Data Science Academy Camp 1 : Introduction to Data Science

COMPFEST 15, Depok — August 9th, 2023, marked the official commencement of the Data Science Academy (DSA). This launch signifies the initiation of COMPFEST 15 Academy’s activities. After a rigorous selection process, the DSA COMPFEST 15 team chose 10 groups to participate in this year’s DSA, which is being conducted online via the Zoom platform.

In this dynamic age of information, data acts as the thread connecting various facets of our lives. Data, originating from sources like digital devices, sensors, social platforms, and business transactions, holds the potential to unveil valuable insights for informed decision-making and innovative solutions. DSA features expert speakers with robust backgrounds in data science, aiming to provide participants a comprehensive learning experience directly from professionals. Let’s explore the highlights of DSA week 1 through the following coverage!

DAY 1

Ardya Dipta Nandaviri, the Head of Data Science & Business Insight at PT. Kalbe Farma, served as the speaker on the inaugural day of Camp 1. Ardiya delved into the vital skills needed for roles such as Data Scientist, Data Engineer, Machine Learning Engineer, and Data Analyst. He underscored the importance of a robust business strategy prior to hiring a Data Scientist. Ardya’s presentation, titled “Introduction to Data Science in Business,” was delivered with eloquence, igniting significant enthusiasm among the participants.

The participants’ engagement was palpable during the quiz and Q&A sessions. They enthusiastically responded to the organizers’ questions and posed thought-provoking inquiries to Ardya during the Q&A segment. Ardya underscored the significance of a data scientist’s firsthand involvement in the field to comprehend real-world conditions.

DAY 2

Emanuel Dave, a Data Scientist at Tokopedia, graced the stage on the second day of DSA. Equally captivating, Dave delivered a presentation titled “Statistics in Data Science.” He commenced by introducing the concept of statistics, followed by an engaging role-play session.

During the role-play, participants were cast as consultants for a store named ‘tokokopi.’ Armed with a table detailing customer ages and frequency for each age group, participants were tasked with generating insights to bolster sales at ‘tokokopi.’ Following the role-play, Dave seamlessly transitioned into his presentation, actively engaging participants through questions and soliciting their opinions. As with the prior day, this session culminated in a quiz and a dynamic Q&A segment.

DAY 3

The third day showcased Vanya Valindria, a Senior AI Research Engineer at Bukalapak, delving into the topic of “Data Cleaning and Preprocessing.” Data cleaning entails the removal or rectification of erroneous, damaged, improperly formatted, duplicated, or incomplete data in a dataset. Why is data cleaning of utmost importance? According to Vanya, the performance of a model hinges on the quality of its data, rendering data cleaning indispensable. By curbing errors, enhancing data accuracy and consistency, and eliminating superfluous values, data cleaning optimizes the groundwork for effective analysis.

Diverging from the patterns of previous days, the third day incorporated a hands-on session. During this segment, participants delved into a dataset from the store “ratususu” and engaged in data cleaning using Python libraries, under the expert guidance of Vanya.

DAY 4

Moving into the fourth day of DSA, Bahrul Ilmi Nasution, a Data Analytics professional from Jakarta Smart City, took the stage. During this session, Bahrul delved deeper into Exploratory Data Analysis (EDA). EDA serves as a pivotal step in the data science process, bridging the gap between data collection/cleansing and model creation.

The objective of EDA is to extract maximum insights from data, unveil concealed patterns or structures, identify crucial variables within a pattern, spot anomalies, formulate hypotheses, and aid in selecting suitable statistical analysis techniques.

After Bahrul’s insightful presentation, the day continued with a hands-on session and a study case. The study case involved group assignments that lasted for 120 minutes, providing participants with a practical application of the concepts they had learned. At the end of the study case, one group had the chance to present their work, showcasing their understanding and problem-solving skills.

Interview Session

As Data Science Academy Camp 1 came to a close, I conducted an interview with one of the participating groups, the “POTTERHEADS.” This group consisted of three members: Debora, Zalfa, and Dea.

During the interview, I began by asking each participant to provide a single word that described their experience in DSA Camp 1. Their answers were as follows: “Insightful,” “Cool,” and “Fun!” They had joined the Data Science Academy (DSA) to enhance their understanding of data science, building upon their previous studies in the field. Despite facing challenges during the selection process, working together in a group allowed them to overcome these obstacles. They shared their personal experiences and insights gained during DSA Camp 1, expressing their hopes of further improving their understanding of data through the event. The members of the “POTTERHEADS” group extended their gratitude to COMPFEST 15 for providing them with the opportunity to learn from expert speakers and mentors.

With more COMPFEST activities ahead, follow our journey on our social media accounts: Instagram @COMPFEST, Twitter @COMPFEST, Facebook COMPFEST, LinkedIn COMPFEST, and our website https://compfest.id. (Editorial Marketing/fauzan)