title	subtitle
Intermediate Data Programming	University of Washington, Autumn 2025

+++ { "part": "abstract" }

The world has become data-driven. Domain scientists and industry increasingly rely on data analysis to drive innovation and discovery; this reliance on data is not only restricted to science or business, but also is crucial to those in government, public policy, and those wanting to be informed citizens. As the size of data continues to grow, everyone will need to use powerful tools to work with that data. In this course, students will learn:

1. Data types such as text, tabular data, images, and geospatial data.
2. Data tools such as Jupyter Notebook, pandas, seaborn, and scikit-learn.
3. Software engineering skills such as object composition and runtime analysis.
4. Information skills such as visualization principles, data settings, and ethics.

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:::{schedule} :::

This course is designed to support students who have completed either:

CSE 160: Data Programming : Know control structures, data structures, file processing, and problem solving in Python. Your first weeks will review these concepts.

CSE 122: Introduction to Computer Programming II : Know control structures, data structures, file processing, and problem solving in Java. Your first weeks will focus on learning these concepts in Python.

Why should we learn?

The education you receive in this course can help prepare you for programming jobs, but this isn't the only purpose for computing education. Education is not only about yourself and your personal gain, but also about all of us and our capacity to live together as a community.

The University of Washington acknowledges the Coast Salish peoples of this land, the land which touches the shared waters of all tribes and bands within the Duwamish, Puyallup, Suquamish, Tulalip and Muckleshoot nations. Among the traditions of the Coast Salish peoples is a value for the connectedness between all living things and a recognition of the unique ways that each of us comes to know things.

Modern education has the idea that we all need to know the same thing. At the end of the lesson, everyone will know the same thing. That's why we have tests, that's why we have quizzes, that's why we have homework: to ensure we all know the same thing. And that's powerful—that's important—within a certain context.

But for native culture, the idea that each listener divines or finds their own answer, their own meaning, their own teaching from the story is equally powerful—that each person needs to be able to look at the world and define it for themselves within their culture and then also find a way to live in that world according to the teachings of their people in their culture.

We are responsible for each others' success : Everyone has a right to feel like they belong in this course. We'll need to act with compassion and caring to collaborate with each other. Although we will need more than just unexamined commitments to collaboration, listening, empathy, mindfulness, and caring, the following guidelines offer a starting point for ensuring compassion toward each other [@10.37514/PER-B.2022.1824].

• Listen with intention to understand first and form an opinion only after you fully understand.
• Take responsibility for intended and unintended effects of your words and actions on others.
• Mindfully respond to others' ideas by acknowledging the unique value of each contribution.

: You should expect and demand to be treated by your classmates and teachers with respect. If any incident occurs that challenges this commitment to a supportive, diverse, inclusive, and equitable environment, please let the instructor know so the issue can be addressed. Should you feel uncomfortable bringing up an issue with the instructor directly, meet our advisors during quick questions or contact the College of Engineering.

We recognize everyone has unique circumstances : Do not hesitate to contact the instructor by private post or appointment. The sooner we are made aware of your circumstances, the more we can help. Extenuating circumstances include work-school balance, familial responsibilities, religious observations, military duties, unexpected travel, or anything else beyond your control that may negatively impact your performance in the class. : It is the policy and practice of the University of Washington to create inclusive and accessible learning environments consistent with federal and state law. If you have already established accommodations with Disability Resources for Students (DRS), activate your accommodations via myDRS so we can discuss how they will be implemented in this course. If you have a temporary health condition or permanent disability that requires accommodations, contact DRS directly to set up an Access Plan. : Washington state law requires that UW develop a policy for accommodation of student absences or significant hardship due to reasons of faith or conscience, or for organized religious activities. The UW's policy, including more information about how to request an accommodation, is available at Religious Accommodations Policy. Accommodations must be requested within the first two weeks of this course using the Religious Accommodations Request form.

We believe everyone wants to learn : Education is about shaping your identity as much as it is about learning things. In school, the consequences of making mistakes are relatively small. But the habits you form now—repeated over days, weeks, months, or years—determine who you will be in the future. Now is the best time to practice honest habits. : We ask that you do not claim to be responsible for work that is not yours. When you receive substantial help from someone else, include a citation. Don't post your solutions publicly. Most importantly, don't deprive yourself or others of the learning opportunities that we've created in this course. Allegations of misconduct by students may be referred to the appropriate campus office for investigation and resolution. : Academic honesty reflects the trust (or the lack thereof) between students and teachers. We do our best to design the course in ways that ensure trust, but we know our systems are not perfect. If you submit work in violation of these policies but bring it to the attention of the instructor within 72 hours, you may resubmit your own work without further consequence. Rather than blame students, we want to fix or replace broken systems that compel students to lose trust.

How does learning occur?

In a traditional classroom, you attend class while a teacher lectures until time is up. Then, you go home and do the important work of applying concepts toward practice problems or assignments on your own. Finally, you take an exam to show what you know.

Today, we know that there are more effective ways to learn science, engineering, and mathematics [@10.1073/pnas.1319030111]. Learning skills like software engineering and algorithm analysis requires deliberate practice: a learning cycle that starts with sustained motivation, then presents tasks that build on prior knowledge, and concludes with immediate, personalized feedback. Each module in the course will involve several different activities that are designed so that we can make the most of our class time together.

During lecture, participate in the deliberate practice on programming concepts. : In PollEverywhere, correctly answer all questions during lecture. : On Wednesdays, complete the exit ticket in Canvas to prepare for quiz section.

During quiz section, practice applying concepts or complete an interview. : Quiz sections will extend the exit ticket and prepare you for code interviews. : On interview days, complete a one-on-one in-person code interview with your TA. : If you can't make an interview, make-ups will be during our final exam slot.

Show what you learned by completing the individual homeworks/assessments and a team project. : In Canvas, submit your completed Jupyter Notebook and wait for a TA review. : After you get a TA review, reply to their questions by making a new submission.

Code interviews are a key standardized assessment in this course. Rather than treat your submitted program code as the final artifact for evaluation, it is instead a starting point for a conversation that demonstrates your programming fluencies such as code writing, code reading, code debugging, and code communication skills. Communicating your ideas and explaining your decision-making is important in this course. But we know that live discussions during class may not be accessible for everyone and we would be happy to work with you to design accommodations that would allow you to communicate your programming fluencies in an accessible format for you.

Expect to spend 4 hours in class and 8 hours outside of class working on this course. Some weeks may require more or less time than other weeks. If you find the workload is significantly exceeding this expectation, talk to your TA.

Encouraged : Discussing examples shown in class. These examples are learning materials. : Working with a TA to work on a task and resolve a particular problem. : Talking with other students without sharing code or details to reproduce code.

Permitted with caution : Working alongside one or more other people on an assessment. : Sharing or generating small snippets of code not specific to any assignment part.

Prohibited : Obtaining solutions to any assignment part in any form for any reason. : Giving, receiving, obtaining, or generating a walkthrough to an assignment. : Posting solutions to an assignment in a public place even after the course is over.