This course aims to empower you to do statistical tests, ready for incorporation into your dissertations, research papers, and presentations. The ability to summarize data, create plots and charts, and to do the statistical tests that you commonly see in the literature is a powerful skill indeed.
There are powerful tools readily available to achieve these goals. None are quite as easy to learn, yet as powerful to use, as the Wolfram Language. Knowledge is literally built into the language. With its well-structured and consistent approach to creating code, you will become an expert in no time.
This course follows the approach of learning statistical analysis through the use of a computer language. It requires no prior knowledge of coding. An exciting journey awaits. If you want even more, there are optional Honors lessons on machine learning that cover the support in the Wolfram Language for deep learning.
This first week establishes the aims of the course and motivation for using the Wolfram Language. We aim to support you in gaining a remarkable new set of skills for doing statistical analysis that you can continue to use long after you complete the course. We will also describe the process of procuring the software that you will use in the course. The first is the absolutely free version, which is software as a service, meaning it runs in any web browser. The second is the desktop version. If you work or study at an institution with a site licence, you will be able to get the software for free. There is also the option to purchase your own licence.
What's included
14 videos8 readings2 discussion prompts
Show info about module content
14 videos•Total 54 minutes
Welcome•6 minutes
The Klopper Research Group•2 minutes
Assumptions•1 minute
Learning a computer language•1 minute
Why the Wolfram language?•8 minutes
Getting Mathematica•6 minutes
The new Wolfram Cloud•1 minute
The Wolfram Cloud•1 minute
The Wolfram Programming Lab•9 minutes
Free-form input and Wolfram Alpha in the Cloud•4 minutes
Mathematica•0 minutes
Free-form input and Wolfram Alpha in the desktop•8 minutes
Help and documentation•3 minutes
Assignment notebooks•4 minutes
8 readings•Total 80 minutes
How this Course Works•10 minutes
Welcome to Module 1•10 minutes
Meet the Course Instructor•10 minutes
Module 1 Notebook•10 minutes
Welcome to Wolfram Cloud•10 minutes
Welcome to Module 3•10 minutes
Module 3 Notebook•10 minutes
Module 3 Exercise•10 minutes
2 discussion prompts•Total 20 minutes
Introduce Yourself•10 minutes
Optional Assignment - share your first Wolfram Notebook•10 minutes
Week 2
Module 2•3 hours to complete
Module details
In week 2, we start with some actual coding, now that you know about the Wolfram Language and its different coding environments. We start off with a demonstration of a completed project. It is just a little teaser, showcasing what you will be able to do at the end. Next, we are going to learn to code by doing simple arithmetic. That is simple addition, subtraction, multiplication, and so on. Once you have realized just how simple these tasks are, you will be introduced to the way in which data is stored in a computer language. These are the stepping stone required to bringing in your own data, ready for the analyses in the following weeks.
What's included
20 videos8 readings1 assignment
Show info about module content
20 videos•Total 100 minutes
Create Your Own Computational Essay•1 minute
Simulated data demonstration - part 1•1 minute
Simulated data demonstration - part 2•7 minutes
Simple arithmetic•1 minute
Addition and subtraction•6 minutes
Multiplication and division•9 minutes
Powers•5 minutes
Arithmetical order•2 minutes
Calculating a mean•6 minutes
Working with data•1 minute
Lists part 1•7 minutes
Lists part 2•3 minutes
Tables•8 minutes
Index•11 minutes
Datasets•10 minutes
Selecting•6 minutes
Dataset functions•3 minutes
Creating lists from datasets•3 minutes
Spreadsheets•6 minutes
Spreadsheets in the cloud•5 minutes
8 readings•Total 80 minutes
Welcome to Module 4•10 minutes
Module 4 Notebook•10 minutes
Welcome to Module 5•10 minutes
Module 5 Exercise•10 minutes
Welcome to Module 6•10 minutes
Module 6 Notebook•10 minutes
Module 6 Exercise•10 minutes
Coronavirus data analysis•10 minutes
1 assignment
Modules 1 to 5•0 minutes
Week 3
Module 3•5 hours to complete
Module details
In week 3, its time to start analyzing data, now that you can write some code and import your data. The two most important steps to understand the message hidden in data, are to summarize and visualize it. Descriptive statistics turn rows and columns of data into something that we as humans can understand. By summarizing values and replacing them with single values, we start to get an idea of what our analyses might show. Visualizing the data is an even better way of getting to grips with data. Box-and-whisker plots, scatter plots, bar charts, and the like are wonderful ways to augment your understanding of the data. The Wolfram Language makes summary statistics easy but it really shines when creating plots. There are almost no limits to customizing plots. No matter what your project requirements, you will learn to create plots that work for you. Starting this week is an optional Honors lessons that introduce machine learning using the Wolfram Language.
What's included
27 videos10 readings2 assignments
Show info about module content
27 videos•Total 153 minutes
Summary Statistics•1 minute
Descriptive statistics•1 minute
Data import for descriptive statistics•6 minutes
Creating lists for descriptive statistics•8 minutes
Point estimates•10 minutes
Measures of dispersion•7 minutes
Data Visualization•1 minute
Data import for visualization•3 minutes
Scatter plots•10 minutes
Box plots•4 minutes
Histograms•6 minutes
Bar and pie charts•6 minutes
Distributions•1 minute
Probability•8 minutes
PDF and CDF•4 minutes
Discrete distributions•8 minutes
Continuous distributions•7 minutes
Sampling distributions•6 minutes
Simulated data•6 minutes
01: Introduction to neural networks•1 minute
02: Introduction to machine learning•7 minutes
03: The fundamentals•0 minutes
04: Basic framework of a neural network•11 minutes
05: Layers in a neural network•12 minutes
06: Reviewing a neural network•4 minutes
07: From inputs to predictions•6 minutes
08: Finding a solution•11 minutes
10 readings•Total 100 minutes
Welcome to Module 7•10 minutes
Module 7 Notebook•10 minutes
Module 7 Exercise•10 minutes
Welcome to Module 8•10 minutes
Module 8 Notebook•10 minutes
Module 8 Exercise•10 minutes
Welcome to Module 9•10 minutes
Module 9 Notebook•10 minutes
Module 9 Exercise•10 minutes
Neural networks in the Wolfram language•10 minutes
2 assignments•Total 60 minutes
Modules 6 to 9•0 minutes
Honors: Deep learning basics•60 minutes
Week 4
Module 4•5 hours to complete
Module details
This final week covers all the common statistical tests - going from Student's t-test to analysis of variance to chi-squared tests. We conclude the course with a run-through of the demonstration research project that you saw at the beginning of week two. This brings together all the skills that you have acquired during the course and prepares you for the final exam. You will also have the opportunity to create your own computational essay, if you are not content with just working through the demonstration project. For those following the optional Honors lessons there is an introduction to deep learning using the Wolfram Language.
The University of Cape Town is the oldest university in South Africa and is one of the leading research universities on the African continent. UCT has over 28 000 students, of whom 30% are postgraduate students. We offer degrees in six faculties: Commerce, Engineering & the Built Environment, Health Sciences, Humanities, Law, and Science. We pride ourself on our diverse student body, which reflects the many cultures and backgrounds of the region. We welcome international students and are currently home to thousands of international students from over 100 countries. UCT has a tradition of academic excellence that is respected world-wide and is privileged to have more than 30 A-rated researchers on our staff, all of whom are recognised as world leaders in their field. Our aim is to ensure that our research contributes to the public good through sharing knowledge for the benefit of society. Past students include five Nobel Laureates – Max Theiler, Alan Cormack, Sir Aaron Klug, Ralph Bunche and, J M Coetzee.
When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
To access the course materials, assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience when you enroll in a course. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid. The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
What will I get if I purchase the Certificate?
When you purchase a Certificate you get access to all course materials, including graded assignments. Upon completing the course, your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile.
Is financial aid available?
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.