This course provides a strong foundation in data science using R, specifically tailored for political and social science applications, and serves as the first step in a comprehensive four-course sequence at a prestigious university.
This online pre-college course, Introduction to Data Science (PSCI 1800), offered by Penn Summer, teaches high school students fundamental data science skills using the statistical programming language R. The curriculum focuses on data acquisition, management, and visualization, which are crucial for working with and analyzing large datasets in political and social science. Students will learn to acquire, input, format, analyze, and visualize various types of political and social science data. The course is designed as the first in a four-course sequence, preparing students to deepen their R skills in subsequent courses and apply them in other disciplines. While no prior background in statistics or political science is required, students should be familiar with contemporary computing environments and willing to learn data science tools. The course emphasizes hands-on learning through coding exercises and culminates in a final project where students analyze a dataset of their choice to answer a research question.
A typical day involves attending synchronous online lectures and engaging in discussions, followed by working on coding exercises and assignments. Students are expected to actively participate in a group Slack channel and may have office hours with the instructor or TAs.
This course is ideal for high school students who are curious about data analysis, interested in political and social science topics, and eager to learn a foundational programming language like R, even with no prior statistics or programming experience.
Virtual
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