Data Equity Curriculum Building
The final chapter of my Open Data Literacy summer highlights the vast array of players necessary to ensure data are created, made available, machine readable, and accessible by myriad stakeholders. There are a number of feedback loops in this data production. Government organizations can release all the bytes of data they want, but if the data isn’t accessible or in a format the public can use, it’s a wasted effort. If a member of the public needs data but does not know who to ask, that could also be problematic. In short, communication breakdowns can lessen the value of open data efforts.
To combat this, Data Equity for Main Street is devising a curriculum for adults aimed at instructing users in how open data can be used to answer their questions. Public libraries are the chosen vessel for the training, as they already serve as home base for answer seekers across the nation. I had the pleasure of working with a small team that had already been collaborating on the curriculum for some time. Since the curriculum is framed to manage four intensive sessions, a run-though was necessary to prevent redundancies and identify holes.
The curriculum includes four classes worth of slides, handouts, and activities architected so as to to build on itself. The first class assumes the user has no preconceptions of what open data are and what they can be used for. Also, where common types of open data can be found. Care is taken to discuss limitation or licenses. The next class takes those concepts a little deeper, allowing students to run through some in-class exercises or “treasure hunts.” I had a heavy hand in constructing the treasure hunt activities, and I must say it was challenging to find varied examples that could be interesting and applicable to users irrespective of geographic areas. Since the classes are aimed at a wide segment of public library users, data pertaining to cities alone may not be applicable. Class three takes a deep dive into visualizations and tools users may find useful when interpreting data. The curriculum designers were able to sneak in examples of misleading visualizations, which will likely be of particular interest to users concerned about “fake news.”
Class Four makes time for students to pursue their own open data questions in a place with ample resources. This class series is chiefly focused on empowering users to solve problems in their lives and community. Interestingly, the class makes a special effort to emphasize that open data can be a two-way street. Users should give their data providers feedback about quality and content.
I was incredibly honored to work with a multi-state, cross-institution group of experts when developing the curriculum. During the Alpha Testing in Spokane, Washington I took detailed notes of to-dos, questions, and changes to be made. The curriculum itself is currently in the Beta testing stages at select libraries down the West coast. After feedback from the Beta testers is analyzed and the curriculum shined, the entire curriculum will be made open and available for use with a Creative Commons license. I’m excited to stay with the project and promote its adoption by libraries across Washington, and eventually the country.
For more info, check out http://34.197.154.240/
