PIC Reignites Campuswide Computing Spark

“Elevate how we teach” is a core objective of UCLA’s Strategic Plan 2023–28. DataX is actively advancing this goal through collaborative curriculum development. Through a series of faculty partnerships, DataX has seeded new areas of study and worked with departments across UCLA to refine existing courses.

We’ve expanded access to data-science education by creating new entry-level and general-education courses in mathematics, data science, and computer programming. Led by Associate Professor Ozan Jaquette, Instructional Designer Clara Choi, and a team of DataX graduate students (listed below), our group collaborated with faculty in education, statistics, and the social sciences to design and implement these curricular improvements.

The Program in Computing (PIC)

One of DataX’s most substantive collaborations is with the Program in Computing (PIC) in the Mathematics Department. PIC Director Dr. Michael Andrews has been working with DataX to recalibrate the program’s curriculum while preserving PIC’s long-standing mission of offering rigorous, accessible computational training to students campuswide.

Although they know that programming is essential for career competitiveness and intellectual agility, many students feel uninspired or unsure of their footing, as generative AI seismically shifts long-held assumptions about which technical skills matter now—and in a future that is continually being rewritten.

With DataX as a thought partner, PIC has built a plan to refresh seven of its core courses and one foundational course: PIC 1: From Spreadsheets to Programming and Data Science. PIC 1 links everyday spreadsheet literacy with Python fundamentals—now the essential language for data-centric work in both industry and academia.

The course develops students’ problem-solving and analytical skills—and the confidence to apply them creatively in research and professional settings. For Andrews, the work is as much about restoring agency and curiosity as it is about teaching syntax.

“We need to give students a spark again,” Andrews said. “Many are just moving along a pipeline toward a job. But learning to code can still feel exciting and empowering. PIC 1 gives students an honest reflection early on—whether this is something they want to pursue, or whether it helps them realize they want to take their learning somewhere else. Both outcomes are positive.”

On-Ramp to a Python Superhighway

PIC 1 will also anchor an expanded Python sequence (PIC 1 → PIC 16A → PIC 16B → PIC 16C), giving students a direct pathway from introductory skills to advanced applications in data science and machine learning. Through DataX’s support—including curriculum architecture, instructor resources, and auto-grading infrastructure—PIC is helping students become technically proficient and aware of how algorithmic systems are affecting people, distributing power, and influencing access and opportunity.

PIC North: Open Doors Across Campus

Recognizing that many students outside STEM also need—and want—programming experience, DataX collaborated with Professor Ozan Jaquette to envision PIC North, an initiative comprising introductory programming and data-science courses designed for graduate and undergraduate students in the humanities, arts, social sciences, law, and professional schools.

PIC North responds to an ongoing campus gap: Many courses expect Python proficiency, yet UCLA offers few accessible entryways, especially for graduate students who feel intimidated by technical departments or discouraged by their limited exposure to computing.

“We want every student at UCLA to feel that programming is for them,” Jaquette said. “Some students are afraid of programming and don’t think they can do it. I know how to teach those students—because I was that student.”

PIC North is not a formal program yet, but a set of already developed courses that could become cornerstone curriculum with proper resourcing. “It’s for students who otherwise wouldn’t take PIC at all but would benefit tremendously from it later,” Jaquette said.

PIC North courses are designed so that students can move into PIC’s main sequence or into advanced, applied courses within their own departments. DataX’s continued coordination and curricular support have widened access and empowered students to bring computational insight into the fields they care most about.

Reigniting a Campuswide Spark

Together, PIC and PIC North represent a renewed commitment to teaching computing in ways that are inclusive, career-relevant, and grounded in students’ intellectual autonomy.

By helping faculty rethink course design, create new entry points, and respond to the realities of AI, DataX is nurturing a culture where students become technically proficient, ethically attuned, and genuinely excited about learning computing again.
 

Faculty and Graduate Students

DataX thanks the faculty and graduate students whose efforts made these courses possible.
Faculty: Michael Andrews, Kathy Bawn, Jiayin Lu (Mathematics); David Goldstein, Chad Hazlett (Statistics); Ozan Jaquette (Education); Todd Millstein (Computer Science); Zachary Steinart-Threlkeld (Public Policy).
Graduate students: Bon-Soon Lin, Silvia Wu, Belle Lee, Patricia Martin, Fernando Mora, Elizabeth O’Neill, Jada Sims, Brianna Wright.

PIC Courses created or renovated with DataX support: PIC 1 & PIC 10A
SOC SC 11 Math Studio; CS 30; Data Science for Everyone; EdUC 260A & SOC SC 45 R; SOC SC 43 Python for Social Sciences.