THE UNIVERSITY of EDINBURGH

DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2021/2022

Information in the Degree Programme Tables may still be subject to change in response to Covid-19

University Homepage
DRPS Homepage
DRPS Search
DRPS Contact
DRPS : Course Catalogue : Deanery of Molecular, Genetic and Population Health Sciences : Health Information

Postgraduate Course: Introduction to statistics in health and social care (HEIN11039)

Course Outline
SchoolDeanery of Molecular, Genetic and Population Health Sciences CollegeCollege of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate)
Course typeOnline Distance Learning AvailabilityAvailable to all students
SCQF Credits10 ECTS Credits5
SummaryThe course provides an introduction to statistics on a theoretical and practical level. It will include in-depth coverage of topics relevant to data science, leaving students well prepared for further study as practitioners in the health, social and care services sector.
Course description Statistics is collection, analysis, interpretation, and presentation of data. Statistics is an essential tool for data scientists in the health and social care sector. This is an introductory statistics course for data scientists working in health and social care. The course employs an applied approach by analysing real-life data from health, social and care services using the statistical software R.

No prior experience in statistics or R programming is required. However, familiarity with basic mathematical concepts is assumed. These include the mean, median, variance, exponents, logarithms, and summations.

Outline Content
The course will cover the core basics of statistics, populations and samples. Next, data measurement and presentation, descriptive statistics, probability distributions and statistical inference will be introduced. The course will then focus on analysis of variance (ANOVA), correlation and regression. The material is presented to understand rather than memorise statistical concepts.
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements None
Information for Visiting Students
Pre-requisitesNone
High Demand Course? Yes
Course Delivery Information
Academic year 2021/22, Available to all students (SV1) Quota:  None
Course Start Flexible
Timetable Timetable
Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) Total Hours: 100 ( Lecture Hours 5, Seminar/Tutorial Hours 1, Online Activities 35, Feedback/Feedforward Hours 5, Formative Assessment Hours 5, Revision Session Hours 1, Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 2, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 46 )
Assessment (Further Info) Written Exam 0 %, Coursework 100 %, Practical Exam 0 %
Additional Information (Assessment) Written Exam 0 %, Coursework 100 %, Practical Exam 0 %
Feedback Feedback is information provided to the students about their learning relative to learning outcomes. The two main types of feedback are formative and summative. Formative feedback is generated to engage learners to constantly reflect on how they can approach, orient and evaluate learning, which leads to successful learning outcomes. Summative feedback provides an evaluation of how much a student has learned at the end of the course through a final assessment.

Formative feedback will be provided throughout the course, for example, during live question and answer sessions, quizzes, and discussion boards. A formative task will also be offered before the student submitting their summative assessed course work. All assignments will be marked, and feedback is provided within fifteen working days (where possible).
No Exam Information
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
  1. Demonstrate a critical understanding of the fundamental concepts of statistics.
  2. Apply basic statistical techniques using the statistical software R to solve simple problems from health, social and care settings.
  3. Analyse and interpret data from health and social care, using appropriate statistical tests
  4. Demonstrate the ability to effectively communicate basic statistical techniques with peers and a wide range of audiences within the health and social care sector.
  5. Critically reflect on their own and others' roles in collaborative teams and take responsibility for their work and others' work.
Reading List
Recommended, but not essential:
Book: J.L. Devore and K.N. Berk (2012) Modern mathematical statistics with applications.
Book: M.J. Crawley (2013) The R Book.
Additional Information
Graduate Attributes and Skills 1) Mindsets:

Enquiry and lifelong learning
Students on this course will be encouraged to seek out ways to develop their expertise in probability and statistics. They will also be encouraged to strive for excellence in their professional practice and to use established and developed approaches to resolve statistical issues as they arise in health and social care systems.

Aspiration and personal development
Students will be encouraged to draw on the quality, depth and breadth of their experiences to expand their potential and identify areas in which they wish to develop and grow. Students will also be encouraged to understand their responsibility within, and contribute positively, ethically and respectfully to the health and social care community, while acknowledging that different students and community members will have other priorities and goals.

Outlook and engagement
Students will be expected to take responsibility for their learning. Students will be asked to use on their initiative and experience, often explicitly relating to their professional, educational, geographical or cultural context to engage with and enhance the learning of students from the diverse communities on the programme. Students will also be asked to reflect on the experience of their peers and identify opportunities to enhance their learning.

2) Skills:

Research and enquiry
Students will use self-reflection to seek out learning opportunities. Students will also use the newly acquired knowledge and critical assessment to identify and creatively tackle problems and assimilate the findings of primary research and peer knowledge in their arguments, discussions and assessments.

Personal and intellectual autonomy
Students will be encouraged to use their personal and intellectual autonomy to critically evaluate learning materials and exercises. Students will be supported through their active participation in self-directed learning, discussion boards and collaborative activities to critically evaluate concepts, evidence and experiences of peers and superiors from an open-minded and reasoned perspective.

Personal effectiveness
Students will need to be effective and proactive learners that can articulate what they have learned, and have an awareness of their strengths and limitations, and a commitment to learning and reflection to complete this course successfully.

Communication
Effective data scientists' practitioners in the health and social care sector require excellent oral and written communication, presentation and interpersonal skills. The structure of the interactive (problem-based learning examples, discussion boards and collaborative activities) and assessment elements incorporate constant reinforcement and development of these skills.
KeywordsNot entered
Contacts
Course organiserDr Kasia Banas
Tel:
Email: Kasia.Banas@ed.ac.uk
Course secretaryMiss Magdalena Mazurczak
Tel:
Email: Magdalena.Mazurczak@ed.ac.uk
Navigation
Help & Information
Home
Introduction
Glossary
Search DPTs and Courses
Regulations
Regulations
Degree Programmes
Introduction
Browse DPTs
Courses
Introduction
Humanities and Social Science
Science and Engineering
Medicine and Veterinary Medicine
Other Information
Combined Course Timetable
Prospectuses
Important Information