BROOKINGS – Thirteen high school students learned how to program in R language and develop apps at South Dakota State University’s Data Analytics Camp.
The camp, held June 18-21, allowed students to learn how to analyze data sets. National Science Foundation funds allowed campers to attend for free.
Using the Shiny technology that can turn R code into web apps, some students created interactive graphics as webpages. After reviewing the data, the students created several webpages that already can be found online. One shows the correlation between critics’ score and video game sales varies significantly among genres. Other include statistics on the wars of the world and one on state temperatures.
Although not online yet, the debate spyder app was created by four Brookings High School students. Complete with user login and password, students can retrieve debate data from a national database, analyze their opponent and calculate a threat score.
To further test their analysis skills, the students counted chocolate chips on cookies and analyzed the difference between two brands. Led by mathematics instructor William Alsaker, they observed the statistical difference in their pulses before and after climbing the Coughlin Campanile. The attendees were from Brookings, Dell Rapids, Fulton, Groton, Miller, Mount Vernon, Rapid City and Vermillion.
“I was blown away by some of the projects,” said Xijin Ge, an associate professor and camp director. “They started from zero on Monday, and after five hours of training, by Thursday they were able to write code to analyze datasets and develop useful apps.”
When not coding, the students heard from working professionals. Kelly Crevier, business intelligence manager at First Bank and Trust, talked about how analytics help make her employer be more efficient and detect frauds. Valerie Bares, senior biostatistician at Sanford Research, discussed how she used mathematics and statistics to help find cures and treatments for various diseases.
In addition, SDSU faculty talked about the career of data scientists, how mathematics help solve crimes by analyzing fingerprints and how spatial data are gathered and took the students on a walk across the campus using GPS coordinates. The students also went on tours of the Jerome J. Lohr College of Engineering’s facilities, including its collection of 3D printers. Between classes, the campers relaxed at the SDSU Dairy Bar and the SDSU Wellness Center.
Dates for next year’s camp are still be determined. It will be announced at: https://www.facebook.com/SDSUDataAnalytics/.
Courtesy photo: Cedric Neumann, an associate professor in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, talks about how the use of mathematics and analytics can help solve crimes by analyzing fingerprints.
