The Division of Computing, Data Science, and Society (CDSS) introduced a new course this summer to its offerings, Data 6. Berkeley undergraduate student Ian Castro (Media Studies and Microbial Biology, class of 2021) will be teaching the course offered to incoming Berkeley SEED Scholars students. Read our previous feature on how Ian became involved in the Berkeley data science community.
In this Q&A Ian shares more details about this innovative new course.
Question: What is the new Data 6 class?
Answer: Data 6, Introduction to Computational Thinking with Data, is a brand new course in the data science pathway. Designed as a six-week summer intensive precursor to Data 8, the course teaches critical concepts in programming and exposes students to the interdisciplinary work of data scientists.
In Data 6, we will primarily focus on exploratory data analysis and the social impacts and applications of data science. This summer, students used Python to analyze real-world datasets on presidential elections in Pennsylvania, COVID-19 cases in the United States, gender representation in Hollywood, and homelessness in Oakland, among other issues. We also explore the use and understanding of data visualizations to communicate information, as well as the ethical implications of data using the Human Contexts & Ethics approach.
Q: How will Data 6 be different from the popular Data 8 class?
A: Compared to Data 8, Data 6 spends more time on introducing foundational computing concepts, such as abstraction and algorithms, and less on the various statistical techniques involved in data science. Our curriculum also emphasizes the importance of communicating and understanding data through visualizations, as most of our work revolves around exploring and visualizing data rather than statistical inference.
Our course also aims to highlight the social and interdisciplinary work of data scientists. Each week, guest speakers with experience in fields such as environmental planning, law, and economics come to class to speak about how they use data science in their own work. Regardless of the differences, students who take Data 6 will find the information in the first few weeks of Data 8 very familiar and understandable, as the course is designed to be a direct bridge to the content in Data 8.
Q: Why was Data 6 created?
A: Through Data 6, we aim to close the gap between students who have prior experience and students who do not in the introductory computer science courses, such as Computer Science 61A, and the Foundations of Data Science course, Data 8. The large size and rigor of these courses tend to steer students, especially those who have not had previous exposure to computing or statistics, away from the major.
Data 6 is explicitly designed for those students and aims to help them succeed in further coursework in the data science pathway. By offering a well-paced introductory course in the summer before students take CS61A or Data 8 in the Fall or Spring semesters, we hope to increase enrollment and participation of underrepresented minorities in the field -- including women, first-generation, and Black and Latinx students -- by teaching them key skills and building confidence in their computing abilities.
Q: Who is eligible to enroll in Data 6?
A: Currently, only students enrolled in the SEED Scholars program are eligible to enroll in Data 6. However, we do plan to offer this course during the summer in future years to students who are interested in pursuing majors or courses in data science, computer science, or statistics but are worried about doing well in the faster-paced, intensive introductory courses. Unfortunately, students who have already completed Data 8 are ineligible to take Data 6.
Q: What do you think the impact of Data 6 will be?
A: Through Data 6, we aim to further build on the Data Science Education Program’s goal of creating equitable access to the field of data science. Professor Dan Garcia and his Computer Science 10 course, the Beauty and Joy of Computing, have done an amazing job of empowering students who are traditionally underrepresented in computer science, especially women and students of color.
My goal is to make Data 6 a similar course for data science at Cal and help convince students in a similar situation as myself -- an underrepresented minority in the field who came to college without any prior programming experience -- that they can learn how to code, succeed in their coursework, and become skilled data scientists.
Q: How can students get more information about Data 6 and enroll?
A: If you are a student interested in learning more about Data 6, you may contact Ian Castro at castro.ian@berkeley.edu or Data Science Advising at ds-advising@berkeley.edu. Incoming freshman applicants to UC Berkeley who are interested in the course and pursuing advanced degrees in STEM should also look into applying to the SEED Scholars program at www.seedscholars.berkeley.edu. Students may also contact the program director at SeedScholars@berkeley.edu