Mine Çetinkaya-Rundel (Duke University)
Abstract
Positron is a next-generation data science integrated development environment (IDE) designed to support exploratory, joyful, and human-centered workflows across languages. In this breakout session, I will share experiences from teaching an advanced undergraduate data visualization course that used Positron as the primary computing environment. The course focused primarily on R, with some visualization work in Python, allowing students to move fluidly across languages within the same IDE while centering design, storytelling, and critical thinking. I will discuss how Positron’s features, including its integrated AI capabilities, supported student discovery, reduced friction in learning multiple languages, and encouraged playful experimentation with data. The session will include concrete teaching examples, wins and friction points, and informal student feedback. Participants will leave with practical ideas for teaching statistics and data science with Positron in ways that emphasize joy, creativity, and reproducibility.