Quant in the Real World: A Data Apprenticeship

EDU S067 Subject & Catalog Number

Description

The practice of data analysis draws on skills learned in a statistics class, but also requires skills, knowledge, and attitudes which are not typically taught in the classroom. Data analysts must work with clients or supervisors to understand the goal of an analysis. They must take vague objectives and turn them into research questions that can be answered using quantitative methods. They must wrangle and clean messy datasets. And perhaps most challenging of all, they must develop good intuition, the ability to trust their own decisions, and capacity to communicate their findings in a coherent, convincing, and professional manner.

In this course, students will be paired with a real world client (e.g., a school, a district, an organization, etc.) with a real-world problem that quantitative data work can help illuminate. Over the course of the semester, students working in groups of three or four will consult with their partner to identify a broad goal, determine the scope of work, carry out the analysis, and deliver the expected product. Throughout the term, students will receive support and occasionally explicit instruction in data analysis from the teaching team. They will also present to the class on their ongoing work and give feedback on the work that other groups are doing. The class will meet twice a week, with one class meeting generally dedicated to full-group discussions and the other to small-group work and consultancy with the teaching team. At the end of the course, students will submit a completed analysis to their client and present their findings.

Participation in the course requires students to have a background in quantitative data analysis; S-012, S-040, or the equivalent are sufficient. Students with questions about their preparation should contact one of the instructors.