Document Type
Article
Publication Date
10-2-2015
Publication Title
American Statistician
Publication Title
American Statistician
Volume
69
Issue
4
Abstract
A growing number of students are completing undergraduate degrees in statistics and entering the workforce as data analysts. In these positions, they are expected to understand how to use databases and other data warehouses, scrape data from Internet sources, program solutions to complex problems in multiple languages, and think algorithmically as well as statistically. These data science topics have not traditionally been a major component of undergraduate programs in statistics. Consequently, a curricular shift is needed to address additional learning outcomes. The goal of this article is to motivate the importance of data science proficiency and to provide examples and resources for instructors to implement data science in their own statistics curricula. We provide case studies from seven institutions. These varied approaches to teaching data science demonstrate curricular innovations to address new needs. Also included here are examples of assignments designed for courses that foster engagement of undergraduates with data and data science. [Received November 2014. Revised July 2015.]
First Page
343
Last Page
353
Recommended Citation
Hardin, J.; Hoerl, R.; Horton, Nicholas J.; Nolan, D.; Baumer, B.; Hall-Holt, O.; Murrell, P.; Peng, R.; Roback, P.; Temple Lang, D.; and Ward, M. D., "Data Science in Statistics Curricula: Preparing Students to “Think with Data”" (2015). Statistical and Data Sciences: Faculty Publications, Smith College, Northampton, MA.
https://scholarworks.smith.edu/sds_facpubs/36
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
10.1080/00031305.2015.1077729
Included in
Data Science Commons, Other Computer Sciences Commons, Statistics and Probability Commons
Comments
Peer reviewed accepted manuscript.