Enhancing Undergraduate Quantitative Methods in the Social Sciences through Curriculum Change

定量方法是社会科学学生的重要工具-它使他们能够使用小型和大型调查来调查我们周围的世界。然而，许多学生并不看好这些方法，许多人认为他们选择学习社会科学的部分原因是为了避免这些方法。然而，统计学可以帮助理解一个主题，并提供一个很好的可转移的技能，可以在大学毕业后的就业中使用。在南安普顿大学，定量方法在社会科学中使用，所有学生在第一年和第二年都要参加一个关于这个主题的模块。即使这样，也有对这个主题的抵制，许多人抱怨它与他们的主题领域无关。更多的抱怨是，他们发现这些题目要么太难，要么太容易，这取决于他们在学校的量化学科背景。该项目旨在振兴南安普顿关于社会科学量化方法教学的课程。这将通过三个相互关联的要素进行。首先是重新定位第一年的课程，向学生介绍定量方法的研究。该单元的内容将保留，但将更加强调更先进的方法。将建立一个网站，其中包含课程各个方面的例子和解释，包括基础和高级，还将包含录制的讲座。这也将有测试问题，学生可以采取评估理解，然后再进行正式评估。这将允许那些努力重新审视材料多次，而那些已经掌握技能的人可以直接通过解释进行正式评估。由于这种资源，在模块中可以更多地关注较难的元素。上述模块在学位的第一年进行，然后是第二年的课程，扩展了学生的定量知识。然而，学生们从来没有真正使用“愤怒”教授的方法-它主要是理论上提出的。本项目的下一部分填补了这一空白。在犯罪学和社会学两个单元中，将设计一个单独的定量计算机讲习班要素，学生在其中分析一项大型社会调查（英国犯罪调查或劳动力调查），以产生直接与单元主题相关联的结果。量化课程将涵盖所使用的方法，帮助学生进一步了解这些方法，而工作坊将帮助学生了解量化方法如何帮助他们的学科。最后一个要素是激励学生，改善他们的就业前景。在整个学生的时间在大学雇主将出席就业研讨会，强调大学毕业后使用定量方法的可能性。这是为了强调学生在就业中对定量方法的良好基础的好处。总的来说，该项目希望消除学生对定量方法的一些冷漠，并增加在最后一年项目及以后使用这些方法的人数。所产生的资源，特别是第一年的网络资源，将提供给其他大学的学生使用，因此在这个项目中产生的专业知识将有南安普顿大学以外的利益。

Quantitative methods are a vital tool for students in the social sciences to have in their armoury - it allows them to investigate the world around us using both small and large surveys. However, many students do not look favourably on these methods, with many feeling that part of the reason why they chose to study a social science was to avoid them. Yet statistics can help understand a topic and provide a good transferable skill that can be used in employment after university.At the University of Southampton, quantitative methods are used within the Social Sciences, with all students taking a module in their first and second years on this topic. Even with this, there is resistance to the subject, with many complaining that it has no relevance to their subject area. Further complaints are that they find the topics either too difficult or too easy, depending on their background in quantitative subjects at school.This project aims to revitalise the curriculum in Southampton with regards to the teaching of quantitative methods in the Social Sciences. This will be conducted through three linked elements. The first is to re-orientate the first year course that introduces the students to the study of quantitative methods. The content of the module will be kept, but more emphasis will be placed on the more advanced methods. A website containing examples and explanations of all aspects of the course, both basic and advanced, will be constructed, also containing the recorded lectures. This will also have test questions that students can take to assess understanding, before they move on to take a formal assessment. This will allow those who are struggling to revisit material a number of times, while those who already have the skills can pass through the explanations to the formal assessment directly. Due to this resource, more focus can be placed during the module on the harder elements.The module described above is taken in the first year of the degree, and is followed by a second year course which extends the quantitative knowledge of the students. However, the students never actually use the methods taught 'in anger' - it is mostly presented theoretically. The next part of this project fills this gap. Two modules, in Criminology and Sociology, will have a separate quantitative computer workshop element designed, where students analyse a large social survey (either the British Crime Survey or the Labour Force Survey) to produce results which link directly back to the module topics. The methods used will have been covered in the quantitative courses, helping the students to understand them further, while the workshops will help the students see how quantitative methods can help in their subject.The final element is to motivate the students and improve their employment prospects. Throughout the students' time at university employers will come to present employment seminars, highlighting the possibilities for using quantitative methods after university. This is designed to stress the benefits of a good grounding in quantitative methods for the students in their employment.Overall the project hopes to remove some of the apathy that students feel towards quantitative methods and increase the numbers who use these methods in their final year projects and beyond. The resources produced, especially the web resource for first year, will be made available for students in other universities to use and hence the expertise generated in this project will have benefits outside of the University of Southampton.