{"id":338566,"date":"2021-09-13T14:14:49","date_gmt":"2021-09-13T11:14:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/data-science-students-dont-know-a-lot-about-ethics-and-thats-a-problem\/"},"modified":"2021-09-13T14:14:49","modified_gmt":"2021-09-13T11:14:49","slug":"data-science-students-dont-know-a-lot-about-ethics-and-thats-a-problem","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/data-science-students-dont-know-a-lot-about-ethics-and-thats-a-problem\/","title":{"rendered":"#Data science students don\u2019t know a lot about ethics \u2014 and that&#8217;s a problem"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a2924f5e3963\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a2924f5e3963\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/data-science-students-dont-know-a-lot-about-ethics-and-thats-a-problem\/#The_big_idea\" >The big idea<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/data-science-students-dont-know-a-lot-about-ethics-and-thats-a-problem\/#Why_it_matters\" >Why it matters<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/data-science-students-dont-know-a-lot-about-ethics-and-thats-a-problem\/#What_still_isnt_known\" >What still isn\u2019t known<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/data-science-students-dont-know-a-lot-about-ethics-and-thats-a-problem\/#Whats_next\" >What\u2019s next<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p>&#8220;<strong>#Data <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/sciencee\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"5\" title=\"Science\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">science<\/a> students don\u2019t know a lot about ethics \u2014 and that&#8217;s a problem<\/strong>&#8221;<\/p>\n<div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_big_idea\"><\/span>The big idea<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Undergraduate training for data scientists \u2013 dubbed the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/hbr.org\/2012\/10\/data-scientist-the-sexiest-job-of-the-21st-century\">sexiest job of the 21st century<\/a> by Harvard Business Review \u2013 falls short in preparing students for the ethical use of data science, our new study found.<\/p>\n<p>Data science lies at the nexus of statistics and computer science <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>lied to a particular field such as astronomy, linguistics, medicine, psychology or sociology. The idea behind this data crunching is to use big data to address otherwise unsolvable problems, such as how health care providers can create <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/415530a\">personalized medicine based on a patient\u2019s genes<\/a> and how businesses can make <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1145\/3292500.3330790\">purchase predictions based on customers\u2019 behavior<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bls.gov\/ooh\/computer-and-information-technology\/computer-and-information-research-scientists.htm\">a 15% growth in data science careers over the period of 2019-2029<\/a>, corresponding with an increased demand for data science training. Universities and colleges have responded to the demand by creating new programs or revamping existing ones. The number of undergraduate data science programs in the U.S. jumped from <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/jise.org\/Volume26\/n2\/JISEv26n2p103.html\">13 in 2014<\/a> to <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/datascience.community\/colleges\">at least 50<\/a> as of September 2020.<\/p>\n<p>As educators and practitioners in <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?user=QsbzWj0AAAAJ&amp;hl=en\">data science<\/a>, we were prompted by the growth in programs to investigate what is covered, and what is not covered, in data science undergraduate education.<\/p>\n<p>In <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.7717\/peerj-cs.441\">our study<\/a>, we compared undergraduate data science curricula with the expectations for <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalacademies.org\/our-work\/envisioning-the-data-science-discipline-the-undergraduate-perspective\">undergraduate data science training<\/a> put forth by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. Those expectations include training in ethics. We found most programs dedicated considerable coursework to mathematics, statistics and computer science, but little training in ethical considerations such as privacy and systemic bias. Only 50% of the degree programs we investigated required any coursework in ethics.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_it_matters\"><\/span>Why it matters<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>As with any powerful tool, the responsible application of data science requires training in how to use data science and to understand its impacts. Our results align with <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/jise.org\/Volume26\/n2\/JISEv26n2p103.html\">prior work<\/a> that found little attention is paid to ethics in data science degree programs. This suggests that undergraduate data science degree programs may produce a workforce without the training and judgment to apply data science methods responsibly.<\/p>\n<figure><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Data Science Ethics in 6 Minutes\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/mA4gypAiRYU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><figcaption><span class=\"caption\">This primer on data science ethics covers real-world harms.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>It isn\u2019t hard to find examples of irresponsible use of data science. For instance, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1111%2Fj.1740-9713.2016.00960.x\">policing models that have a built-in data bias<\/a> can lead to an elevated police presence in historically over-policed neighborhoods. In another example, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1126%2Fscience.aax2342\">algorithms used by the U.S. health care system are biased<\/a> in a way that causes Black patients to receive less care than white patients with similar needs.<\/p>\n<p>We believe explicit training in ethical practices would better prepare a <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">social<\/a>ly responsible data science workforce.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_still_isnt_known\"><\/span>What still isn\u2019t known<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>While data science is a relatively new field \u2013 still being defined as a discipline \u2013 guidelines exist for training undergraduate students in data science. These guidelines prompt the question: How much training can we expect in an undergraduate degree?<\/p>\n<p>The National Academies recommend <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalacademies.org\/our-work\/envisioning-the-data-science-discipline-the-undergraduate-perspective\">training in 10 areas<\/a>, including ethical problem solving, communication and data management.<\/p>\n<p>Our work focused on undergraduate data science degrees at schools <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/carnegieclassifications.iu.edu\/classification_descriptions\/basic.php\">classified as R1<\/a>, meaning they engage in high levels of research activity. Further research could examine the amount of training and preparation in various aspects of data science at the Masters and Ph.D. levels and the nature of undergraduate data science training at schools of different research levels.<\/p>\n<p>Given that many data science programs are new, there is considerable opportunity to compare the training that students receive with the expectations of employers.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Whats_next\"><\/span>What\u2019s next<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>We plan to expand on our findings by investigating the pressures that might be driving curriculum development for degrees in other disciplines that are seeing similar job market growth.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" style=\"border: none !important;margin: 0 !important;max-height: 1px !important;max-width: 1px !important;min-height: 1px !important;min-width: 1px !important;padding: 0 !important\" alt=\"The Conversation\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" class=\"js-lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/164372\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic\"\/><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https:\/\/theconversation.com\/republishing-guidelines --><\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" style=\"border: none !important;margin: 0 !important;max-height: 1px !important;max-width: 1px !important;min-height: 1px !important;min-width: 1px !important;padding: 0 !important\" src=\"https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/164372\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic\" alt=\"The Conversation\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" class=\"\" srcset=\"\"\/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p><em>Article by <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/jeffrey-c-oliver-1248876\">Jeffrey C. Oliver<\/a>, Data Science Specialist, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/university-of-arizona-959\">University of Arizona<\/a> and <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/torbet-mcneil-1266673\">Torbet McNeil<\/a>, Ph.D. candidate in Educational Policy Studies and Practice, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/university-of-arizona-959\">University of Arizona<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>This article is republished from <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\">The Conversation<\/a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/data-science-education-lacks-a-much-needed-focus-on-ethics-164372\">original article<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Technology category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/news\/data-science-students-ethics-problem-syndication\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;#Data science students don\u2019t know a lot about ethics \u2014 and that&#8217;s a problem&#8221; The big idea Undergraduate training for data scientists \u2013 dubbed the sexiest job of the 21st century by Harvard Business Review \u2013 falls short in preparing students for the ethical use of data science, our new study found. Data science lies&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":338567,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/img-cdn.tnwcdn.com\/image\/tnw?filter_last=1&fit=1280,640&url=https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/09\/DataScience-Class.jpg&signature=e5a456dcb0ea3c7fddf38feb3cd42663","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-338566","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/338566","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=338566"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/338566\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/338567"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=338566"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=338566"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=338566"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}