Understanding Social and 
Economic Data

Technical notes
John M. Abowd and Lars Vilhuber
February 1, 2016
Videoconferencing
10 sites, ~100 participants
Multiple technologies

Some basic rules

Please mute your mike when not speaking!



Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/raquelcamargo/3296054642/
Getting attention
Walk to the camera
Unmute your mike 
Write the question on the discussion forum





Source: http://monarxy-stocks.deviantart.com/art/Stock-29-Footprints-Desert-190731284



What discussion forum?
Other technologies









Source: http://www.washington.edu/teaching/files/2012/11/FlippedClassroomUWcolors-1-1024x242.jpg
Use of edX platform
We are a SPOC
Small
Private
Online
Class
Combination of resources
Primary information:

www.vrdc.cornell.edu/info747x

Calendar
Links to all other sites
Syllabus
Day-to-day information:

edge.edx.org/courses/course-v1:CornellX+INFO7470x+2016/info 

(or just go to the primary site and follow links)
Content:
Recorded videos
All quizzes/exercises/labs
Suggested readings
Discussion forums

Calendar
Filter by presenter, type of class


edX
We will enroll you
If you have never used edX, you will get an email
If you have previously used edX, you’re all set
edX
Once enrolled, you will 
View videos for designated sessions
Do quizzes, exercises for ALL sessions
Participate in the discussion forums
See updates/news from instructors
Role of the classroom
We meet every week, unless otherwise cancelled
February 15 (President’s day)
March 28 (Cornell Spring Break)
Live sessions (1-2, 7, 10-14)
Core material presented in class
Discussion in classroom and online forum
Flipped classroom sessions (3-6)
Core material presented on edX
Discussion in classroom and online forum
Hybrid (8-9)
Hybrid sessions
In some sessions, which we will call “hybrid”
Part of the topics covered in the session are “flipped classroom” materials on edX
Additional topics are handled in “live presentation” 
no edX materials available
primary information source is the live presentation
We aim to have no more than 2.5 hours of total material in any class
Exercises and labs
First half of the class
Quizzes
Self-assessment
Second half of the class
Computational exercises in programming language of your choice
Project proposal
Peer-assessment (of programming, of writing)

Instructor team
Instructors (vrdc.cornell.edu/info747x/summary/#Instructors)
John Abowd
Lars Vilhuber
Warren Brown

Assisted by (vrdc.cornell.edu/info747x/summary/team/)
Flavio Stanchi
Sylverie Herbert
Guest lecturers
Session 2: 
Margo Anderson, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Session 4
Connie Citro, Committee on National Statistics (CNSTAT)
Session 7
Brent Hueth, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Jennifer Parker, National Center for Health Statistics
Kristen Monaco and Nicole Nestoriak (BLS)


Guest lecturers
Session 8
Matthias Umkehrer, Institute for Employment Research, Germany
Kristen Monaco (BLS)

Session 9
Jacob Bournazian, Energy Information Administration