METEO 815 Syllabus

Applied Atmospheric Data Analysis - Summer 2024

Please note that I divided the syllabus into several sections. You can read it sequentially by scrolling down the length of this page, or simply by clicking on any of the links in the list below (to “jump” to a specific section). Without reservation, it is crucial that you read the entire page (and the material covered on the other pages of the course orientation). Together, they constitute an informal course "contract" between you and me.

• Instructor
• Technical Assistance
• General Course Structure
• Required Course Materials
• Assignments and Grading
• Course Policies

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Instructor

Jan Dutton, Ph.D.
Adjunct Instructor
jfd118@psu.edu(link sends e-mail)

Note:

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Technical Assistance

If you're studying the course content in Meteo 815 and encounter a lesson page with a typo, broken link, or you have trouble viewing one of the animations or images, feel free to post a question in one of the course discussion forums found in each lesson module. I'll do my best to determine the cause of the problem and get it fixed.

However, if you're having trouble with Canvas (posting to a discussion forum, sending an email, taking a quiz, etc.), please use the Help button located in the left banner of the Canvas environment. You will notice that there are several options. First, I would try the Canvas Guides... they are an excellent resource. However, if you still are stuck, use the "Report a Problem for World Campus Courses" option to contact the Outreach Helpdesk. When describing your issue, try to be as specific as you possibly can. Include information such as:

• the specific part of Canvas you're having trouble with, what you attempted to do when that failed, and the exact language of any error message displayed on your screen,
• the date and time when your problem occurred,
• the type of browser and OS that you are using, and
• any other pertinent information (does the problem happen consistently and always in the same way, etc.).

Alternatively, you can contact the Helpdesk directly in a variety of ways.

The Outreach Helpdesk
wdtechsupport@outreach.psu.edu(link sends e-mail)
http://student.worldcampus.psu.edu/technical-support
(800) 252-3592, option #4
(814) 865-0047

Hours of Operation:

• 08:00 A.M. till 12:00 Midnight ET, Monday through Friday
• 10:00 A.M. till 7:00 P.M. ET, Saturday and Sunday

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General Course Structure

METEO 815: Applied Atmospheric Data Analysis. (3 credits). Practical guidance on methods for describing, testing, and modeling environmental data. Prerequisites: Meteo 810

METEO 815 is the second course in a series of online offerings in Weather and Climate Analytics. Other courses include how to parse and display large environment datasets, time series analytics, and predictive modeling.

Course materials in METEO 815 consist of 8 online lessons, for which I've allotted approximately two weeks apiece. Within each lesson, students will complete the assigned reading as well as an extensive data analysis activity. These activities are meant to improve your skills in data analysis and communication (while developing your proficiency in the use of the R statistical-coding language). A final project will build on these activities. 

Course Objectives

When you successfully complete this course, you will be prepared to:

• compute descriptive measures and produce figures describing weather and climate datasets;
• formulate and perform hypothesis testing to determine the significance of a prescribed extreme weather event;
• visualize, quantify, and model the relationship between observed and forecast variables in applied problems such as weather-marketplace interactions;
• incorporate current data mining strategies to create analysis workflows for weather and climate data;
• choose the appropriate analysis procedure given a problem and data constraints; and
• display weather and climate analyses in a manner that effectively communicates answers to posed questions.

Below is a visual syllabus. The goal of this visual is to help you look at the bigger picture of the course and to see how the individual lessons build. I encourage you to look at the visual each lesson to see where you are going and what you have already accomplished. 

What I Expect of You

As with most graduate courses, there is a considerably higher onus on you to take responsibility for your own learning. While lessons present guidance on what you need to learn, much of your actual learning will take place as you engage in directed research and experiment with various examples presented in the text. Following through on these examples and exploring various ways to accomplish prescribed, data-analysis tasks are an absolute necessity, not only to be successful on the lesson's assessment activity but to meet your own learning goals as well.

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Required Course Materials

I emphasize here that all the material contained in the lessons, taken as a whole, will serve as the primary textbook for this course. If you desire a supplement to the online text, I might suggest a manual on the R programming language. There are many different books to choose from, and I would choose one that fits your learning style and background. However, know that most answers to R programming problems can be found in online programming forums. I would give that a try first.

It goes without saying that you'll need an active Penn State Access Account user ID and password to access all of the online course resources maintained in Canvas. If you have any questions about obtaining or activating your Penn State Access Account, please contact the Help Desk at your home campus.

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Assignments and Grading

Two components of assessment will comprise your final grade in METEO 815:

• Lesson Activities     ...70% 
• Culminating Project ...30%

Detailed information about these assessments is covered in the Course Assignments section of the Course Orientation material.

The grading scale will differ from the traditional "points-based" scales that you are familiar with. First, I assume that you are taking this course because you want to learn the material, and thus, you will give your maximum effort in doing so. This course, not unlike the real world, has very few "right" answers. Instead, what counts is a good deal of research, thought, and effort behind any project that you take on. I will expect no different in this course. Below are my rubric criteria for letter grades as applied to any assessment (or section thereof) or as an overall grade.

• Grade of A: This grade represents exemplary work, in both thought and effort. As an overall grade, an "A" represents a consistent pattern of diligence, correct analysis, and attention to detail.
• Grade of B: Earning a B means that you completed the assessment as stated, but perhaps displayed some flawed analysis or lackluster presentation. By all means, a "B" is nothing to be ashamed of. On the contrary, this grade represents work that is still quite good, both in effort and execution. However, there are likely areas that the student can improve upon. A final grade of "B" could represent a track record of consistently "good" work or some inconsistency of work, some being excellent while others leaning more to the "poor" end of the spectrum.
• Grade of C: Unlike at the undergraduate level, a "C" grade represents "poor" performance, in either thought or execution of assignments. Typically, a "C" grade in graduate work is considered a failing grade (one that requires a repeat of the course). 
• Grade of F: This grade is reserved for students who did not complete a significant portion of the work assigned. It represents a failure to complete the course on any level.

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Course Policies

Prerequisites

Students who do not meet these prerequisites may be disenrolled according to Administrative Policy C-5;if they do not have the proper prerequisite override. If you have not completed the listed prerequisites, then promptly consult with the instructor if you have not done so already. Students who add the course after being disenrolled, according to this policy, are in violation of the Student Code of Conduct.