R Programming Fundamentals
Course Syllabus
Course Description
R is a free programming language and software environment used for statistical computing and
graphics. R is widely used by data analysts, statisticians, and data scientists around the world.
This beginner-friendly course is a comprehensive introduction to R, covering everything from
installation to basic statistical functions. You will learn to work with variable and external data
sets, write functions, and hear from one of the co-creators of the R language, Robert Gentleman.
Instructors
Susan Holmes, PhD
Professor of Statistics, Stanford University
Guest Presenters
Robert Gentleman
VP of Computational Biology, 23andMe; Co-creator of R
Course Topics
Module 1 – Course Introduction
This module provides an overview of the course, and an introduction to the
history and evolution of R.
Approximate video length: 14 minutes
Module 2 – Getting Started
In this module, you will learn how to set-up R on your device, and
familiarize yourself with the basic features of R studio that you will be using
later on in the course.
Approximate video length: 102 minutes
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R Programming Fundamentals
Module 3 – Data Structures
This module covers the vectors, matrices and lists, the basic data
structures and data frames used in R. You will learn how to create these
structures and work with them based on data type, size and desired
outcomes.
Approximate video length in module: 109 minutes
Estimated time to complete all exercises in module: 150 minutes
Module Exercises-
• Vectors (Estimated time to complete: 25 minutes)
• Random Objects (Estimated time to complete: 15 minutes)
• Matrices (Estimated time to complete: 30 minutes)
• Lists (Estimated time to complete: 30 minutes)
• Factors (Estimated time to complete: 20 minutes)
• Data Frames (Estimated time to complete: 30 minutes)
Module 4 – Data Input
This module introduces best practices on importing and exporting data
from external sources and programs, such as Excel, into R, and how to
save and retrieve your work. You will also learn about some of the
common issues with using foreign data in R and how to debug when
issues occur.
Approximate video length in module: 56 minutes
Estimated time to complete all exercises in module: 90 minutes
Module Exercises-
• Importing Data (Estimated time to complete: 50 minutes)
• Saving Data (Estimated time to complete: 40 minutes)
Module 5 – Programming with Data I
In this module, you will learn about the basic statements for programming
with data in R - equality/inequality, for loops, repeats, if/else statements and
more. You will get to practice writing your own functions and review best
practices.
Approximate video length in module: 70 minutes
Estimated time to complete all exercises in module: 175 minutes
Module Exercises-
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R Programming Fundamentals
• Logical Statements (Estimated time to complete: 15 minutes)
• If/else Statements (Estimated time to complete: 45 minutes)
• Functions (Estimated time to complete: 60 minutes)
• Loops (Estimated time to complete: 55 minutes)
Module 6 – Programming with Data II
This module will introduce you to more advanced functions in R such as
preprocessing, data wrangling, ordering and filtering. You will also learn
how to process data with outliers and/or missing values.
Approximate video length in module: 68 minutes
Module 7 – Plotting Data
In this module, you will learn how to plot simple data sets in R and the
variety of visual representations associated with the plot function.
Approximate video length in module: 45 minutes
Estimated time to complete all exercises in module: 75 minutes
Module Exercises-
• XY and image plots (Estimated time to complete: 30 minutes)
• Histograms (Estimated time to complete: 15 minutes)
• Box plots and bar plots (Estimated time to complete: 30 minutes)
Module 8 – Basic Statistical Functions I
In this module, you will learn how to extract and work with subsamples using
basic statistical functions, and plotting more complex data sets using GGplot
and QQplot.
Approximate video length in module: 52 minutes
Module 9 – Basic Statistical Functions II
In this module, you will learn how to perform simple tests and regression
analysis in R.
Approximate video length in module: 39 minutes
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R Programming Fundamentals
Course Requirements
Please watch all course videos and complete all course quizzes located throughout the course.
Each quiz question will count equally towards your completion. In order to receive a certificate,
you will need to pass 80 % of the assignments of each module.
This course does not have a final exam.
Please, note that the course also includes practice assignments. Their successful completion
doesn’t count towards the final grade.
To successfully complete each quiz and practice assignment, you will need to follow all
instructions.
Course Materials
All course materials are provided within the course learning platform. These include the course
videos, course handouts and all assignment instructions.
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