Qualitative Analysis

Unlock the Joy and Power of Reading in Language Learning

August 21, 2023
by Bowen Wang-Kildegaard. I share my story of how reading for pleasure transformed my English speaking and writing skills. This experience inspired my passion to promote the joy and power of reading to all language learners. Using natural language processing techniques, I dive into the Language Learning subreddit, revealing a trend: Learners are often highly anxious about output practices, but are generally positive about input methods like reading and listening. I then distill complex language learning theories into actionable language learning tips, emphasizing the value of extensive reading for pleasure, pointing to potential methods like using ChatGPT for customization of reading materials, and advocating for joy in the learning journey.

My Summer Exploring Data Science for Social Justice: Learnings, Tensions & Recommendations

September 5, 2023
by Genevieve Smith. This summer I joined the D-Lab hosted Data Science for Social Justice workshop at UC Berkeley diving into Python – including TF-IDF, sentiment analysis, word embeddings, and more – with a lens towards leveraging data science for social justice. My team explored a Reddit channel on abortion and used computational analysis to answer key questions related to abortion access from before versus after Roe vs. Wade was overturned. Computational social science is incredibly powerful, but I continue to grapple with tensions particularly as it relates to employing machine learning and large language in international research, and end with key recommendations for CSS practitioners.

Wadzanai Makomva

Discovery Graduate Fellow
School of Information

Wadzanai is a graduate student at the School of Information and she is a part of the MIMS program. She has a vested interest in the integration between data science, technology and developmental surveillance techniques. She has prior experience working as a quantitative analyst in project management consulting within a professional services firm, public health, and most recently in sustainable construction materials. Wadzanai is particularly interested in increasing access of STEM subjects and fields to under-privileged women of color in the African continent, particularly her home...