Lessons learned in the design of an undergraduate data mining course

  • Authors:
  • Cecil Schmidt

  • Affiliations:
  • Washburn University, Topeka, KS

  • Venue:
  • Journal of Computing Sciences in Colleges
  • Year:
  • 2011

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Abstract

The ability to analyze and construct knowledge from data is a fundamental talent that is in high demand. Developing this ability requires the understanding of how to solve problems that are data oriented and continually evolving in both application and complexity, i.e. broadly speaking it is the understanding of data mining concepts and techniques. This suggests the need for an educational component at the undergraduate level that should provide the foundational background for solving such problems. These problems are multi-disciplinary by their nature, require both technical and non-technical expertise, and are wonderful resources for further research. This paper describes the design and delivery of such a course and the lessons learned in its design and delivery. Although the course content did not match the recommended curriculum, a set of interesting outcomes was produced. In particular students that completed this course created significant data mining research, and in some cases, was publication worthy.