Starting out in Bayesian statistics can be daunting. Learners are confronted with new terms in abundance: prior distribution, posterior distribution, Bayes factor, marginal likelihood, credible interval – just to name a few. If you are all on your own, it can be challenging to get a good grasp of all the important concepts. At JASP, we are committed to increase the accessibility of Bayesian statistics, and this includes teaching the “Bayesian basics” to a broad audience. This is why members of the JASP team have given workshops all around the world to introduce novices to Bayesian methods and support them in conducting their first Bayesian analyses.
Recently, we have been busier than usual in giving workshops. Since the start of the year, we have given workshops at the University of Kassel, the University of Duisburg-Essen, Leuphana University of Lüneburg, and at Princeton University. Since interest seems to be growing, we want to use this blogpost to tell a bit more about the workshops.
What does a typical workshop look like?
Usually, an introductory workshop spreads across one or two half days. After an introduction to the basic concepts, participants can try their hand at some simple Bayesian hypothesis tests using JASP. Typically, the workshop starts out with the Bayesian binomial test, moving on to the t-test, correlation, ANOVA and/or regression. We combine theoretical input with practical exercises and guide participants through the interpretation of Bayesian hypothesis testing results. For our examples, we mostly work with the illustrative datasets built into the JASP Data Library.
Can I see some materials?
Yes, you can! All our workshop materials are freely available on the OSF. EJ Wagenmakers’ workshop materials, including the workshop materials from his recent workshop in Lüneburg and Essen, can be found on https://osf.io/r73y9/. Angelika Stefan’s workshop materials, including her materials for the workshops in Kassel, Essen, and Princeton, can be found on https://osf.io/ckpsz/. You can also find links to other workshop materials linked on our JASP website. Workshop materials include presentation slides, datasets, exercises, and solutions.
I am an educator. Can I reuse your materials?
Yes, feel free to use these materials to inspire your courses. You may also want to take a look at the list of other teaching materials provided on the JASP website. If you are uncertain about licensing or citing, please reach out to the creator of the materials.
Could someone come to my university and give a course?
If you are interested in organizing a course on Bayesian hypothesis testing at your university, feel free to reach out to us. Since we are running the courses in our spare time, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to fulfill all requests, but we will try to connect you with someone who can give a course.
I’m a lone learner. How can I join a workshop?
Every year in summer, the JASP Team organizes a 2-day workshop for everyone interested. There, you will learn about the basic concepts and then get to work on Bayesian hypothesis tests yourself. For an impression of what you can expect you are welcome to visit the homepage of last year’s workshop https://jasp-stats.org/workshop/.
About The Authors
Angelika Stefan
Angelika is a PhD candidate at the Psychological Methods Group of the University of Amsterdam.
Eric-Jan Wagenmakers
Eric-Jan (EJ) Wagenmakers is professor at the Psychological Methods Group at the University of Amsterdam.
