The Effectiveness of Data Science as a means to achieve Proficiency in Scientific Literacy

This paper evaluates data science education’s effectiveness in fostering scientific literacy. It compares the learning objectives and methodologies of introductory data science courses with those for scientific literacy requirements. The study concludes that data science courses, by emphasizing the scientific process, data preparation, analysis, and visualization, can serve as a viable alternative for students across various majors to acquire essential scientific literacy skills. This approach highlights the interdisciplinary nature of data science in developing critical thinking and problem-solving abilities.