Project 1: Quantified Self
| ready? | assigned | due |
|---|---|---|
| true | Tue 11/26 11:00AM | Wed 12/11 05:00PM |
Quantified Self
As we discussed during lecture, this part of the project aims to give you a taste of data collection and self-analysis.
- Do you wonder if drinking more water (8oz or more) two hours before your run helps you run faster?
- Are you curious if you get more Pomodoros done if you play classical music during the sessions?
- Do you want to know what aspect of your life is affected by the number of hours of sleep?
Well, you don’t have to wonder anymore: collect the data about yourself/your behavior and see for yourself.
Idenitfying the variables
Think about what numerical variables you can track (you should identify at least two but you can track more if you want). For example, you can track your hours of sleep and the number of Pomodoros you finished. The first variable (e.g., number of hours of sleep) is called an independent variable (also called an experimental / predictor variable). This is the variable you expect has the effect on the other variable (e.g., the number of Pomodoros), which is called a dependent variable (or an outcome variable).
In order to decide which numerical variables to track “[t]ry to guess what the record of your observations will look like after your project gets going. Do you think there will be a pattern?” (Advice from the Quantified Self website.)
Once you identify the variables you want to track, begin recording the values. By the end of the first week of December, you should have about two weeks worth of data that you have collected.
By Monday, Dec 2, submit your answers to the following questions via this Google form:
- What variables are you going to measure? (Note that you need at least one pair of variables, but you can do more if you wish.)
- In a concise paragraph summarize the procedure for your data collection: what are you measuring? How? When / how often?
- In a concise paragraph summarize what relationship do you expect to find and why. For example, are you hoping to find negative/positive correlation or none at all? Why?
Data Collection
The way you collect data is up to you: you can record the values in the provided Jupyter notebook, you can use an Excel/Google spreadsheet, or you can use a tracker in your Bullet Journal.
You are allowed to use a device to help you collect the data (e.g., a (smart) watch, accelerometer).
You will need to submit your CSV / screenshots and create a table with your recorded values.
Accountability
Feel free to work with someone from the class as your accountability buddy and to brainstorm ideas for this project. You don’t have to track the same variables, you are just helping each other stay accountable to collect the values for this project.
Visualization
Plot the variables.
Analysis
Compute the correlation.
Conclusion
Summarize the insights from your visualization and analysis.
Submission
- Submit the variables you will be tracking by Monday, Dec 2 via this Google form.
- Submit the final notebook showing your analysis before the final project deadline.