The Boston College Committee on Statistics and Methodology

is pleased to announce the inaugural colloquium in its

Statistics and Methodology Workshop Series

Random Coefficients Multilevel Models

Professor Aline Sayer, senior research scientist at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Studies, Harvard University, will present introductory and advanced topics lectures on Random Coefficients Multilevel Models (or Hierarchical Linear Models--HLM). The workshop will be held Friday November 10th and Monday November 13th, 2000.

Workshop description

The hierarchical (or multilevel) model provides a conceptual framework and a flexible set of analytic tools to study a variety of social and developmental processes. One set of applications focuses on data in which persons are clustered within social contexts such as couples, families, classrooms, schools, or neighborhoods. A second set of applications concerns individual growth or change over time. This workshop will cover the principles and assumptions of hierarchical linear models, with applications to a variety of practical problems. The training will stress the use of the HLM5 computer program (Raudenbush, Bryk, Cheong, & Congdon, 2000) for fitting the models, with a focus on the interpretation and reporting of results. The presentation will include several worked examples and computer demonstrations. A bibliography will be provided to each participant. If possible, participants should download a free student version of HLM5 onto a laptop computer and bring the laptop to the workshop. The student version (Windows only) can be downloaded from the Scientific Software International website.

Workshop schedule

Friday November 10

  1. An introduction and brief history

    2. -- methodological criticism of past treatment of hierarchical data
    -- problems in the measurement of change
    -- problems in the measurement of contextual (organizational) effects

  2. The logic of the 2-level hierarchical linear model illustrated by an application to the study of individual change over time: The development of attitudes toward deviant behavior

  3. An introduction to the HLM 5 computer program

  4. The logic of the 2-level hierarchical model illustrated by an application to the study of individuals within social contexts: The effect of schools on child social and cognitive outcomes

Monday November 13

  1. An overview of exciting applications

    2. -- couples/dyads
    -- neighborhood effects
    -- longitudinal designs that include a time-varying covariate

  2. Consulting on individual projects

All faculty, students, and other members of the Boston College research community are welcome to attend. Attendance, however, is limited to 35 participants. Registration is required and will be handled through email notification to committee member Larry Ludlow (LSOE). Registration will not only reserve a seat, but will also cover material distribution, coffee breaks both days, and lunch on Friday.

The deadline for registration is Friday October 27th. A wait list will be generated if needed. An agenda and seminar material will be sent to registered participants prior to November 10th.

To register, please copy the following lines, fill them in, and email them to Larry Ludlow. Delete up to this point and complete the following questions:

Name: ___________________________

Department: _______________________

Rank:

( ) graduate student

( ) faculty

( ) research associate

Attendance:

( ) all three sessions

( ) just Friday morning session

( ) just Friday afternoon session

( ) just Monday morning session

Last updated: 13 Oct 2000 cfb