As a whole, techniques of computer analysis has been radically different from anything else I’ve done as an international studies major at VMI, with the notable exception of MA-105 and MA-106 which was like pulling teeth. Throughout this class, I got the sense that those in charge of the class (Pollock, Col. Sanborn) acknowledged that they were not dealing with STEM majors and created the class and its material with that in mind. To be clear, I am not saying that the class was easy. Rather, it sought to truly teach us something about computer analysis as opposed to drowning us in a semesters worth of material from a different major and then expecting us to come out the other end with a C or better.

I appreciate the way this class was structured, because it truly feels like each lesson and assignment was created with the goal of having students retain something. Moreover, it felt like there was a heavy emphasis on fundamentals. This may seem like a no brainer, but I believe it is more important than that. If this class were to move at breakneck speed and try to make us all computer analysis experts worthy of high level academia within a semester, those of us who miraculously passed would surely not remember the details. Instead, this class hammered home certain fundamentals that I will not forget. For instance, I have struggled continuously with even the most basic terms, specifically theory, hypothesis, independent variable, and dependent variable. I used to confuse these terms constantly, but after their constant appearance on quizzes and in the SPSS workbook, I got their meanings down and was able to accurately use and apply the terms by the time the final project was underway. In this way, it is clear to me that this class understands that you cannot conduct complex data collection and analysis without a strong foundation in the basics. If nothing else, I will walk away from this class able to describe the basic functions of how to conduct an experiment.

Additionally, this class opened my eyes to the complexities of the world, specifically with human behavior. In the first few chapters of Pollock’s book, students deal with a few variables that usually have a fairly straightforward cause and effect relationship. However, as they move forward, the variables become increasingly numerous and interconnected. This culminated in the final project, the outcome of which is a testament to the aforementioned complexities. Our project, which sought to determine whether or not a countries’ distance from the equator has any bearing over its suicide rate, did not find any significant evidence to conclude one way or the other. This leads me to believe that there is a myriad of other external factors that influence a countries’ suicide rate, and while distance from the equator may be one of them, it is one of many. It is clear to me now that very infrequently is there a dependent variable that is affected by just one independent variable. This may sound discouraging, but I believe it makes the case for these kinds of classes stronger, as we clearly do not have the answers to the various facets of human behavior, and the lessons learned in techniques of computer analysis serve as the foundation for a life spent pursuing those answers, and how to acquire them.

Ultimately, this class sheds some much needed light on the quantitative side of international studies. With the various available electives that focus on the qualitative and philosophical aspects of our major, it is easy to overlook the actual numbers behind many of the scholarly works that are the basis of many of these classes. This class has made me a more well-rounded international studies, and I have come away with a greater understanding of the fundamentals of quantitative studies, and a greater appreciation of the complexity of human behavior.

While collecting data for our final research project, which seeks to determine whether or not distance from the equator has any bearing over a countries suicide rates, it became clear to me that many legal countries do not have even 100,000 people. I know this because our source estimates suicide rates by number of people who committed suicide per year out of 100,000 people, and many countries were not included on there. The majority of of these countries were unremarkable, either small islands or territories, such as the Christmas Islands or Antarctica. However, other countries that definitely do have at least a population of 100,000 were not included, such as Kosovo. Regardless, it is unlikely that the absence of such countries will have an adverse effect on our results.

Upon completion of all the assignments for Pollock’s SPSS workbook, it is clear that he knew his crowd. I think it is safe to assume that generally speaking IS students are more numerically inept than many other majors, and even the mere sight of numbers can create anxiety among us. Pollock has done an excellent job of essentially dumbing down everything, and putting otherwise confusing concepts in very simple terms. Often times Pollock will describe a concept that at first glance seems fairly confusing, but the next sentence will say something along the lines of “in other words…”  and then explain it further in a simpler way. This book really holds your hand and at times kind of spoon feeds you the answers, but I have found that I retain the information much better that way, as opposed to the dark days of MA-106 where it was as if the authors of the textbooks were doing their best to confuse students with their unnecessarily elaborate wording and explanation of otherwise straightforward concepts. Ultimately, once I got going on Pollock’s workbook, the fears that I had prior to beginning the worksheets evaporated. It was clear to me that he was actually trying to teach us something and acknowledged our lack of quantitative study experience as IS students.

For techniques of computer analysis, I am most apprehensive about the final project. I have taken and failed this class before, so I have an idea of what to expect. I know that with regard to the worksheets, quizzes, and blogs, its all a matter of putting in the work. Fortunately, Pollock seems to understand that IS majors are generally pretty mathematically inept and has thus structured this program with a great deal of hand holding, which makes things very easy and actually enjoyable at times. Thus far, i’ve felt good about all of the worksheets. However there is significantly less hand holding on the final project, and that is slightly disconcerting.