This talk by Eric Van Dusen, lecturer in Data Science Undergraduate Studies at UC Berkeley will illustrate the world of Data Science Modules and how UC Berkeley has seamlessly integrated interactive computing into classes across the entire campus. The core of this initiative revolves around leveraging the power of data science to enhance educational experiences, making it more hands-on and applicable to real-world scenarios. UC Berkeley's approach involves embedding short, flexible modules into existing courses across various disciplines. This method allows students from diverse academic backgrounds to gain practical skills in data analysis, visualization, and computational thinking without the need for a full data science course. Ubiquitous access to interactive computing, through Jupyter notebooks, enables students to execute code, analyze data, and visualize results all in one place. This interactive platform not only makes learning more engaging but also directly applicable to solving complex problems in fields ranging from social sciences to natural sciences and beyond. By incorporating these modules, UC Berkeley is not just teaching students how to use data science tools; it's empowering them to apply these tools to their areas of study. This interdisciplinary approach demystifies data science, making it accessible and valuable to all students, regardless of their major.

About the speaker

Eric Van Dusen has been working with Data Science Undergraduate Studies at UC Berkeley since 2017. He first joined as a lecturer teaching Connector Courses, and then joining the staff to help to lead the Modules team and Connectors team. Van Dusen is passionate about building interdisciplinary curriculum, teaching with Jupyter notebooks, working with student teams, and doing outreach to instructors to explain the open-source cloud-based teaching workflow. Van Dusen has been teaching a connector course at the intersection of Data Science and Economics, as well as the Honors Thesis Seminar. Recently the outreach efforts have turned to convening educators and creating community through the National Workshop on Data Science Education, the California Alliance for Data Science Education, and working with Community Colleges to make data science education broadly accessible. 

This Lecture Series is part of our Data Science professional development grant in collaboration with CSUMB.