Big Data and Data Science Education in Traditional Chinese Medicine Informatics: Challenges and Opportunities

Abstract

With the rapid changes of scientific technologies, the explosion of big data and the current COVID-19 pandemic, the internal and external environments of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) informatics are changing rapidly and the development of TCM informatics faces numerous challenges such as digital transformation. To meet the challenges, there is a strong need to apply big data and big data analytics and technologies to TCM informatics and to incorporate data science education into the programs of TCM informatics. The purpose of this paper is to identify the key challenges facing programs of TCM informatics, and to discuss the opportunities in data science education in TCM programs. The key identified challenges are how to enable students to have a good mastery of knowledge, skills and competencies of big data analytics and technologies and how to incorporate big data analytics and technologies and the key aspects of data science education into the curricula of TCM informatics. The main opportunities are that big data and data science education can assist in meeting the challenges facing TCM informatics and offer the analytics, technologies and applications needed to improve the learning, teaching and research outcomes and standards of TCM informatics and to review, revise and constantly update the teaching contents and curriculum knowledge system of TCM informatics. This paper will be useful and helpful to the programs of TCM informatics in their curriculum design as well as the application of big data analytics and technologies to teaching, learning and research, and to faculty, students, researchers and practitioners.