[R-sig-teaching] Who is the list for?

[Martin Maechler]

>>>>> "RWH" == Robert W Hayden <hayden at mv.mv.com>
>>>>>     on Sat, 31 Jan 2009 17:47:27 -0500 (EST) writes:

    RWH> Forwarded message:
    >> From: Albyn Jones <jones at reed.edu>
    >> 
    >> You should post basic R questions to the R-help list;
    >> this list is intended for discussion of the use of R in
    >> teaching.

    RWH> Albyn, could you tell us more about what is on that
    RWH> list?

    RWH> Some time ago I raised the possibility of an email list
    RWH> for those who want to use R in teaching introductory
    RWH> courses.  The idea was passed on and within a couple
    RWH> days this list was born.  (I assumed causality, but it
    RWH> may have been coincidence;-) 

both, I'd say (as the mailing list creator).

    RWH> I would have made the list open to any question from
    RWH> anyone using R in an introductory course.

Well, I haven't been too active on this list; but in my perception,
that hand't been the idea of R-sig-teaching.
Rather it's a list for (potential) *teachers* of R or of
"<your-science> using R".

    RWH> Perhaps there is a problem due to
    RWH> bimodality in the potential audience.  

yes, if you (and others) want a "R-newbies questions mailing list",
you should make a case for it ... on R-help (!) ... *the*
principal R list.  But be aware that the issue is brought up
about every two years, and after some discussion is buried, once
people "see" that current situation with R-help (and its
somewhat strict posting guidelines, and its gatewaying into
Gmane and Nabble "forums") is not easy to improve as long as its
based on volunteers running everything.

Regards,
Martin Maechler, ETH Zurich

    RWH> Some are old hands at R and now want to use it in the classroom.
    RWH> Others may have never used it before and are now trying
    RWH> to teach with it.  I am not on the R-help list but
    RWH> wonder how much of the content there overlaps an
    RWH> introductory statistics course?  Or how much would be
    RWH> over the head of a beginner?  (I think most of the R
    RWH> documentation is well beyond the level of an
    RWH> introductory course, and pretty overwhelming and
    RWH> incomprehensible to a beginner, so I am hoping there is
    RWH> SOME place where beginners can get simple answers to
    RWH> simple questions without becoming Unix gurus or
    RWH> programmers first.)

    RWH> For anyone wondering why a non-R-guru such as myself
    RWH> might be on this list (or have suggested its
    RWH> creation)...  I teach online in a context where we
    RWH> cannot buy a site license to provide each student with
    RWH> software.  They have to either use whatever their
    RWH> employer provides (if anything), or pay for software
    RWH> out of their own pocket, normally at full single-copy
    RWH> prices.  R is attractive because it is free.  It also
    RWH> makes sense because our introductory courses (at least
    RWH> originally) only exist to prepare students for more
    RWH> advanced courses where R is preferred for its power or
    RWH> programmability.  So, having created the introductory
    RWH> courses themselves, I then created student manuals for
    RWH> Minitab (because I already knew it), Data Desk (because
    RWH> it comes with the textbook), and R (for reasons already
    RWH> given).  In creating the R materials, I encountered
    RWH> others trying to get started with R while using it in
    RWH> an introductory course, and hence this list.

    -------> First-time AP Stats. teacher?  Help is on the way!
    -------> See

    RWH>  http://courses.ncssm.edu/math/Stat_Inst/Stats2007/Bob%20Hayden/Relief.html
	    
    RWH>   Robert W. Hayden in the old library at 212 Main
    RWH> Street (P. O. Box 450) North Troy, VT 05859 phone (802)
    RWH> 988-2587 web site http://statland.org/ email bob
    RWH> statland.org (add your own "@" and save me some spam)

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