[R] Response to R across the university

[Frank E Harrell Jr]

Antony Unwin wrote:
> This email isn't asking for assistance, but I thought R-help readers  
> would find it interesting.  This week we offered a half-day  
> introduction to R for researchers at Augsburg University.  The  
> response was astonishing.  Although Augsburg has no medical faculty  
> and no engineers, there was far too much demand, with interest from  
> every faculty (barring theology, "for one small village of indomitable  
> Gauls still holds out against the R invaders" --- perhaps that should  
> be obdurate rather than indomitable) and we had participants from  
> computer science, geography, physics, law, linguistics, education,  
> sociology, marketing, psychology, finance, ...
> 
> The course itself went very well.  We encouraged people to bring their  
> laptops and work in groups.  Using JGR as the interface to R helped a  
> lot, as it was easier for people to load their own data and use the  
> help.  Of course, JGR is compulsory in Augsburg.  Giving everyone a  
> Butterbreze (a local delicacy) halfway through may have contributed to  
> the good humour of the course as well!
> 
> Statistics doesn't always have a positive image.  I can recommend  
> running an R course as one way of making a good impression.
> 
> 
> Antony Unwin
> Professor of Computer-Oriented Statistics and Data Analysis,
> Mathematics Institute,
> University of Augsburg,
> 86135 Augsburg, Germany
> Tel: + 49 821 5982218
> http://stats.math.uni-augsburg.de/
> 

This is great to hear Antony, and you did a very nice job in setting up 
the workshop.  Terri Scott in our department runs an R clinic each week 
in which anyone at the university can bring questions.  We have had 
physicians, psychologists, and sociologists show up.  This kind of 
interest is gratifying.

For your audience I also suggest using R Commander.

Frank


-- 
Frank E Harrell Jr   Professor and Chair           School of Medicine
                      Department of Biostatistics   Vanderbilt University