Learning How to Learn

Data science is a collection of ever-evolving approaches to learning about data-intensive, complex situations. Effective data scientists need to be trained as professionals engaged in life-long learning for two main reasons. First, every complex data-intensive problem presents unique challenges for the data scientist to examine the context and complexity of the situation for sense-making and decision making. Second, the methods and application domains of data science are continuously changing as new technologies and tools are developed. Taken together, future data scientists need to have mastery of learning how to learn transferrable skills as well as usable tools.

This recognition of learning how to learn requires a shift in focus on how we prepare next generation of data scientists. D3M@Tufts strives to achieve this through our Modular Course Elements and Problem Focused Immersion activities.