module specification

This module will enable students to understand the fundamental concepts of data science and appreciate key techniques of data science and its applications in a wide range of business context. Students will be exposed to data understanding, preparation, modelling, results evaluation and data visualisation techniques that can assist businesses in making effective data-driven decisions to improve productivity and consumer satisfaction. Students will be introduced to the practical application of tools and techniques required to perform data science projects in a modern business environment.

• Introduction to key concepts in data science: data science tools, approaches, techniques and application scenarios. [LO1]

• An overview of data mining process for business: business understanding, data understanding, data preparation, data modelling, results evaluation and deployment. [LO1, LO4]

• Business data environment: operational database, data warehouse, web and big data platform.[LO2, LO5]

• Data understanding and preparation: data measurement, statistical summaries, transformation, cleaning, and graphical visual exploration. [LO3, LO4]

• Data science business applications: credit scoring, fraud detection, customer relationship management, associated products detection, correlation and identification. [LO2, LO5]

• Web data analysis: Social network analysis, affiliation prediction and recommendation. [LO2, LO5]

Topics will be introduced through the medium of formal lectures, supported by tutorial and workshop sessions, and blended learning as follows:
- Lecture (1 hour / week): Introduction of the major topics identified in the syllabus, plus for practical exercises, directed reading and other further study
- Tutorial/ Workshop (2 hour / week): Consolidating understanding of topics introduced in the lecture via class and group discussions, informal presentations and other activities in the tutorial sessions. Data analytic skills will be further developed through lab-based workshops.
- Blended learning: Using the University’s VLE and online tools to deliver content, assessment and feedback, to encourage active learning, and to enhance student engagement and learning experience.
Students will be expected and encouraged to produce reflective commentaries and an action plan for personal development on the learning activities and tasks that they carry out to complete their work, e.g. in the form of an assessed section of their coursework report.

On successful completion of this module, the student will be able to:
LO1: Understand fundamental concepts and techniques of data science.
LO2: Appreciate the business context in which the analysis of data can be fruitful and effective for decision-making and creating value.
LO3: Understand and compare the techniques and tools for analysing and visualising data.
LO4: Develop the practical skills in preparing, modelling and visualising data.
LO5: Gain exposure to the practice of formulating and structuring problems and identifying the relevant tools to aid problem-solving.

https://rl.talis.com/3/londonmet/lists/988D248E-8573-FDAE-5AD4-695BE096ACDC.html?lang=en-GB&login=1

Textbooks:

Core Text:
• Provost, F. & Fawcett, T., Data Science for Business: What you need to know about Data Mining and Data-analytic thinking, (2013), O’Reilly Media

Other Texts:
• EMC Education Services, Data Science and Big Data Analytics: Discovering, Analyzing, Visualizing and Presenting Data, (2015), John Wiley & Sons
• Graham, A., Statistics – A Complete Introduction, e-book (2013), Hodder & Stoughton.
• Jeffrey M. Stanton, 2013. Introduction to data science – e-copy is freely available at (last accessed February 2018) https://ischool.syr.edu/media/documents/2012/3/DataScienceBook1_1.pdf
• Perry, James T., 2007. Introduction to Oracle 10g