A Better Introduction to Data Science

The field of data science is still very young and has yet to fully break away from norms inherited from correlated fields. In order to move the field forward I think it's imperative that we start to develop a dialogue around the field that is larger than what is currently represented in most Introduction to Data Science courses. We have developed and launched a new Foundations of Data Science course that includes a much broader and well-represented list of topics that I would very much like to share with a larger audience in the hope that they would use the materials. Which are all free and online at definingdatascience.com (still under construction). The course has also been designed using cutting-edge grading techniques (specs grading), has an active learning approach that includes labs that have been "gamified" and requires a long-form writing assignment that let's students reflect on how they fit into the field. We are hoping to talk more about these approaches to lay the seeds for new methods derived from tested pedagogy for the betterment of our young STEM field.