Teaching Health Data Science through Experiential Learning: The Datathon Approach

This paper describes the design and implementation of an annual health data science datathon aimed at teaching practical skills in health analytics to undergraduate and postgraduate university students. Datathons provide an experiential learning environment where students work in teams to analyse real-world health data and propose solutions to current challenges in the field. The steps to design and execute the datathon are outlined, covering data, partnerships, task design, and rubric development. We discuss the educational benefits of formalising research questions, working in groups, programming, and presenting findings. Growing access to electronic health data combined with the availability of free and opensource analysis platforms and libraries, and cheap cloud compute power make datathons a universally accessible learning experience.