Reading / Journal 11

OOP and Scientific Programming ✏️

Journals are a combination of a few things. First, the "journal." This is a very small weekly assignment where you write 200+ words (option 1) or submit "tinker" code (option 2). Second, the "reading." This is where I direct you to read from a book, an online article, or watch a video, and I supplement those with my own lecture notes, graphs, figures, quotes, or so on.

All other assignments and lectures build upon these. Usually, there will be more reading at the start of a unit and less at the end.

Reading

Maybe your data is like the data that was collected as part of a study related to bank loans.

Maybe your data is data that you've scraped from text-based sources.

Both are "scientific" datasets: you aim can be to systemically learn more about the world through the careful collection, use, analysis, and interpretation of data. Put another way, we want to be able to claim that we know x, and to be able to point to the data as our evidence for that claim.

It doesn't matter if that data is "qualitative" or "quantitative." The same aim of systematic understanding can always be there.

So what is scientific programming? Simply, it's the part of the research project where you're writing a program to help. In theory, this ain't too different from the part of any project where you're writing a program to help. No project is 100% coding, there's always a bigger-picture human element that we care about.

And Python is a general-purpose language. You name it, folks have found a way to use Python for it. At as of the end of today, we will have learned all the basics of Python in itself.

For a refresher on all these Python topics, I recommend:

• https://www.kaggle.com/learn/python
• https://www.kaggle.com/learn/pandas

But, whenever we use python to get at some specific, scientific purpose, it requires going a little further than just the basics of python itself.

We could have used Python to create web applications, simple user interfaces, or so on. No matter what we chose, any particular use of python will require us to learn how to use particular data structures, APIs, and coding patterns. And no matter what we chose, any coding job you'll get, you'll have to learn the specifics of how data and programs are structured at your employer in particular.

This is why we have focused on the basics of Python alongside tips for thinking through bigger-picture problems in general. Matt Hora calls these "softer skills" the "social practices and habits of mind" we pick up as we gain experience with a technical field.

So why did we go with scientific Python in this course?

It's popular right now, it's conceptually worthwhile, and I'm equipped to teach it.

That's why we learned about DataFrames, scraping, and so on. Maybe you'll never reuse those particular things in the future, but you will use code written by other people to help you get your tasks done.

We never (learn to) code alone.

Now read Chapters 14 and 15 from our textbook.

Journal

Choose from one of the following two options as you best see fit:

Option One: Submit a brief "200+ Words" reflecting on the reading and/or the course as a whole. These 200+ words are expected to come completely from the student, ignoring words from quotes/etc. The format of these assignments is up to the student as it best helps them: bulleted point notes on the reading; questions directed at the instructor of course material; a paragraph reflecting on the Lab assignment for the week; a poem; a summary of recent technology news; anything, so long as it is turned in on time, is relevant to the course, and meets the required length.

Option Two: Submit a brief "Tinker" where you have attempted to "program" something, using the tools of the course, that is not directly related to another course assignment. Include screenshots of the input work done and the output result (even if it does not work), along with a brief statement of your intentions, the approach you took in getting it to work, and your thoughts on your result so far. Make sure it is clear what code came from you and what came from online/the reading/etc.

Submission

Submit your journal as a Word/PDF (NOT a .pages) document to Blackboard.

Grading

Journals are each worth 1/100 towards your final grade. Grading is pass/fail based on meeting the requirements of the chosen option.