that “we, the Students, Faculty, Librarians, Staff, and Administration of The George Washington University, believing academic integrity to be central to the mission of the University, commit ourselves to promoting high standards for the integrity of academic work. Commitment to academic integrity upholds educational equity, development, and dissemination of meaningful knowledge, and mutual respect that our community values and nurtures. The George Washington University Code of Academic Integrity is established to further this commitment.”

Academic dishonesty is defined as cheating of any kind, including misrepresenting one’s own work, taking credit for the work of others without crediting them and without appropriate authorization, and the fabrication of information. For details and complete code, see the Code of Academic Integrity.Common examples of academic dishonesty include cheating, fabrication, plagiarism, falsification, forgery of University academic documents, and facilitating academic dishonesty by others. Learn more about avoiding these:

Assignments

  1. In-class labs (50%)
  2. Quizzes (20%)
  3. Final project (30%)

Because your labs and quizzes are completed in class, a large share of your grade rewards showing up and engaging with the material in person.

In-class labs

You will complete four hands-on labs—on plotting, wrangling, maps, and tables and models—worked through with your group during class and meant to be mostly finished in the class period. Labs are where you apply new skills to real data. See the Policy on AI Tools for how AI may be used in labs.

Quizzes

You will complete short in-class quizzes on the week’s readings and core concepts. Because they check your own understanding, quizzes are completed individually and without AI. I will drop your two lowest quiz scores; please do not email me about missed quizzes.

Final Project

You will design and build an interactive R Shiny app, developed over the second half of the semester during our in-class project studios and presented to the class at the end of the term. You may work on your own or in a group of up to three, with a clear division of responsibilities. Full details, including the group policy, are on the Project Description page.

Course Grading

The grading scale below maps your final point or percentage total to your final letter grade for the course.

Range Letter Grade
94-100 A
90-93 A-
87-89 B+
84-86 B
80-83 B-
77-79 C+
74-76 C
70-73 C-
67-69 D+
64-66 D
60-63 D-
<59 F

Late Work

Late assignments will incur a penalty of 1 percentage point per day. Late work will not be accepted more than 7 days past the deadline.

Students with exceptional circumstances may receive accommodations for late work under exceptional circumstances, and in consultation with the students’ academic advisor, when a verified medical excuse written by a qualified medical professional is provided.

Accommodations are automatically approved for university-approved absences such as sporting events, religious holidays, etc. but these should be provided to the instructor by the end of the second week of the semester.

No exceptions will be made to the late work policy.

Incomplete Grades

Undergraduate students

Incomplete grades may be given to undergraduate students only if for reasons beyond the student’s control (such as medical or family emergency) they are unable to complete the final work of the course. Faculty should not assign an Incomplete grade if not asked by the student.

A contract must be signed by the instructor and the student and filed in the department office. A copy should be submitted to the Academic Advising office in Phillips 107. A student has up to a calendar year to finish the coursework for the class, and when completed a grade change form must be submitted to the Academic Advising office to update the grade.

For further policy and contract information for undergraduate students, please consult with your advisor and also visit the website for Columbian College of Arts and Sciences Academic Advising.

Graduate students

Incomplete grades may be given to graduate students only if for reasons beyond the student’s control (such as medical or family emergency) they are unable to complete the final work of the course. Faculty should not assign an Incomplete grade if not asked by the student.

For further information, please consult with your advisor and complete a CCAS graduate student incomplete grade form.

Course Communication

Communication in our course is essential; clearing up questions earlier than later is a good practice, so please don’t hesitate to reach out to me. In any mode of communication used in our course, all of us will follow netiquette found in our syllabus.

We will communicate primarily through GW’s Blackboard System and the Discord server. Announcements and emails sent through Blackboard automatically go to your GW email address (i.e., userid@gwu.edu). Please check your GW email account on a daily basis or forward your GW email to another address that you check daily.

I will respond to emails/discussion posts within 48 hours (i.e., “24 hours on weekdays and on the next business day over weekends and holidays.”) I will provide feedback on assignments/exams within 3 days (i.e., “five days on weekdays and on the next business day over weekends and holidays.”)

You can post general course-related questions to our Discord server. Please post your question here first rather than emailing me directly if your question regards the course material. However, if you have a question that is more personal in nature (i.e., grades), please email me directly to set up an appointment.

Netiquette

Behind every name there is a person.

To ensure safe and meaningful learning experiences for everyone, we all agree to:

  • Remain professional, respectful, and courteous at all times on all platforms.
  • Keep in mind this is a college class. Something that would be inappropriate in an in-person classroom is also inappropriate in an online classroom.
  • When upset, we’ll wait a day or two prior to posting. Messages posted or emailed in anger are often regretted later.
  • Ask one another for clarification if we find a communication offensive or difficult to understand.
  • Avoid sweeping generalizations. Back up our stated opinions with facts and reliable sources.
  • Understand that we may disagree and that exposure to other people’s opinions is part of the learning experience.
  • Just as we would like our privacy respected, we will respect the privacy of other course participants and what they share.

I (the instructor) reserve the right to delete any post or communication in our course that is deemed inappropriate without prior notification to the student. This includes anything containing language that is offensive, rude, profane, racist, or hateful. Items that are seriously off-topic or serve no purpose other than to vent frustration will also be removed.

Using outside communication apps

I am aware that you and your peers might communicate using tools outside of GW’s Blackboard, my course website, our course Discord channel, or email systems. Rules of netiquette and appropriate communication extend to these tools as well as to Blackboard. If you see any tool being used inappropriately (i.e., any communication containing language that is offensive, rude, profane, racist, or hateful; uses that promote cheating of any kind), contact me as soon as possible to speak privately about it.

(Adapted from Lake Superior Connect, Creative Commons Attribution 3.0)

Policies

To make this a meaningful learning experience for everyone, please read and understand the following policies. All GW policies can be found on the GW Office of Ethics, Compliance, and Privacy site. All GW community members are responsible for adhering to and activating in accordance with all university policies. Please contact me if you have any questions.

Accessibility and Accommodations

GW’s Disability Support Services

If you are a student with a disability, or think you may have a disability, you can let me know, and/or you can talk to GW’s Office of Disability Support Services (DSS). DSS works with both students with disabilities and instructors to identify reasonable accommodations. Contact the DSS office at (202) 994-8250, by email on dss@gwu.edu, or in-person in Rome Hall Suite 102 to establish eligibility and to coordinate reasonable accommodations. If you have already been approved for accommodations, please send me your accommodation letter and meet with me so we can develop an implementation plan together.

How are course technology tools accessible to everyone? To find out, access Technology Support Technology Tools Policies in the Blackboard course menu.

Accommodations Beyond Disability

Everyone has different needs for learning. If you don’t have a documented disability but feel that you would benefit from learning support for other reasons, please don’t hesitate to talk to me. If you have substantial non-academic obligations or other concerns (e.g., food insecurity, work, childcare, athletic commitments, language barriers, financial issues, technology access, commuting, etc.) that make learning difficult, please contact me. I’ll keep this information confidential, and together, we can brainstorm ways to meet your needs.

Other Needs

Any student who has difficulty affording groceries or accessing sufficient food to eat every day, or who lacks a safe and stable place to live, and believes this may affect their performance in the course, is urged to contact GW’s Office of Student Financial Assistance for support. Furthermore, please notify me if you are comfortable doing so. Some other resources to support you are found under the course menu item Student Resources and include support for academic achievement and personal well-being. (Adapted from Goldrick-Rab, 2017)

Counseling and Psychological Services

GW’s Health Center offers counseling and psychological services to GW students. Please note that staff is licensed to offer short term therapy to students in Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia. If you are living outside these regions, the office may be able to refer you elsewhere. Assistance and referrals 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and can be reached on (202) 994-5300.

The Center provides assistance and referral to address students’ personal, social, career, and study skills problems. Services for students include: crisis and emergency mental health consultations, confidential assessment, counseling services (individual and small group), and referrals.

Virtual Workshops are open to any student regardless of geographic location. These can be exceptionally valuable and help you build essential skills and cope with common ongoing mental health concerns. Please contact the GW Health Center on (202) 994-5300 for more information.

Religious Observances

As members of the GW community, you have the right to observe religious holidays. University policy requires that students notify their instructors during the first week of the semester if they plan to be absent from class on days of religious observance. For further details, please consult the university policy on religious holiday observance.

Key Dates

Please defer to the due dates listed on the course website. You can also view due dates in the gradebook and under each individual course assignment item in Blackboard Ultra.