DA 301 - Practicum in Data Analytics

Here you will find information on required readings, import university policies, and course-specific policies like attendance and cell phone use.

Required Texts

Computers and Software

Grade Breakdown

Project Information

The client-based course projects are designed to give you the opportunity to collaborate with a team and with an end user on a set of deliverables within a constrained timeline. The goals of the semester-long project include learning how to work on bigger, more open-ended data sets or analysis products, and to give you the opportunity to gain practical experience and expertise in using data analysis tools that you will need in the real world while you still have access to experienced teachers to help you navigate the process. While some class time will be provided to work on projects, you will need to schedule time to work within your teams outside of class. Your instructor and client will provide feedback at several points throughout the semester.

Late Work

The pace of this class is fast, especially in the first five weeks of the semester. Work is generally due to the instructor and the clients at the same time, and it's crucial that this work be turned in on time since it reflects poorly on Denison if we are not respecting our client's schedules. If you have a legitimate emergency such as a serious illness, a mental health emergency, or a death in the family, I will grant an appropriate extension with a new due date. The trade off is that work turned in this way is probably not going end up in my hand when I grade everything else, so it’s going to get less feedback. If you miss a deadline entirely without getting an extension, you will automatically lose 10 points off the top of your grade for each day it is late, in addition to any points you lose for the quality of the work.

Distractions

Cell phones should be off and put away. Laptops are okay for notes and such, but you should not be messaging, using Facebook, etc. I’ll check screens regularly give you a verbal warning on your first offense. After that, I reserve the right to ask you to leave class and mark you absent if you are creating a distraction.

Being Prepared for Class

Coming to class prepared means that you have the day's reading in hand (printed or digital) and have come to class with a way to take notes (printed or digital). If you are not prepared for class, I reserve the right to grade as if you were absent for that day. Anything due on a given day is due at the start of class. Any digital submission of material is due by the time class starts on the day the hard copy is due. If students so not come to class prepared, I reserve the right to add reading quizzes to the day's work. I very much prefer not to do exercise this option and am asking you to help make it unnecessary.

Academic Integrity

Proposed and developed by Denison students, passed unanimously by DCGA and Denison’s faculty, the Code of Academic Integrity requires that instructors notify the Associate Provost of cases of academic dishonesty. Cases are typically heard by the Academic Integrity Board, which determines whether a violation has occurred, and, if so, its severity and the sanctions. In some circumstances the case may be handled through an Administrative Resolution Procedure. Further, the code makes students responsible for promoting a culture of integrity on campus and acting in instances in which integrity is violated.

Academic honesty, the cornerstone of teaching and learning, lays the foundation for lifelong integrity. Academic dishonesty is intellectual theft. It includes, but is not limited to, providing or receiving assistance in a manner not authorized by the instructor in the creation of work to be submitted for evaluation. This standard applies to all work ranging from daily homework assignments to major exams. Students must clearly cite any sources consulted--not merely for quoted phrases, but also for ideas and information that are not common knowledge. Neither ignorance nor carelessness is an acceptable defense incases of plagiarism. It is the student’s responsibility to follow the appropriate format for citations. Students should ask their instructors for assistance in determining what sorts of materials and assistance are appropriate for assignments and for guidance in citing such materials clearly.

Our Commitment to Liberal Arts Education

Denison's mission statement articulates an explicit commitment to liberal arts education. It emphasizes active learning, which defines students as active participants in the leaning process, not passive recipients. Denison seeks to foster self-determination and to demonstrate the transformative power of education. A crucial aspect of this approach is what Denison's mission statement refers to as "a concern for the whole person," which is why the university provides a "living-learning environment" based on individual needs and an overriding concern for community. This community is based on "a firm belief in human dignity and compassion unlimited by cultural, racial, sexual, religious or economic barriers, and directed toward an engagement with the central issues of our time."

In this class, we will discuss inequality directly. In many cases, you will asked to apply quantitative reasoning skills to these subject, which can be difficult because there is always the potential for the available data to complicate or contradict something you may feel very passionate about. In these cases, you should aspire to adopt an attitude of critical skepticism, i.e. wary of claims that are not supported by evidence but potentially willing to be persuaded by evidence if you find it compelling, and willing to give that evidence a fair hearing.

How we treat one another will be a cornerstone of these conversations. Denison's "Guiding Principles" speak of "a community in which individuals respect one another and their environment." Further, "each member of the community possesses a full range of rights and responsibilities. Foremost among these is a commitment to treat each other and the environment with mutual respect, tolerance, and civility." It's easy to treat someone this way when you like them and agree with their ideas, but the real challenge is treating those who differ from us with the same compassion and respect. However, I consider disruptive, deceitful, or hateful behavior to be breaches of these responsibilities. Bullying, trolling, hate speech, and harassment of any kind will not be tolerated.

Initial Bid Proposal

This team-based assignment responds to the client's Request for Proposal (RFP). In the simplest sense, a proposal is a plan of action for addressing a need. It is a specific genre in professional writing, which strives to be honest, evidence-based, specific, and detailed. Bid proposals typically include information about the company making the bid, the work to be performed, anticipated costs, a timeline of work to be done, a list of subcontractors to be included, and anything asked for in the RFP. Our proposals will be a little bit different since we are writing them for clients and for this class, but we will stay fairly close to a standard template.

Bid Proposal Presentation

In this team assignment, you and your teammates will first meet with and present to your client in detail, and then present an abbreviated summary of your project and approach to the class. All members of the team should participate in the presentation for roughly equivalent amounts of time.

Technical Progress Report I

The main goal of the progress report is to demonstrate visibility and transparency to your client. You need to make sure they understand how the project is progressing and have the opportunity for input at critical checkpoints along the way.

Technical Progress Report II

The main goal of this progress report is to update your client on the past month’s accomplishments and provide the opportunity for input on any changes or new insights thus far.

Domain-knowledge Assignment

This individual writing assignment is meant to be a mini-review of a sub-topic related to your client’s field or project, to help each team member build domain knowledge, and to help each team assemble domain knowledge from complimentary areas.

Visualization Assignment

This individual writing and visualization assignment asks you to think deeply and critically about how to present visual information in ways that will ultimately inform your team's final project packet.

Ignite Presentation

A PechaKucha is a type of “lightning” talk that has gained in popularity across business, scientific, and academic worlds in the past ten years. We’re going to try the “Ignite” version of this format, which is even faster! In short, it is a 20X20 format with 20 slides, each of which is displayed for exactly 20 seconds.

Final Project Packet

This team assignment is made up of written and verbal components. Through many individual and team assignments, we have already been working on many aspects of this packet. The initial bid assignment, domain knowledge assignment, technical progress reports, presentations, in-class workshopping, and visualization assignment all feed into this assignment. As a result, the written deliverables and subsequent presentation represent a culmination of all the work and skills that you have been building all semester!

Note: More detailed assignment descriptions will be added to Notebowl as we approach each deadline.