About this course: This course introduces the Bayesian approach to statistics, starting with the concept of probability and moving to the analysis of data. We will learn about the philosophy of the Bayesian approach as well as how to implement it for common types of data. We will compare the Bayesian approach to the more commonly-taught Frequentist approach, and see some of the benefits of the Bayesian approach. In particular, the Bayesian approach allows for better accounting of uncertainty, results that have more intuitive and interpretable meaning, and more explicit statements of assumptions. This course combines lecture videos, computer demonstrations, readings, exercises, and discussion boards to create an active learning experience. For computing, you have the choice of using Microsoft Excel or the open-source, freely available statistical package R, with equivalent content for both options. The lectures provide some of the basic mathematical development as well as explanations of philosophy and interpretation. Completion of this course will give you an understanding of the concepts of the Bayesian approach, understanding the key differences between Bayesian and Frequentist approaches, and the ability to do basic data analyses.
Who is this class for: This course is for people interested in learning an alternative to the Frequentist approach that is typically taught in statistics classes. The course covers both concepts and basic computing, and so it is applicable both to people doing data analysis as well as people who read the analysis of others, such as decision makers. This course expects that learners have previous exposure to statistics at the introductory level or higher, and previous exposure to calculus. In both cases, the expectation is that concepts have been seen previously, possibly many years earlier, but that the details may have been forgotten.
Taught by: Herbert Lee, Professor
Applied Mathematics and Statistics
| Level | Intermediate |
| Commitment | Four weeks of study, two-five hours/week depending on your familiarity with mathematical statistics. |
| Language | English |
| How To Pass | Pass all graded assignments to complete the course. |
| User Ratings |
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VERY INSIGHTFUL AND INSTRUCTIVE
This was a great introduction to bayesian statistic. I have background in Computer Science and Engineering but I have not yet been introduced to Bayesian Statistics. The Quizzes were where the learning was happening for me. Personally I learn the best when I code things up. I wish they had also included coding examples in Python (which is what I used for the quizzes) since that is one on the most popular languages for data science.
An interesting introduction to Bayesian statistics and inference. Not for people with no statistical background, as it does assume you are comfortable with various distributions, expectations, variances, etc. and the 'standard' frequentist worldview (including inferential procedures such as linear regression). The material was well explained, and generally well examined, with a mixture of multiple choice understanding questions, and numeric response tasks which also serve as a very basic introduction to R (or Excel if you are crazy). It was good to see the instructor realising that a light shirt was causing problems and switching to a darker one as the videos went on!
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MV
Great course that introduces the fundamentals of Bayesian Statistics. Useful for becoming familiar enough with the ideas to use in basic analysis provided you have some experience with frequentist statistical methods. For my studies, this course allowed me access to the Bayesian statistical material that is often encountered in phylogenetic analysis in bioinformatics.