Editing Community Data Science Course (Spring 2019)

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:'''Community Data Science: Programming and Data Science for Communicators'''
:'''Community Data Science: Programming and Data Science for Social Media'''
:'''COMMLD 520 B''' - Department of Communication
:'''COMMLD 520 B''' - Department of Communication
:'''Location:''' CMU 302
:'''Location:''' CMU 302
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:'''Course Catalog Description:'''
:'''Course Catalog Description:'''


This course will introduce basic programming and data science tools to give students the skills to use data to read, critique, and produce stories and insights. The class will cover the basics of the Python programming language, acquiring and processing public data, and basic tools and techniques for data analysis and visualization. We will focus on gaining access to data and basic data manipulation rather than complex statistical methods. The class will be built around student-designed independent projects and is targeted at students with no previous programming experience.
This course will introduce basic programming and data science tools to give students the skills to use data to answer questions about social media and online communities. The class will cover the basics of the Python programming language, acquiring and processing public data, and basic tools and techniques for data analysis and visualization. We will focus on gaining access to data and basic data manipulation rather than complex statistical methods. The class will be built around student-designed independent projects and is targeted at students with no previous programming experience.


== Overview and Learning Objectives ==
== Overview and Learning Objectives ==
<div style="float:right;">__TOC__</div>
<div style="float:right;">__TOC__</div>


In a world that is increasingly driven by software and data, developing a basic level of fluency with programming and the basic tools of data analysis is a crucial skill. This course will introduce basic programming and data science tools to give students the skills to operate in a data-driven environment.
In a world that is increasingly driven by software and data, developing a basic level of fluency with programming and the basic tools of data analysis is a crucial skill. This course will introduce basic programming and data science tools to give students the skills to use data to answer questions about social media and online communities.


In particular, the class will cover the basics of the Python programming language, an introduction to web APIs, and will teach basic tools and techniques for data analysis and visualization. In order to efficiently cover an end to end data analysis project, we will focus on publicly available data sets from the United States Government and the City of Seattle. Our goal is to enable you to gather and analyze data from any available source, but there are often subtle differences between data providers, and I would prefer that we see the full process once than get bogged down in data collection. Time will also be reserved to cover data access for popular social media platforms including Twitter.
In particular, the class will cover the basics of the Python programming language, an introduction to web APIs, and will teach basic tools and techniques for data analysis and visualization. In order to efficiently cover an end to end data analysis project, we will focus on publicly available data sets from the United States Government and the City of Seattle. Our goal is to enable you to gather and analyze data from any available source, but there are often subtle differences between data providers, and I would prefer that we see the full process once than get bogged down in data collection. Time will also be reserved to cover data access for popular social media platforms including Twitter.
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As part of the class, participants will learn to write software in Python to collect data from web APIs and process that data to produce numbers, hypothesis tests, tables, and graphical visualizations that answer real questions. The class will be built around student-designed independent projects. Every student will pick a question or issue they are interested in pursuing in the first week and will work with the instructor to build from that question toward a completed analysis of data that the student has collected using software they have written.
As part of the class, participants will learn to write software in Python to collect data from web APIs and process that data to produce numbers, hypothesis tests, tables, and graphical visualizations that answer real questions. The class will be built around student-designed independent projects. Every student will pick a question or issue they are interested in pursuing in the first week and will work with the instructor to build from that question toward a completed analysis of data that the student has collected using software they have written.


This is not a computer science class and I am not going to be training you to become professional programmers. This introduction to programming is intentionally quick and dirty and is focused on what you need to get things done. We will focus on effectively answering questions from public data sets by writing your own software and by managing and communicating more effectively with programmers.
This is not a computer science class and I am not going to be training you to become professional programmers. This introduction to programming is intentionally quick and dirty and is focused on what you need to get things done. We will focus on effectively answering questions about social media by writing your own software and by managing and communicating more effectively with programmers.




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* I expect you to come to class every day ''with your own laptop''. Windows, Mac OS and Linux are all fine but an iPad or Android tablet is not going to cut it. We're going to install software during the class and you'll be working on projects for homework so please bring the same laptop each time. If for some reason your laptop dies mid-course, please contact me so we can get your new one up to speed.
* I expect you to come to class every day ''with your own laptop''. Windows, Mac OS and Linux are all fine but an iPad or Android tablet is not going to cut it. We're going to install software during the class and you'll be working on projects for homework so please bring the same laptop each time. If for some reason your laptop dies mid-course, please contact me so we can get your new one up to speed.
* If you need access to a computer, please reach out to me as soon as possible. The Department has laptops you can borrow for the course, but it's important to have that laptop in the first week.
* I can be reached at the following: richardtguy84@gmail.com or guyrt@uw.edu (it all flows to the same place). Email is generally the easiest way to reach out, but Google Hangouts at richardtguy84 will also work. Like many of you, I work 9-5 but I commit to responding to any email within 24 hours of receipt and generally faster than that.
* I can be reached at the following: richardtguy84@gmail.com or guyrt@uw.edu (it all flows to the same place). Email is generally the easiest way to reach out, but Google Hangouts at richardtguy84 will also work. Like many of you, I work 9-5 but I commit to responding to any email within 24 hours of receipt and generally faster than that.


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In this assignment, you should identify an area of interest, at least 2 sources with relevant data, and at least 3-4 questions that you plan to explore. We will discuss appropriate data sources for your project in the first and second week of the course. I am hoping that each of you will pick an area that you are intellectually committed to and invested in (e.g., in your business or personal life). You will be successful if you describe the scope of the problem and explain why you think the data sources you've identified are relevant.  
In this assignment, you should identify an area of interest, at least 2 sources with relevant data, and at least 3-4 questions that you plan to explore. I am hoping that each of you will pick an area that you are intellectually committed to and invested in (e.g., in your business or personal life). You will be successful if you describe the scope of the problem and explain why you think the data sources you've identified are relevant.  


   
   
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