About this course: We have all heard the phrase “correlation does not equal causation.” What, then, does equal causation? This course aims to answer that question and more! Over a period of 5 weeks, you will learn how causal effects are defined, what assumptions about your data and models are necessary, and how to implement and interpret some popular statistical methods. Learners will have the opportunity to apply these methods to example data in R (free statistical software environment). At the end of the course, learners should be able to: 1. Define causal effects using potential outcomes 2. Describe the difference between association and causation 3. Express assumptions with causal graphs 4. Implement several types of causal inference methods (e.g. matching, instrumental variables, inverse probability of treatment weighting) 5. Identify which causal assumptions are necessary for each type of statistical method So join us.... and discover for yourself why modern statistical methods for estimating causal effects are indispensable in so many fields of study!
Who is this class for: Familiarity with traditional statistical methods, such as regression models, and basic probability recommended. Familiarity with free statistical environment R recommended. Learners should successfully download R before starting the course.
Taught by: Jason A. Roy, Ph.D. , Associate Professor of Biostatistics
Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Informatics
| Level | Intermediate |
| Commitment | 5 weeks of study, 3-5 hours per week |
| Language | English |
| Hardware Req | Learners must download R, the free software environment, in order to complete assessments. |
| How To Pass | Pass all graded assignments to complete the course. |
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|---|---|---|
| Access to course materials | Available | Available |
| Access to graded materials | Not available | Available |
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In the beginning the course to me was quite difficult, as it has a different perspective on statistics I was used to. Most people tend to say: "correlation is not causality". When it came to propensity scores, matching and so on the possibilities became more clear to me to apply these methods in practice. The pace of the videos is slow, so I played the videos in 1.5 of the time. What I missed was the ability to download the slides. The instructor would look into this, but we're still waiting several weeks later. Another thing I missed was any sense how many other students were in the course.
Thanks so much for providing this great lecture.
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Works best on double speed (from settings menu of each video). Content is delivered in clear and relatable manner using interesting real world examples.