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Abstract: There is a consensus to introduce data science to secondary schools. However, data science is interdisciplinary in nature and not easy to teach in K−12 settings. We proposed a new approach to integrate mathematics, statistics, and programming—the foundations of data science—for high school students based on set theory and logic. We developed an 8-week data science foundation course and implemented it in a public high school. We conducted semistructured group interviews to collect students’ feedback on the course and the new approach. Students thought the approach could well connect the topics and helped them learn the interdisciplinary content.
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This content will become publicly available on February 17, 2026
Analyzing High School Students' Engagement in Online Data Science Learning through Entropy Analysis
Data science is revolutionizing academia and industry, creating a high demand for a workforce fluent in this field. While the availability of data science courses has increased recently, few curricula rigorously build on mathematical logic. The LogicDS Project addresses this gap by engaging high school students from rural communities in an online data science course integrating mathematics, statistics, and programming into a unified framework based on logic and reasoning. A one-week course, consisting of six lessons, was developed and 110 participants were recruited. Pre- and post-intervention data, along with students' LMS activity logs, were collected to analyze engagement. Results indicate that the Logic-Based framework effectively engages students from diverse backgrounds, with participants finding the course valuable for learning data science skills. Notably, entropy analysis of student activity logs correlated with other mixed methods analyses, providing insights into engaging K-12 students in data science education.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2201393
- PAR ID:
- 10587321
- Publisher / Repository:
- DSE K-12 2025 Conference Proceedings
- Date Published:
- Subject(s) / Keyword(s):
- data science AI education entropy analysis LMS python
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Location:
- DSE K-12 2025 Conference - Las Vegas, NV
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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