Curriculum Guidelines for Undergraduate Programs in Data Science

The Park City Math Institute (PCMI) 2016 Summer Undergraduate Faculty Program met for the purpose of composing guidelines for undergraduate programs in Data Science. The group consisted of 25 undergraduate faculty from a variety of institutions in the U.S., primarily from the disciplines of mathematics, statistics and computer science. These guidelines are meant to provide some structure for institutions planning for or revising a major in Data Science

Maine IT Workforce Skills Management : A study for the Maine State Department of Labor

Executive Summary: From August 2010 to February 2011 personnel from Information and Innovation at the University of Southern Maine have conducted a study of IT skills needed, possessed and taught in Maine. The goals of this study were to provide fine-grained information to the Maine state Department of Labor to facilitate their workforce development activities. This study concerns the skills sought after by employers, possessed by unemployed and employed workers and taught in education and training establishments with a bricks and mortar presence in Maine. It relied on data created by third parties and by study personnel. Anecdotal evidence was gathered from meetings with local industry IT professionals as well. This study does not attempt to estimate demand or supply of a given skill, but it does assess which skills are in greatest and least demand, which skills are in greatest and least supply, and which skills are taught more and less often. The results of data analysis are presented in a new measure, skill rank disparity, which exposes skill and training gaps and gluts. This study provides certain insights into its results, observing individual cases of skills high in demand and low in supply, for example. Insights are also provided in terms of groups of skills that are often taught, often asked for, and whether these groups of skills are well-represented in the Maine IT workforce. This study also provides specific and actionable recommendatio

Curriculum Guidelines for Undergraduate Programs in Data Science

The Park City Math Institute 2016 Summer Undergraduate Faculty Program met for the purpose of composing guidelines for undergraduate programs in data science. The group consisted of 25 undergraduate faculty from a variety of institutions in the United States, primarily from the disciplines of mathematics, statistics, and computer science. These guidelines are meant to provide some structure for institutions planning for or revising a major in data science

Undergraduate Learning Outcomes for Achieving Data Acumen

It is imperative to foster data acumen in our university student population in order to respond to an increased attention to statistics in society and in the workforce, as well as to contribute to improved career preparation for students. This article discusses 13 learning outcomes that represent achievement of undergraduate data acumen for university level students across different disciplines

Design and Implementation of a Data Visualization Course with a Real-World Project Component in an Undergraduate Information Systems Curriculum

This paper describes a new data visualization class and its real-world project component in the information systems undergraduate program at Loyola University Chicago Quinlan School of Business. The motivation for and the evolution of the data visualization class are outlined. The fit and the position of the data visualization class in the information systems curriculum are discussed. The content of the class, including the choice of Tableau as the data visualization tool used for instruction, is discussed as well. The paper also describes the details of the project component of the class undertaken in conjunction with GE Transportation and discusses the validity and feasibility of using real-world data and scenarios. The outcomes of the project (which included the analysis of sensor data generated while testing locomotive engines) and the outcomes of the course are also discussed

IS Course Success in Liberal Arts Institutions - What\u27s the Formula?

Much of IS pedagogy research has focused on IS programs in business schools or in computer science departments. Insufficient attention has been given to assessing IS pedagogy in business schools without an IS major and in a strong liberal arts environment where skepticism about IS education is high. We describe a newly-designed IS core course that succeeded in such an environment. Our formula for success comprises of inculcating the notion that IS knowledge has both a business and a technology dimension to it, treating these two dimensions as co-equals, and closely integrating the two dimensions while continuing to deliver technical education using the time-tested active learning approach. The active learning component of this course included working on a set of three software development projects focused on an e-business theme. Furthermore, given our perspective that IS knowledge consists of a business and a technology dimension, we also developed an entirely new approach to measuring learning outcomes. Student outcomes were measured in terms of movements in the two-dimensional IS knowledge space and detected via multivariate analysis of variance. Data on student outcomes were collected from three classes held in consecutive semesters. This study breaks new ground both in terms of how IS learning is conceptualized and measured and in demonstrating the success of a technology-driven pedagogical approach in an essentially non-technical culture

Designing for digital: skill sets needed to design for variable data

Variable data printing (VDP) is a key technology in the production of unique and personalized products. Derived from digital printing, the three key components in a successful VDP workflow are the creative aspect, the database management, and the print production. A designer needs to be familiar with all three in order to obtain the skills needed to design for VDP. However, VDP\u27s trend for growth is not as rapid as the industry had projected. This research examined how a variable data workflow was set up in a print production environment. The production workflow and the skills needed to properly design documents for VDP were the focal points of the research. Two designers, two advertising agencies, and five print companies participated in this research study. Additionally, graphic design and graphic communication undergraduate programs were examined across many institutions to see which of them offer instruction in VDP. From this research, it was seen that one likely reason for the delay in growth for VDP was that creative professionals working in print production do not have the adequate training or skill level needed to fully embrace offering variable data solutions. This concept was reinforced by the lack of instruction on the subject at the college level, particularity in the discipline of Graphic Design. Other delays are caused by the multiple workflows used in creating variable documents. Finally, a common limitation to VDP was the lack of data needed to create a successful variable data piece. Based on these findings, the researcher created an outline for a VDP class. The outline focuses on teaching skill sets needed to design for VDP, as determined through this research. It is the goal of this project to make leads in finding solutions to close the gap between design and production in designing for VDP