Data science perspectives on pandemic management from Coursera

The COVID-19 pandemic is one of the first world-wide scenarios where data made a difference in capturing and analyzing the diffusion and impact of the disease.

We offer an introductory course for decision makers, policy makers, public bodies, NGOs, and private organizations about methods, tools, and experiences on the use of data for managing current and future pandemic scenarios.

This course describes modern methods for data-driven policy making in the context of pandemics. Discussed methods include policy making, innovation, and technology governance; data collection from citizens, crowdsourcing, gamification, and game with a purpose (GWAP); crowd monitoring and sensing; mobility and traffic analysis; disinformation and fake news impacts; and economical and financial impacts and sustainability models. Methods, tools, and analyses are presented to demonstrate how data can help in designing better solutions to pandemics and world-wide critical events.

In this course you will discover the role of policy making and technology governance for managing pandemics.

You will learn about methods like crowdsourcing, gamification, sensing of crowds and built environments, and contact tracing for understanding the dynamics of the pandemic.

You will understand the risk of disinformation and its impact on people perception and decisions.

The course also covers the financial models that describe the pandemic monetary impact on individuals and organizations, as well as the financial sustainability models that can be defined.

Thanks to this course you will get a deeper understanding of motivations, perceptions, choices, and actions of individuals in a pandemic setting, and you will be able to start defining appropriate mitigation actions.

This course was developed by a set of European research and education institutions as part of the research project 'Pan-European Response to the Impacts of the COVID-19 and future Pandemics and Epidemics' (PERISCOPE, https://www.periscopeproject.eu/). Funded by the European Commission Research Funding programme Horizon 2020 under the Grant Agreement number 101016233, PERISCOPE investigates the broad socio-economic and behavioural impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, to make Europe more resilient and prepared for future large-scale risks.

What's inside

Syllabus

Introduction and Policies

This module introduces the course. It describes the structure of the course and proposes a first overview on the role of policies and technologies in the context of pandemic management.

Crowdsourcing and Gamification

This module presents the concepts of crowdsourcing and gamification. It features some methods and examples and describes the advantages of the various approaches.

The COCTEAU tool

This module discusses a specific gamification approach called COCTEAU, which aims at involving participants in a game for creating subjective perceptions of the pandemic and visions for the future.

Crowdsourcing and Crowdsensing of the Built Environment

In this Module, we will focus on crowdsourcing and crowdsensing of the built environment. More specifically, you will become familiar with OpenStreetMap — a prominent source of crowdsourced map data that is nowadays used by professionals, governments, and communities worldwide and forms the basis of an endless list of applications and services around different aspects of our living environments. You will also become acquainted with rudimentary procedures for querying and making sense of data derived from OpenStreetMap, using visualization techniques. The Module consists of three Lessons. This Module is organized by the Urban Analytics group of Delft University of Technology.

Contact Tracing

This module discusses the different methods and data sources that can be exploited for the traceability of human movements and social contacts. This has been an important contribution to the understanding of the dynamics of the pandemic.

Disinformation and social media analytics

This module presents the problem of disinformation and fake news that are shared online and discusses the impact that this phenomenon can have on the life and decision of citizens, with particular emphasis on the reactions to the pandemic and to the different sensibilization campaigns.

Financial impacts of COVID

This module studies the financial aspects related to COVID. It shows how it can generate financial impacts on the population and how one can design specific sustainability models in response to the issue.

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, and possible dealbreakers

Studies financial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic at the population level

Emphasizes contact tracing and how it contributed to understanding the pandemic's dynamics

Examines disinformation and its spread on social media, as well as its impact on individual perceptions and decisions

Provides insights on developing sustainability models in response to the financial impacts of the pandemic

Taught by Marco Brambilla, an expert in data science and decision-making, and other professionals from several European research and educational institutions

Course developed by the PERISCOPE project, funded by the European Commission, which brings together experts and institutions from its partner countries and collaborates with WHO and ECDC

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Data science perspectives on pandemic management with these activities:

Revise foundational data science concepts

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Reinforce your understanding of essential data science concepts, such as data types, data structures, and statistical measures, to enhance your comprehension of pandemic data and analysis techniques.

Browse courses on Data Science

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Review notes and materials from previous data science courses
Go through online tutorials and resources
Practice solving data science exercises

Engage in group discussions about pandemic management

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Expand your understanding of pandemic management strategies and policies by sharing ideas and perspectives with peers. Group discussions will foster critical thinking, encourage diverse viewpoints, and enhance your problem-solving abilities.

Browse courses on Pandemic Management

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Join or form a study group
Prepare for discussions by reviewing materials
Actively participate in discussions

Analyze real-world pandemic datasets

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Solidify your data analysis skills by working with real-world pandemic datasets. This will enable you to gain hands-on experience in managing, cleaning, and interpreting data related to pandemics.

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Obtain pandemic datasets from reputable sources
Clean and preprocess the data
Perform exploratory data analysis
Visualize and interpret the results

Five other activities

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Participate in a workshop on data ethics and responsible use of data in pandemics

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Expand your knowledge of the ethical considerations and responsible use of data during pandemics. Workshops provide a structured environment to engage with experts, learn best practices, and discuss emerging issues.

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Identify and register for a relevant workshop
Attend the workshop and actively participate

Compile a resource repository on data-driven pandemic management

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Contribute to the collective knowledge by organizing and sharing valuable resources related to data-driven pandemic management. This will help you develop your research skills and stay updated with the latest advancements in the field.

Browse courses on Data-Driven Decision Making

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Search for relevant research papers
Identify and collect online resources
Organize the resources into categories

Develop a dashboard to track pandemic metrics

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Enhance your data visualization and presentation skills by creating an interactive dashboard. This will allow you to effectively communicate key pandemic metrics, trends, and insights to stakeholders.

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Identify relevant pandemic metrics
Design the dashboard layout and visuals
Implement the dashboard using a suitable technology
Test and refine the dashboard

Write a blog post about the role of data science in pandemic management

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Showcase your understanding of the course concepts by creating a blog post. This will provide you with an opportunity to synthesize your knowledge, improve your writing skills, and share your insights with a wider audience.

Browse courses on Data Science

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Choose a specific topic within the course scope
Research and gather relevant information
Write and edit the blog post

Develop a mobile application for tracking COVID-19 cases and providing health information

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Combine your knowledge of data science and mobile app development to create a practical tool. This project will challenge you to apply your skills, contribute to public health efforts, and gain valuable hands-on experience.

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Plan and design the application
Develop the app using a suitable framework
Test and refine the app

Career center

Learners who complete Data science perspectives on pandemic management will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Data Scientist

Data Scientists use data to solve problems and make predictions. This course introduces Data Scientists to methods and tools that are used for managing pandemics. It covers topics like crowdsourcing, gamification, and contact tracing. These methods can be used to collect data about the spread of a disease, and to develop models that can predict how it will spread in the future.

See salaries and explore the career path for Data Scientist

Public Health Analyst

Public Health Analysts use data to improve the health of populations. This course introduces Public Health Analysts to methods and tools that are used for managing pandemics. It covers topics like crowdsourcing, gamification, and contact tracing. These methods can be used to collect data about the spread of a disease, and to develop models that can predict how it will spread in the future.

See salaries and explore the career path for Public Health Analyst

Emergency Manager

Emergency Managers prepare for and respond to emergencies, including pandemics. This course introduces Emergency Managers to methods and tools that are used for managing pandemics. It covers topics like crowdsourcing, gamification, and contact tracing. These methods can be used to collect data about the spread of a disease, and to develop models that can predict how it will spread in the future.

See salaries and explore the career path for Emergency Manager

Health Policy Analyst

Health Policy Analysts use data to develop and evaluate health policies. This course introduces Health Policy Analysts to methods and tools that are used for managing pandemics. It covers topics like crowdsourcing, gamification, and contact tracing. These methods can be used to collect data about the spread of a disease, and to develop models that can predict how it will spread in the future.

See salaries and explore the career path for Health Policy Analyst

Health Informatics Specialist

Health Informatics Specialists use data to improve the delivery of healthcare. This course introduces Health Informatics Specialists to methods and tools that are used for managing pandemics. It covers topics like crowdsourcing, gamification, and contact tracing. These methods can be used to collect data about the spread of a disease, and to develop models that can predict how it will spread in the future.

See salaries and explore the career path for Health Informatics Specialist

Health Communicator

Health Communicators communicate health information to the public. This course can help Health Communicators to manage pandemics by providing them with methods and tools for collecting data, developing models, and communicating with the public.

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Public Health Educator

Public Health Educators promote health and prevent disease in populations. This course can help Public Health Educators to manage pandemics by providing them with methods and tools for collecting data, developing models, and communicating with the public.

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Anthropologist

Anthropologists study human cultures and societies. This course can help Anthropologists to manage pandemics by providing them with methods and tools for collecting data, developing models, and understanding the cultural and social factors that contribute to the spread of disease.

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Social Scientist

Social Scientists study human behavior and society. This course can help Social Scientists to manage pandemics by providing them with methods and tools for collecting data, developing models, and understanding the social and behavioral factors that contribute to the spread of disease.

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Disaster Relief Specialist

Disaster Relief Specialists provide assistance to people who have been affected by disasters, including pandemics. This course can help prepare Disaster Relief Specialists to manage pandemics by providing them with methods and tools for collecting data, developing models, and communicating with the public.

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Sociologist

Sociologists study human social behavior. This course can help Sociologists to manage pandemics by providing them with methods and tools for collecting data, developing models, and understanding the social and behavioral factors that contribute to the spread of disease.

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Statistician

Statisticians collect, analyze, and interpret data. This course can help Statisticians to manage pandemics by providing them with methods and tools for collecting data, developing models, and understanding the statistical patterns that contribute to the spread of disease.

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Mathematician

Mathematicians develop and use mathematical models to solve problems. This course can help Mathematicians to manage pandemics by providing them with methods and tools for developing models that can predict the spread of disease.

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Epidemiologist

An Epidemiologist studies the causes of disease and other health problems in populations. Data science methods play a critical role in Epidemiology. This course covers methods for data collection and analysis that would be useful to Epidemiologists. It also covers topics like disinformation and social media analytics, which can help Epidemiologists understand how misinformation can affect public health.

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Computer Scientist

Computer Scientists design and develop computer systems. This course can help Computer Scientists to manage pandemics by providing them with methods and tools for developing systems that can collect data, develop models, and communicate with the public.

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