🗓️ Week 01 - Meet & Greet, Intro to R + Positron
Our first week covers course logistics — what to expect, how lectures and discussion sections work, and how you’ll be assessed — followed by getting oriented in R and Positron.
| Date | Time | Format | Topic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thu, Sep 24 | 1:30-3:05 pm | Lecture | Meet + greet + install |
| Tue, Sep 29 | 9:50-10:55 am | DS | Practice: machine setup & install troubleshooting |
| Tue, Sep 29 | 1:30-3:05 pm | Lecture | Intro to R + Positron |
There’s no DS to print for this first Thursday — the DS grade cycle starts with next week’s Tuesday session.
🤖 AI & Learning This Week
AI status this week: No AI for lessons, in-class exercises, or DS. Turn off the Positron assistant and any code-completion tools.
Why: The first weeks build the habits (reading code, finding your own way through an error) that later let you judge whether AI output is right.
This week:
- Thursday: we go over the syllabus, including the AI Use Policy, and why each rule exists.
- Tuesday DS (setup): as part of installing R, Positron, git, and GitHub, check that any AI assistant or autocomplete in Positron is switched off for coursework. We will do it together.
- Nothing in this course needs a paid AI tool or any AI account.
See the AI Use Policy for the full rules.
👨🏫 Lecture Slides
- Thu, Sep 24 (Lecture): Welcome to STAT 266A: meet + greet, syllabus, install
- Tue, Sep 29 (DS): DS 1: Machine setup
- Tue, Sep 29 (Lecture): Intro to R + Positron
💻 Hands-on: Intro to R
Work through Lesson 1: Introduction to R and Positron on the companion Intro to R site — get oriented in Positron, use R as a calculator, and learn how assignment works.