Unit Introduction and What You Will Learn
Week 13 is synchronous, with class on Monday (4/13). Students read Royse (2023) Chapter 12, which covers understanding statistical data, finding patterns, and analyzing outcome data. This week, we turn our attention to data analysis and interpretation. During class, students will apply these concepts by analyzing real survey data and working in small groups to interpret and present findings. The agenda for the in-person class includes:
- What is the purpose of data analysis
- Scales of measurement
- Types of calculation
- Practical application of interpreting findings
- How we implement it for program evaluation
Learning Objectives this week
- Describe methods used to understand and interpret data.
- Apply principles of effective data visualization to represent data.
- Create charts using real data to practice presenting information.
Unit Assignments
Read
- Royse (2023) Chapter 12 Understanding Statistical Data, Finding Patterns, and Analyzing Outcome Data
A-01: Class Engagement and Attendance
Attend class
A-02: Chapter Reading Quizzes
Complete W-12 A-02 Chapter Reading Quiz for Royse (2022) Chapter 12 before class.
A-04a Individual Weekly Journal Entries
You can find the assignment W-13 A-04a Journal Entry 08 by Monday 4/20, 8:00 AM
Unit Resources
During class, we reviewed the flyer for presentations. You will be able to engage in real-world data analysis by taking the survey you created for the 2026 Spring SOWK 460w BASW Quality Assurance Survey. After the data has been collected, I’ll update this with a [link to the raw data](). You will be creating some visualizations in the Google Doc2026 Spring SOWK 460w BASW Quality Assurance Survey - Interpretation Report. Next week, we will write descriptions about this into a report format.
This week, I drew some of the source material from a couple of articles. We listen to a story called The Blind Men and the Elephant. In discussing triangulation, I draw from Thurmond (2001) to share the types of triangulation we consider. We also consider Midway (2020) in our discussion of data visualization.
All of the presentations for this class can be found at https://presentations.jacobrcampbell.com. This week’s slides are Spring 2026 SOWK 460w Week 13 - Interpreting Findings, Analyzing and Understanding Data for Program Evaluation.
The Lecture Videos tab in the MyHeritage course is where you will be able to find class recordings. The video this week is at [Spring 2026 SOWK 460w Week 13]().
Reference
Midway, S. R. (2020). Principles of effective data visualization. Patterns, 1(9), 100141. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.patter.2020.100141
Thurmond, V. A. (2001). The point of triangulation. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 33(3), 253-258. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1547-5069.2001.00253.x
To-Do Lists
- Attend class
- Read chapter 12 and complete your reading quiz
- Complete you journal entry