To the editor: As a co-author of the UCLA high school data science course that UC Davis professor Norman Matloff vilified in a Times op-ed, I agree with him that data science is a field where even experts make serious mistakes. do. That’s why data science education must start early and not be treated as a mathematical afterthought.
Mathematics is just one component of data science. Nearly 30 years of research shows that students can and should learn the fundamentals of data science and the key statistical concepts that are the focus of the course before learning traditional mathematics.
Matrov’s selective context may lead the reader to the wrong conclusion. He does not mention that only his 38% of high school freshmen who pass Algebra I take Algebra II. It’s not data science’s fault. An outdated curriculum from the 1950s is to blame.
Not all students become statisticians, scientists, mathematicians, or even students at the University of California. Does this mean that the data should remain unreadable and unreadable?
We are confident that every student who takes our data analysis course learns something valuable for their career and daily life. Are data science opponents equally confident about quadratic equations?
Robert Gould, Los Angeles
The author is a professor of statistics and data science at UCLA.
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To the editor: The decision to no longer allow UC and California State University to replace Algebra 2 with data science as a prerequisite is the right one. Data science is an important complement to algebra, not a replacement for it.
What appears to be missing from this discussion is the need for a significant increase in STEM instructors who recognize and are sensitive to the significant challenges faced by underrepresented populations who make up the majority of today’s students.
Many forget that while teachers have an obligation to teach the critical thinking skills that come with subjects like algebra, they also have an obligation to provide students with a path to success that will enable them to acquire those same skills.
Christian Teeter, Los Angeles
