Informatica #1
(07/07/2025 – 18/07/2025)
18 Hrs, 3 CFU INF/01 + 12 Hrs Tutoring
Title: Foundations of Python Programming
Instructor: Michele Tizzoni
Contents:
– Tools, basics
– Strings
– Lists
– Tuples, Sets, Dictionaries
– Conditionals, for loops
– While, sequences
Suggested Readings:
– SoftPython, Fondamenti: https://it.softpython.org/#A—Fondamenti
– Allen Downey, Pensare in Python Italiano–2nda edizione: https://github.com/AllenDowney/ThinkPythonItalian/raw/master/thinkpython_italian.pdf
Teaching mode and Language: Classes will be exclusively in person and in Italian. Tutoring sessions are not mandatory but are highly recommended. No remote learning solutions can be requested or arranged.
Final test: The final test will consist of a written exam administered on the last day of class. More detailed information on the time and place for the test will be provided by the instructors upon the course's beginning.
Module requirements:
Computer: Students are required to bring their laptop computer (not a tablet!) with:
– at least 4GB RAM
– Operating System: Windows 8 or more recent, 64-bit macOS 10.13 or more recent,Linux (any distribution)
Software: Before participating, you are strongly advised to install the following software:
– Anaconda for Python: download page
– LibreOffice: download page
– Browser: any among Chrome, Firefox o Safari (InternetExplorer / Edge is not for Data Scientists…)
Mathematics and Statistics #1
(14/07/2025 – 19/07/2025)
18 Hrs, 3 CFU for any of MAT/, SEC-S/
Title: Introduction to Statistics
Instructor: Federico Reali
Contents:
- Basic concepts: population, sample, parameter, statistic
- Descriptive vs. inferential statistics
- Describing data:
through plots and tables
through numerical properties (measures of central tendency and variation)
- Probability: definition and properties
- Random variables; probability distributions: discrete and continuous
- Sampling
- Confidence intervals
- Hypothesis testing
- Simple linear regression
Suggested Readings:
Illowsky B, Dean S, et al, Introductory statistics, OpenStax
Newbold P, Carlson WL & Thorne BM, Statistics for Business and Economics, Eighth or Ninth (Global) Edition, Pearson Education Limited
Lamberto Soliani, Statistica di base, ed. Piccin, 2015; also avilable online at http://www.dsa.unipr.it/soliani/soliani.html
Teaching mode and Language: Classes will be in English and exclusively online. Links to attend will be shared on Moodle before the class starts
Final Test: The final test will consist of a written exam administered on the last day of class: the exam has to be submitted on the Moodle platform. More information will be provided by the Instructor upon course beginning.
Economic, Psychological and Sociological Sciences #1
(14/07/2025 – 19/07/2025)
18 Hrs, 3 CFU for any of SPS/, SECS-P/, M-PSI/
Title: An introduction to economic, psychological and sociological sciences
Contents:
– Introduction to economics (6 hours): TBA
Instructor: Graziano Coller
– Introduction to quantitative methods in psychology (6 hours): Cognitive Data Science
Instructor: Massimo Stella
This course aims to highlight how cognitive and psychological data can be investigated within the framework of network science. Slides, reading activities, and online discussions will be the main techniques powering this course.
Suggested Readings:
Haim, E., & Stella, M. (2023). Cognitive networks for knowledge modelling: A gentle tutorial for data- and cognitive scientists. Available on Researchgate.
Siew, C. S. (2019). spreadr: An R package to simulate spreading activation in a network. Behavior Research Methods, 51(2), 910-929.
Stella, M. (2022). Cognitive network science for understanding online social cognitions: A brief review. Topics in Cognitive Science, 14(1), 143-162.
– Introduction to sociology (6 hours)
Instructor: Filippo Andrei
We will cover the main epistemological and methodological aspects of research with social data using quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods. We will focus more on quantitative methods, in particular on the nature of data available, the construction and use of valid research instruments, and the different methods of analysis applied to social data.
Suggested readings:
Teaching Mode and Language: Classes will take place in English and exclusively online. Links to attend will be shared on Moodle before the class starts
Final test: The final test will consist of an oral exam. More detailed information on the time and place for the test will be provided by the instructors upon course beginning.