Power and Sample Size for Multilevel and Longitudinal Study Designs

Power and Sample Size for Longitudinal and Multilevel Study Designs, a five-week, fully online course covers innovative, research-based power and sample size methods, and software for multilevel and longitudinal studies. The power and sample size methods and software taught in this course can be used for any health-related, or more generally, social science-related (e.g., educational research) application. All examples in the course videos are from real-world studies on behavioral and social science employing multilevel and longitudinal designs. The course philosophy is to focus on the conceptual knowledge to conduct power and sample size methods. The goal of the course is to teach and disseminate methods for accurate sample size choice, and ultimately, the creation of a power/sample size analysis for a relevant research study in your professional context. Power and sample size selection is one of the most important ethical questions researchers face. Interventional studies that are too large expose human volunteer research participants to possible, and needless, harm from research. Interventional studies that are too small will fail to reach their scientific objective, again bringing possible harm to research participants, without the possibility of concomitant gain from the increase in knowledge. For observational studies in which there are no possible harms to the participants, such as observational studies, proper power ensures good stewardship of both time and money.

Most National Institutes of Health (NIH) study sections will only fund a grant if the grantee has written a compelling and accurate power and sample size analysis. The Institute of Education Sciences (IES), the statistics, research, and evaluation arm of the U.S. Department of Education, also offers competitive grants requiring a compelling and accurate power and sample size analysis (Goal 3: Efficacy and Replication and Goal 4: Effectiveness/Scale-Up).

At the end of the online course, learners will be able to: • Use a framework and strategy for study planning • Write study aims as testable hypotheses • Describe a longitudinal and multilevel study design • Write a statistical analysis plan • Plan a sampling design for subgroups, e.g. racial and ethnic • Demonstrate the feasibility of recruitment • Describe expected missing data and dropout • Write a power and sample size analysis that is aligned with the planned statistical analysis

This is a five-week intensive and interactive online course. We will use a mix of instructional videos, software demonstration videos, online readings, quizzes, and exercise assignments. The final course project is a peer-reviewed research study you design for future power or sample size analysis.

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Syllabus

Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
Week 1
Week 1: Introduction to Multilevel and Longitudinal Designs
Week 2
Week 2: Foundations of Complex Multilevel and Longitudinal Designs
Week 3
Week 3: Model Assumptions, Alignment, Missing Data, and Dropout
Week 4
Week 4: Inputs to Analysis, Recruitment Feasibility, and Multiple Aims
Week 5
Week 5: Ethics and Using Power and Sample Size Analysis to Get Funded

FAQ

When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?

Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:

What will I get if I purchase the Certificate?

When you purchase a Certificate you get access to all course materials, including graded assignments. Upon completing the course, your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.

Is financial aid available?

Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.

Do I need to pay to access the course materials?

No this course is free to enroll from January 13, 2020 to February 16, 2020.

Reviews

Very good course and contents. Excellant training videos and exercises

Some questions in the final exam are confusing, e.g., Q6.