I am curious to hear from other instructors if and how they may be using DataCamp resources in their classes, particularly in courses teaching the tidyverse / courses structured around the R4DS book.
I found it immensely informative to learn how other instructors were sequencing their courses through R4DS text in an early RStudio Community thread: Connecting with other instructors using Tidyverse / r4ds book? - #17 by ganong; in particular, the use of interleaving plotting/wrangling/modeling/communication rather than approaching them monolithically. I am now facing the parallel question of navigating both the sequencing and pacing using DataCamp courses (much more of a moving target as more material comes along).
For context, I teach a course in a "flipped classroom" model; assigning reading (from R4DS text, and other supplements). In class we work on applying the skills introduced in the lesson to more complex problems (usually attempting to replicate a key recent result or figure in my domain of ecology & environmental science) There's often more than one DataCamp chapter or course that corresponds to the necessary skills (i.e. relevant tidyverse packages / functions), and I'd love more input on which ones people choose and why, and how well it works.
The sequence I'm currently using (unfolding as the dates progress) is listed under the video links here: ESPM 157 . I teach a course of ~ 50 upper division undergraduate students, and so far it has been quite nice to have the outside reading be something I can verify completion, and students seem to appreciate the format of short videos and online exercises over reading alone (though the book does serve as a better reference to go back to). Students seem to have little trouble completing 1-2 chapters before each class so far.
However, it does have a bit of a patchwork feel, with some topics having great coverage, and others being very thin. Overall, 'tidyverse' focused videos have a stylistic consistency to them, and seeing the variations between different instructors is probably good in the balance. Still, I can't help thinking there must be many places where swapping out certain chapters for others would give a better feel.
If anyone has examples of how they use, sequence, or pace DataCamp in semester-long courses, or thoughts on what has or hasn't worked well for them, I'd love to hear about it.