Engaging Students through Relevant, Accessible Data Science Applications

Cal Poly Humboldt’s project developed and deployed two exploratory data analysis modules in a 100 level GE Science class which serves a large number of STEM freshmen. The modules were thematically centered on climate justice in an attempt to transcend traditional bounds of disciplines and to engage students using principles of culturally relevant pedagogy. Additionally, faculty coding workshops were offered by The Carpentries, a well-known non-profit which teaches coding and data analysis skills with a proven curriculum over the period of the grant. A Faculty Learning Community was established to strengthen the community of data practitioners on campus and to encourage interdisciplinary collaboration—both pedagogically and in scholarly work. These activities coincided with the launch of Cal Poly Humboldt’s new Data Science major in Fall 2023 and helped move Data Science into the larger community at our institution.