ALS 1210

Data Literacy: Cultivating Skills to Engage with Data

Course Description

Course information provided by the Courses of Study 2022-2023.

The ability to find, analyze and utilize data helps one communicate, interpret and engage with the world around them. Yet there is a divide between those who can work with and understand data and those who cannot. Ownership and manipulation of data is largely handled by corporations, researchers and government. How does a more diverse population gain access to the know-how to make sense of data? This class aims to equip students from a variety of non-technical backgrounds with the necessary skills to engage with data in meaningful ways (both quantitative and qualitative data). The class approaches data literacy as part of a broader process of inquiry into the world – not from a math or statistics-centric point of view.

When Offered Fall, Spring.

• Outcome 1: Describe the strengths and limitations of the following data types: 1) self-reported data, 2) observational or trace data, and 3) experimental data.
• Outcome 2: Articulate real-world examples that demonstrate the harmful consequences of reliance on biased datasets and describe solutions to mitigate bias and such harmful consequences.
• Outcome 3: Identify sources for locating open and reusable datasets.
• Outcome 4: Apply FAIR data principles to evaluate a dataset.
• Outcome 5: Utilize open-source, web-based tools for simple data cleanup & analysis.

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