“IMPACT Data Science Education: Preparing Undergraduates to Lead into the Future” is a project awarded funding through Purdue University’s Integrative Data Science Initiative (IDSI). More information about the Purdue Libraries and School of Information Studies’ IDSI awarded projects is available at http://bit.ly/idsi2.

by Yixuan Sun, Graduate Assistant, IMPACT Data Science, and Ph.D. Student, Mechanical Engineering

Yixuan Sun, Graduate Assistant, IMPACT Data Science, and Ph.D. Student, Mechanical Engineering

As we become increasingly dependent on data, data-driven work — such as data analysis, visualization, and predictive modeling — has never been more important across different fields. One of the projects of Purdue University’s Integrative Data Science Initiative (IDSI) is “IMPACT Data Science Education: Preparing Undergraduates to Lead into the Future,” which will contribute to the current data science education ecosystem at Purdue by helping faculty integrate data science into undergraduate courses.

The IMPACT Data Science team is comprised of six Purdue faculty and staff members who have expertise in data science, pedagogy, and instructional design. Led by Purdue University Libraries and School of Information (PULSIS) associate Professor Clarence Maybee, the project includes team members Guang Lin, associate professor, mathematics/mechanical engineering/statistics(courtesy)/earth, atmospheric, and planetary sciences (courtesy) & director of Data Science Consulting Service; Wei Zakharov, assistant professor, PULSIS; Chao Cai, assistant professor, PULSIS; and Jason Fitzsimmons, instructional developer Center of Instructional Excellence (CIE).

Dr. Clarence Maybee

The IMPACT Data Science project builds on successful Purdue programs, such as IMPACT (Instruction Matters: Purdue Academic Course Transformation) and the Data Science Consulting Service. The purpose of the project is to create a sustainable and scalable course development process for integrating data science into undergraduate courses. The project will support six faculty members as they design innovative and engaging data science coursework to enable their students to develop a comprehensive high-level understanding of data science and its applications in their fields.

The IMPACT Data Science team will organize several major activities across the 2019-2020 academic year, which include:

• selecting six faculty participants to participate in the project (participants must concurrently participate in the IMPACT program in spring 2020);
• arranging four IMPACT Data Science working group meetings (during the spring 2020 semester), in which the participants will learn from other Purdue faculty who have successfully integrated data science into courses, as well as learn about specific data science tools and methods used in their disciplines; and
• hosting a half-day IMPACT Data Science Summit (between May and July of 2020), during which the participants will share with the Purdue community their plans for integrating data science into their undergraduate courses.

The IMPACT Data Science project will have a significant impact on the students in the six undergraduate courses selected to participate in the project. Aligned with the learning goals of each course, students will gain the ability to conduct basic statistical analysis, data visualization and predictive modeling, which will provide a unique insight into the subject of the course.

Data science is essential for societal advancement, as it could unlock gateways to new research, technology, and commerce. Students equipped with basic data science knowledge will be more competitive in their careers and the IMPACT Data Science project offers a way for Purdue faculty to help the students succeed in their fields by integrating data science into undergraduate courses.

For more information about the IMPACT Data Science project, contact Yixuan Sun at sun650@purdue.edu, or Clarence Maybee (PI) at cmaybee@purdue.edu