About this course: In this course you will get an introduction to the main tools and ideas in the data scientist's toolbox. The course gives an overview of the data, questions, and tools that data analysts and data scientists work with. There are two components to this course. The first is a conceptual introduction to the ideas behind turning data into actionable knowledge. The second is a practical introduction to the tools that will be used in the program like version control, markdown, git, GitHub, R, and RStudio.
Created by: Johns Hopkins University
Taught by: Jeff Leek, PhD, Associate Professor, Biostatistics
Bloomberg School of Public Health
Taught by: Roger D. Peng, PhD, Associate Professor, Biostatistics
Bloomberg School of Public Health
Taught by: Brian Caffo, PhD, Professor, Biostatistics
Bloomberg School of Public Health
| Basic Info |
Course 1 of 10 in the
Data Science Specialization.
|
| Commitment | 1-4 hours/week |
| Language | English, Subtitles: French, Chinese (Simplified), Greek, Italian, Portuguese (Brazilian), Russian, Turkish, Hebrew |
| How To Pass | Pass all graded assignments to complete the course. |
| User Ratings |
Syllabus
WEEK 1
Week 1
During Week 1, you'll learn about the goals and objectives of the Data Science Specialization and each of its components. You'll also get an overview of the field as well as instructions on how to install R.
16 videos, 5 readings
- Reading: Welcome to the Data Scientist's Toolbox
- Reading: Pre-Course Survey
- Reading: Syllabus
- Reading: Specialization Textbooks
- Video: Specialization Motivation
- Reading: The Elements of Data Analytic Style
- Video: The Data Scientist's Toolbox
- Video: Getting Help
- Video: Finding Answers
- Video: R Programming Overview
- Video: Getting Data Overview
- Video: Exploratory Data Analysis Overview
- Video: Reproducible Research Overview
- Video: Statistical Inference Overview
- Video: Regression Models Overview
- Video: Practical Machine Learning Overview
- Video: Building Data Products Overview
- Video: Installing R on Windows {Roger Peng}
- Video: Install R on a Mac {Roger Peng}
- Video: Installing Rstudio {Roger Peng}
- Video: Installing Outside Software on Mac (OS X Mavericks)
Graded: Week 1 Quiz
WEEK 2
Week 2: Installing the Toolbox
This is the most lecture-intensive week of the course. The primary goal is to get you set up with R, Rstudio, Github, and the other tools we will use throughout the Data Science Specialization and your ongoing work as a data scientist.
9 videos
- Video: Tips from Coursera Users - Optional Video
- Video: Command Line Interface
- Video: Introduction to Git
- Video: Introduction to Github
- Video: Creating a Github Repository
- Video: Basic Git Commands
- Video: Basic Markdown
- Video: Installing R Packages
- Video: Installing Rtools
Graded: Week 2 Quiz
WEEK 3
Week 3: Conceptual Issues
The Week 3 lectures focus on conceptual issues behind study design and turning data into knowledge. If you have trouble or want to explore issues in more depth, please seek out answers on the forums. They are a great resource! If you happen to be a superstar who already gets it, please take the time to help your classmates by answering their questions as well. This is one of the best ways to practice using and explaining your skills to others. These are two of the key characteristics of excellent data scientists.
4 videos
- Video: Types of Questions
- Video: What is Data?
- Video: What About Big Data?
- Video: Experimental Design
Graded: Week 3 Quiz
WEEK 4
Week 4: Course Project Submission & Evaluation
In Week 4, we'll focus on the Course Project. This is your opportunity to install the tools and set up the accounts that you'll need for the rest of the specialization and for work in data science.
1 reading
- Reading: Post-Course Survey
Graded: Course Project
FAQs
How It Works
Coursework
Each course is like an interactive textbook, featuring pre-recorded videos, quizzes and projects.
Help from Your Peers
Connect with thousands of other learners and debate ideas, discuss course material, and get help mastering concepts.
Certificates
Earn official recognition for your work, and share your success with friends, colleagues, and employers.
Creators
Johns Hopkins University
The mission of The Johns Hopkins University is to educate its students and cultivate their capacity for life-long learning, to foster independent and original research, and to bring the benefits of discovery to the world.
Pricing
| Audit | Purchase Course | |
|---|---|---|
| Access to course materials | Available | Available |
| Access to graded materials | Not available | Available |
| Receive a final grade | Not available | Available |
| Earn a shareable Course Certificate | Not available | Available |
Ratings and Reviews
Very well structured course.
Great overview of the tools. I like the way the content and technical work is broken up into very manageable chunks.
Great introductory course!
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JR
Great to be starting to learn R, RStudio and Github!