This is the first semester of a two-semester sequence in Data Science. Using real-world examples of wide interest and the popular programming language R, we introduce methods for key facets of a data-driven investigation. These include acquiring data, wrangling the data to get a manageable data set, exploratory data analysis to generate hypotheses and intuition about the data, and explanation of results through interpretable summaries that are both transparent and reproducible.
CSC 104 Programming with Python or CSC 110 Computer Science I or MIS 240 Introduction to Programming Concepts, and MAT 117 Applied Statistics or MAT217 Statistics I or SCM 200 Statistical Applications in Business with a grade of C or above.
We will cover material from the following topics:
There is no official textbook to purchase for this course. However, we will primarily use the text R for Data Science. It is available for free at the linked website. A physical copy can be purchased if desired. Additional reading materials will be provided as needed and will also be free.
We will be exclusively using R and RStudio (although most of what we do in this course readily applies to other languages and software). You can access the Shippensburg University RStudio server from any computer by going to r.ship.edu and entering your Ship login and password. If you wish to setup a local installation of RStudio on your personal computer, follow the directions in the Setting Up RStudio section.
There are five components to your overall grade: participation, DataCamp exercises, homework, midterm project, and the final project.
Participation entails being present in class, taking part in discussions/activities, and focusing on course content (that is, not checking email or other websites). Participation also means not copying answers for DataCamp exercises or submitting code/content that is copied from (or only slightly modified versions of) your peers’ work and/or online sources. This goes against the philosophy that all work in this class is an opportunity for practice and feedback.
DataCamp is a company that provides online courses covering a range of topics related to data science. When registered for this course, free access to DataCamp courses will be available and selected courses/chapters will be assigned.
Throughout the semester you will be asked to write code in R Markdown notebooks to solve a variety of problems. How to work with R Markdown will be covered in this course before the homework is assigned.
There will be one midterm project that will be a larger programming task than exercises and homework problems. Collaboration on the midterm project is highly encouraged. Learning is best done in groups, especially when it comes to coding. However you must submit your own answers and not a simple rewording of another’s work. Furthermore, all collaborations must be explicitly acknowledged at the top of your submissions. Details of the assignment will be discussed in class at a later date.
There will be final project that will be a larger programming task than exercises and homework problems, similar to the midterm. Collaboration on the final project is highly encouraged. Learning is best done in groups, especially when it comes to coding. All collaborations must be explicitly acknowledged at the top of your submissions. Details of the assignment will be discussed in class at a later date. The components of the final project are:
Shippensburg University welcomes students with disabilities into all of the University’s educational programs and strives to make all learning experiences as accessible as possible. Any student who feels s/he may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact the Office of Accessibility Resources (OAR) to discuss your specific needs. OAR is located in Horton Hall 324 and can be reached by phone at (717) 477-1364. The office’s website is www.ship.edu/oar.
In order to receive consideration for reasonable accommodations, you must provide documentation and participate in an intake interview. If the documentation supports your request for reasonable accommodations, the Office of Accessibility Resources will provide you with an Accommodation Notification Form. OAR encourages you to share your notification form with your instructors and discuss your accommodations with them as early in your courses as possible. You must submit a request for a new notification form each semester that you request accommodations.
Shippensburg University and its faculty are committed to assuring a safe and productive educational environment for all students. In order to meet this commitment and to comply with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and guidance from the Office for Civil Rights, the University requires faculty members to report incidents of sexual violence shared by students to the University’s Title IX Coordinator.
The only exceptions to faculty members’ reporting obligations are when incidents of sexual violence are communicated by students during classroom discussions, in writing assignments for class, or as part of University-approved research projects.
Faculty members are obligated to report allegations of sexual violence or any other abuse of a student who was, or is, a child (a person under 18 years of age) when the abuse allegedly occurred. Such reporting must be made to the Shippensburg University Police (717-477-1444), the Department of Human Services (DHS) at 800-932-0313, and the University’s Office of the Vice President of Student Affairs (717-477-1308).
Information regarding the reporting of sexual violence and the resources that are available to victims of sexual violence can be found here.
Shippensburg University expects academic honesty from every student, for academic honesty is crucial to the integrity and reputation of a University. Conversely, academic dishonesty undermines the foundations of our scholarly community. The term academic dishonesty means deceit or misrepresentation in attempting (successfully or unsuccessfully) to influence the grading process or to obtain academic credit by a means not authorized by a course instructor or university policy. Academic dishonesty is committed by students who give, as well as receive, unauthorized assistance in course work and/or who purposefully evade or assist other students in evading the university’s policy against academic dishonesty.
It is the policy of Shippensburg University to expect academic honesty. Students who commit breaches of academic honesty will be subject to the various sanctions outlined in the University’s policy. This policy applies to all students enrolled at Shippensburg during and after their time of enrollment.
Plagiarism is a form of academic dishonesty; it is unacknowledged use of another writer’s words, facts, propositions or materials in your own writing. The unacknowledged use of code taken from peers and online sources is also plagiarism. We will discuss citing sources in class, please adhere to citation policies to avoid problems with plagiarism.