Envisioning the Data Science Discipline: The Undergraduate Perspective

美国科学院的一项研究将为本科生层面的新兴数据科学学科制定愿景。它将强调数据科学的核心、基本原则、知识内容和特定的教学问题，包括将其与邻近学科区分开来的核心概念。它不会考虑创建材料、课程或程序的实用性。这项研究将发展这一愿景，考虑数据科学的应用和职业。重点将放在本科生层面，同时酌情解决初中、高中和社区大学层面的相关问题，并借鉴创建硕士水平课程的经验。它将考虑这一新的STEM领域的出现所创造的机会，以吸引未被充分代表的学生群体，并考虑如何减少现有STEM途径中的“泄漏”。信息收集将集中在两个研讨会上，第一个可能集中在原则和智力内容上，第二个可能集中在教育学和对初中、高中和社区大学的影响上。为了迅速将材料记录在案，并引发社区反馈，由报告员撰写的研讨会总结报告将在讨论后发布，该报告阐述了数据科学本科教育的愿景。这项研究的智力价值在于，它将通过探索多个部门在这一领域的需求，并借鉴迄今在制定本科课程方面的经验，阐明本科水平的数据科学愿景。这项研究将参考研究委员会的专门知识和经验、委员会召开的研讨会上的简报会和讨论，以及从相关社区收到的对研究中期报告的意见。预计研究过程将对知识内容和教学方法产生共识。该项目及其报告将产生更广泛的影响，为那些在大学设计和实施本科数据科学课程的人提供和分享有价值的信息，并促进此类项目的发展和在劳动力中建立数据科学专业知识。

An Academies study will set forth a vision for the emerging discipline of data science at the undergraduate level. It will emphasize core, underlying principles, intellectual content, and pedagogical issues specific to data science, including core concepts that distinguish it from neighboring disciplines. It will not consider the practicalities of creating materials, courses, or programs.The study will develop this vision considering applications of, and careers in, data science. The focus will be at the undergraduate level, while addressing related issues at the middle school, high school and community college levels, as appropriate, and drawing upon experiences in creating Master's-level programs. It will consider opportunities created by the emergence of this new STEM field to engage underrepresented student populations and consider ways to reduce the "leakage" seen in existing STEM pathways.Information gathering will center around two workshops, the first likely focused on principles and intellectual content, and the second likely focused on pedagogy and implications for middle and high schools and community colleges. To get material on the record quickly and spark community feedback, a rapporteur-authored workshop summary report will be issued following deliberations setting forth a vision for undergraduate education in data science.The intellectual merit of this study is that it will articulate a vision for data science at the undergraduate level by exploring the needs in this area across multiple sectors, and drawing upon experiences to date on fashioning undergraduate programs. The study will draw on the expertise and experience of the study committee, briefings and discussion at workshops convened by the committee, and input received from the relevant communities in response to the study's interim report. The study process is expected to yield a consensus view of intellectual content and pedagogical approaches.This project and its reports will have broader impact by providing and sharing valuable information for those designing and implementing undergraduate data science programs at colleges and universities, and by fostering the development of such programs and building data science expertise in the workforce.