Data Science

This course uses Tableau a good bit and this year you’ll need your own individual license key (we used bulk keys before but typically would run out or run into issues). You can get a full copy of the Tableau software – PC or Mac – for free!

To request a free copy of the software:

1. Go to the landing page and click the “Get Tableau for Free” button.
2. Fill out the form and make sure that you use your temple.edu email address.
3. They should contact you within a few days with more information on how to download the software.

Tableau’s site has a series of quick start guides and video-based training. If you want to do something that we don’t cover in class, check there.

Addendum (we had issues with the above method):

• Download the latest version of Tableau Desktop here
• Click on the link above and select Get Started. On the form, enter your school email address for Business E-mail and enter the name of your school for Organization.
• Activate with your product key:  TCUS-4419-4D20-6584-ED89 
• Already have a copy of Tableau Desktop installed? Update your license in the application: Help menu -> Manage Product Keys

The reading list for the week are the following:

• The Ashley Madison Hack Is Only the Beginning
• NSA phone calls
• Spying on yourself
• In search of America’s Best Burrito
• Open Data
• What the Fox knows

Programming note about the Monday night classes. We will be covering two sections in the classes. As a result you should be familiar with the reading for 1.1 and 1.2 ahead of the first class Jan. 14. The reading assignment is Three Science Words… from Wired and Data Science and Prediction. The latter is the meatiest of the two readings. And there will be a quiz due before the second class on the second reading installment.

See you in the first class.

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Here is the syllabus for the course. 

You should read the syllabus carefully. Everything you need to know is in this document. Also note that this syllabus is woven throughout the site, but this is a one stop print out if needed.

We are all drowning in data, and so is your future employer. Data pours in from sources as diverse as social media, customer loyalty programs, weather stations, smartphones, and credit card purchases. How can you make sense of it all? Those that can turn raw data into insight will be tomorrow’s decision-makers; those that can solve problems and communicate using data will be tomorrow’s leaders. This course will teach you how to harness the power of data by mastering the ways it is stored, organized, and analyzed to enable better decisions. You will get hands-on experience by solving problems using a variety of powerful, computer-based data tools virtually every organization uses. You will also learn to make more impactful and persuasive presentations by learning the key principles of presenting data visually.

It’s also worth noting that data science and literacy will apply to every profession. In fact, data science is forcing more integration between various fields and careers.