Pennies for Peace Update

Data visualization

I'm testing data visualization software (and ideas) for a faculty member working on a project about real estate values and public school systems.  I have a couple of examples I made of visualizations of Connecticut housing data using Tableau Public here and here.  Of course, with Tableau Public, you have to worry about the stability of the cloud, so for this particular project, I'm not sure whether this will do. 

But I'm a big fan of Jon Udell (and Hans Rosling) and so I would make the argument that creating screencasts in which the author of data visualization narrates the data are going to be useful for those who would rather sit back and listen.  These days, the free tools with which you can make screencasts are endless, but I prefer Screencast-o-matic.  The interface looks clunky, but works like a dream.  (Read this review of 12 screencasting tools if you want to try something else).  With Screencast-o-matic, you can export your screencast as an mp4 (like here), allowing you to preserve whatever (possibly) unstable data visualizations you have created while simultaneously supplementing the visualization with a soundtrack.

New printer

In response to multiple student requests, the SSC is getting a first printer and, at least for the first year, we will offer (dare I say it?) free printing.

The plan is set the default printing settings in the SSC to print double-sided and to use an eco-font. Students are welcome to use the printer, but advised to use it mostly for their own papers and assignments and not for printing readings from class. Not only is this not environmentally sustainable, but it is also not financially feasible!

Enjoy!

 

Second attempt at a Google motion chart

Well, the quality isn't very good (very fuzzy), but the chart is much better than the last one I made. They data are time series data on faculty salaries against college tuition costs from 2000 to 2009. For some reason the html to embed the actual graph on this blog aren't work. Still, take a look:

Trinity is hiring!

As many students may know, Trinity College is in the process of hiring multiple new staff members. Right now we are searching for: a new Director of Institutional Research, and new Chief Information Officer, and a new Director of the Watkinson Library. These are huge positions on campus. Stay tuned!

Fall 2009 - Econometric Poster Presentations

Students who are currently taking Econometrics (Economics 318) will be available in the Social Science Center - on the second floor of Williams - to discuss their projects on Tuesday, December 15 from 10 to 12 noon. This is not a series of student presentations. Rather, each of the seven groups of students has prepared a poster which summarizes their model and the results of their project. We would like to invite you to attend.

Does your neighbor’s foreclosure decrease the value of your home? (Casey Armstrong, Amanda Curley, Emeka Kanu)

How does pitcher fatigue affect major league pitcher performance? (Francois Auzerais, Thomas Kilgore, Matt Santore)

Is it worth expanding commuter rail in Connecticut? (Will von Meister, Matt Howe)

Why are there such large swings in the stock of office space in Boston? (Max Stratouly, Nick Vasquez)

What factors are most influential in a Hartford parent’s decision to choose a high test scoring school for their child? (Joel Caron, Christopher Hunt, Manam Chowhan, Tehani Guruge, Ben Dawson)

At the town level, how important were Independents in the reelection of Governor Jodi Rell in 2006? (Jake Gaffey, Craig Drusbosky, Norm Salem)

Is Connecticut a competitor in attracting venture capital? (Sean McGlynn, Dan D’Aprile, Mike Perl, Natasha Das)

Course on "People and the Polls" for Spring 2010

It's almost Advising Week here at Trinity, which means its time for Trinity students to start thinking about what they want to take next semester. I'll be teaching a new class on "People and the Polls" (see the course description here). Among other things, I want to have the students in the course examine the unrolling of the 2010 Census. All aboard! Sign up now!

Pictures of the SSC, circa 1930

The room that now houses the Social Science Center used to be Trinity's original library and was occupied as such until the library moved to its first free-standing building in 1952 (where it still stands today).  In case you are curious, this is what it used to look like (courtesy of Peter Knapp at the Trinity College Archives in the Watkinson):

Most of the book shelves lining the sides of the room are long gone, but they still remain in the corners.  I love the light shining through the east window!

Sociology open house - October 27

The Sociology Department is hosting an open house for prospective majors on October 27, from 4:15 to 5:30 in the Crescent Street building where the department is located. Take a look at the flier.

Greetings from Ann Arbor

Right now, I'm in Michigan, as part of the assessment team for ICPSR's new website Teaching With Data.  Unfortunately, it's pouring in Ann Arbor, and so I don't get to troll around one of my favorite college towns before events commence at 3:00 pm.  However, being here always reminds me of how cool data people are.  I'm ready to begin!

Trinity Days Workshops - Register Now!

I will be hosting three workshops over Trinity Days:

• Workshop#1: Excel (Monday, October 12, 10 - 12)
• Workshop#2: SPSS (Monday, October 12, 2 - 4)
• Workshop#3: Atlas.ti (Tuesday, October 13, 10 - 12)

We’ll be working in the best computer lab on campus (Seabury 205), eating some food, and working through some “real world” situations that require technical, software skills. There is no better time to start picking up these skills than while you are in college, where you can do this for free in a low-stress environment!

These workshops are for students from all skill levels (from those who would rather avoid learning new software to those who know a lot about the software at hand but want to learn how to apply software skills to real, problem-solving activities).

Please visit the SSC events page to read the flier and register!

ICPSR's Meeting for Official Representatives - Online this week!

Today was the kickoff for ICPSR's first ever online OR meeting. Usually ICPSR hosts their meeting in Ann Arbor every other year. But the economy got the best of everyone this year, and so they decided to host it online via webinars instead. Although it's disappointing not to go to Ann Arbor, the plus of doing things this way is that more people can attend. It doesn't cost a dime to register for these webinars and learn a few things about data.

Libbie Stephenson and I hosted our New OR Orientation today, so if you are not reading this blog post before now, I hate to say that you missed it! But do check out the rest of the schedule for this week. I'm hoping to catch the session on the 2010 Census on Wednesday at 11:00!

Trinity thesis student's thesis is online

Devlin Hughes' thesis on the creation of the Smart Choices website is now online here. If you haven't read this yet, or if you don't know anything about Smart Choices, you should check it out. This thesis brings so many things together: digital and educational divide issues, data visualization, mapping, and website design.

The SSC gets its URL

There is nothing that motivates a person more to finish a website than to get a new URL for it. I really shouldn't share this until my website has some real, useful content, but here it is anyway: http://www.trincoll.edu/ssc/. This actually points to another, off-campus server where the website is hosted, but that is fine with me!

The first week of classes

The first week of classes at Trinity have come and gone, and I feel that all I have accomplished thus far--at least as far as the new Social Science Center--is installing my new lamps:



The SSC can't be open at night (at least not yet), but I'm hoping these will be useful once winter really hits and it starts getting dark in Connecticut around 4:00.

Early pics of the Social Science Center

Quite fortuitously, I have received a room, and this room, deities willing, will become a Social Science Center (what that means and for whom it means something remains to be defined). But for now, some pictures. This is one of the corners at the north end of the room. The books are from a recently retired Political Science Professor. They chairs are have handles on the back and are full mobile (back legs are wheels). They match another six chairs not in view:



We have had two dual-boot computers installed and locked down to tables. These have all the lab software installed on them. We are also have--wait for it....---wireless!

Tweet!

Please follow me on Twitter! I'm rachbarlow. I try to follow folks in higher ed, library/IT and data people, as well as people and organizations in Hartford and the metro area, so look at the tweeps I follow, too!

Data about myself talking about data

I've signed up for a beta account with Daytum, a new website that is contributing to the trend in what Kevin Kelly refers to as the quantified self. Check out my numbers!

Note that these kinds of sites are proliferating all over the place. You can keep track of your sexual relationships, your finances, your companies salaries, your menstrual period, and the symptoms and medications associated with your disease.

Instant message me, please!

You can now find me on AIM and GoogleTalk. My username is rachdata. Please say hello!

Using Wordle to compare library strategic plans

The first is from Carleton College's library. The second is from Trinity