Instructors
Meetings
Assignments
Websites
DS 121 is the second in the three-course sequence (DS 120, 121, 122) that introduces students to theoretical foundations of Data Science. DS 121 covers an introduction to key concepts from Linear Algebra (vector space, independence, orthogonality and matrix factorizations). The DS theme running through the course is exploratory data analysis, enabling a better understanding of the data at hand. The course will link mathematical concepts with computational thinking, specifically through the use of problem sets that require students to answer mathematically-posed questions using computation.
This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Digital/Multimedia Expression, Quantitative Reasoning I, Critical Thinking.
Prerequisites: DS 110 and 120, or equivalents.
We will use two websites in this class: Piazza for course announcements and discussion and Gradescope for submitting homework assignments. Please sign up for both websites immediately!
Additionally, we will use 4 textbooks in this class, all of which are available for free download using the links in the Piazza resources tab: https://piazza.com/bu/spring2023/ds121/resources
The course instructor is Prof. Allison McDonald. This class meets three times per week, on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, at 11:15am-12:05pm in room PHO 211. I actively encourage questions and interactive discussion during lectures and recitation labs. There is a lesson plan available on the Piazza resources tab. It is subject to updates over time; please feel free to suggest topics that you would like to see me cover in lecture!
I plan to record all lectures on Zoom. If you can’t come to class in person (e.g., due to illness), you can join the Zoom livestream.
After each lecture, I will also post the lecture notes and Zoom video recording on the Piazza resources tab. I encourage you to review the materials when working on homework assignments and preparing for tests.
Discussion sections will be led by TA Abhishek Tiwari. There are three discussion sections:
Students are welcome and encouraged to visit office hours. Our tentative schedule is:
We will try to keep a Google Calendar up-to-date with office hours, lecture, discussion, and due dates.
If you want to meet but cannot make office hours, send me a private note on Piazza with at least 2 suggestions for times that you are available, and we will find a time to meet. If your question is about the homework, I encourage you to post it as a public Piazza post.
Your grade in this course will be based on four components:
The numerical score will be converted into a letter grade following the rubric at https://www.bu.edu/academics/wheelock/policies/grades-course-credits-incomplete-coursework/. Optionally, I might curve grades upward (but never downward!).
We will have two in-class tests on Friday, February 24, and Friday, March 31. We will also have a final exam, following the date and place set within the university-wide schedule on final exams (https://www.bu.edu/reg/calendars/final-exams). The final exam is currently set for May 8 at 12-2pm (location TBD), but if the date or place changes then I will make an announcement in class.
Please reserve these dates on your calendar now! If you have a valid conflict with a test date, you must tell me as soon as you are aware, and with a minimum of 1 week notice (unless there are extenuating circumstances) so we can arrange a make-up test.
Any material from lectures, discussion sections, homeworks, and the required assigned reading is fair game to cover in the midterms and final exam. All tests are cumulative: material from the entire semester to date may be covered.
There will be approximately 8-10 homework assignments. I will drop your lowest homework grade; the remaining ones will count equally toward this component of your grade.
Homeworks will be given on Thursdays and due on the Friday of the following week at 8pm. Homeworks are accepted up to 12 hours late with a 10% grade reduction; later assignments are not accepted. I encourage you to collaborate with your classmates on the homework assignments, as long as you follow the rules in the Collaboration Policy below.
The computer-based problems in this class will involve programming in Python. I recommend that you create your solutions in Google Colab (https://colab.research.google.com). Alternatively, you can install on your personal computer the following: Python, Jupyter notebook, and several machine learning-related packages that we will discuss in lecture (e.g., using pip or anaconda).
All homework assignments must be submitted to Gradescope: https://www.gradescope.com/courses/495963. This is the only method to have your assignments graded.
Make sure to show your work! Submissions that only state the final answer without any context will receive 0 credit.
You must submit a PDF rendering of a Jupyter notebook that shows all of your input source code and the resulting outputs, along with a written description of your rationale. For instructions on how to submit your assignment, see https://help.gradescope.com/article/ccbpppziu9#submitting_a_pdf. Always review your file after uploading to check that it is legible and complete!
Participation counts for 5% of your final grade. I encourage questions during lectures and discussions, and strongly encourage you to ask and answer questions on Piazza.
You must adhere to BU’s Academic Conduct Code at all times. Please be sure to read it here: https://www.bu.edu/academics/policies/academic-conduct-code. In particular: cheating on an exam, passing off another student’s work as your own, or plagiarism of writing or code are grounds for a grade reduction in the course and referral to BU’s Academic Conduct Committee. If you have any questions about the policy, please ask me in person or via a private Piazza note immediately, before taking an action that might be a violation.
The goal of homeworks is to learn. Therefore, I encourage you to use any and all resources that can help you to learn the material: computers/calculators, Piazza, lecture notes, textbooks, other websites, and your fellow classmates. There are only a few rules to keep in mind.
You must document on your homework submission: (a) the names of any other students you worked with, (b) any websites you used besides the ones listed in this syllabus, and (c) any code you have used from other sources.
You may not directly copy solutions from anyone else, or give your solutions to someone else to copy.
Basically: sharing ideas with attribution is fine, but sharing answers is not.
The goal of tests is for you to show me what you have learned. As a result, any form of collaboration is strictly prohibited. Computers and notes are also forbidden during tests unless I explicitly state otherwise. (That said, I encourage you to collaborate with classmates when studying lecture materials and preparing for tests.)
Students should submit their assignments electronically on the Gradescope website. Assignments must be submitted by the stated due date and time. Assignments will be accepted up to 12 hours late for a 10% grade reduction; later assignments will not be accepted. To accommodate the possibility of missed assignments, I will drop the lowest assignment grade.
This course follows BU’s policy on religious observance. Otherwise, it is generally expected that students attend lectures and discussion sections, either in person or virtually via Zoom. If you are sick, please attend via Zoom. If you miss a lecture, please review the lecture notes and video posted on Piazza.
This course follows all BU policies regarding accommodations for students with documented disabilities. If you are a student with a disability or believe you might have a disability that requires accommodations, please contact the Office for Disability Services (ODS) at (617) 353-3658 or access@bu.edu to coordinate any reasonable accommodation requests. ODS is located at 25 Buick Street on the 3rd floor.
You have the right to request a re-grade of any homework or test. All regrade requests must be submitted using the Gradescope interface. If you request a re-grade for a portion of an assignment, then we may review the entire assignment, not just the part in question. This may potentially result in a lower grade.
I actively encourage discussion and debate on ideas, but I won’t tolerate criticism of other people. Additionally, while you can use a computer for note-taking, do not use your laptop in class for web surfing, sending messages, or anything else that can cause a distraction. Please respect your fellow classmates and contribute toward a positive learning environment.
I welcome feedback from you at any time about any material you would like me to cover or suggestions for how I can improve the course. I promise to consider all suggestions, though I cannot promise that I will always be able to incorporate your feedback. Please send me any comments as a private Piazza note; you can send feedback anonymously if needed.