Become literate with the basics of using, managing data

• Understand what ‘data’ means, what it can be used for, and how it is effectively collected.
• Learn the practicalities of working with data, its storage and management.
• Gain the knowledge and tools to tell stories with data, using visualisations, summaries and descriptive statistics.
• Be able to understand, interpret and evaluate data using knowledge of its limitations and appropriateness.
• Reflect on how data literacy applies to you and your role. 
• Have anytime access to our virtual learning environment to learn flexibly in your own time.
• Connect and learn with other practitioners as you discuss key issues in data literacy and work through course action points.

• the course is open to anyone who wants to understand the basics of using, managing and interpreting data. As the course uses examples from education and assessment, it would be particularly useful to those working in the field of educational assessment, but the learning can be applied to all contexts.
• Participants should be numerate and comfortable using Excel. 
• Average 3 hours per week over nine weeks.
• Choice of delivery models:
  • Monitored - Online group course delivered over 9 weeks featuring Monitor/Educator, discussion forum and journal
  • Peer supported - Online group course delivered over 9 weeks featuring discussion forum and journal
• Digital badges awarded and certification option for both models.

• Define data, its purposes and how it is effectively collected.
• Understand the practicalities of working with data, its storage and management.
• Develop strategies to present and communicate data as information using visualisations, summaries and descriptive statistics.
• Understand, interpret and evaluate data using knowledge of its limitations and appropriateness.

Week 1Data in life, society and education – as well as introducing participants to the role of data in education and assessment specifically, the aim of the first week is for you to become familiar and confident with the online learning environment.
Week 2What is data and where does it come from? – we'll explore where you encounter data in your day to day life and be introduced to different sources and types of data.
Week 3Working with data – we'll look at good practice in storing and managing data and consider data structures and data hygiene.
Weeks 4 & 5Turning data into information –  an introduction into ways that data can be turned into information, for example visualisations such as scatter plots and bar charts. Or simple summaries and descriptors such as frequency tables, mean, mode, median, and measures of spread.  
Week 6Telling a story with data – by using case studies we'll explore how story is told with data.
Week 7More about statistics - we will discuss the concept of descriptive vs. inferential statistics and look at some of knowledge needed to understand and critique statistical information encountered in professional life
Week 8Becoming a data sceptic - we'll explore case studies that use more complex methods, thinking about where the data might have come from, whether the questions can really be answered by the data, and whether the interpretation is supported. Week 9How does data literacy apply to you? – a review of all the topics covered and a reflection on what you've learned. Participants will also be required to complete the course evaluation

The course is open to anyone who wants to understand the basics of using, managing and interpreting data. As the course uses examples from education and assessment, it would be particularly useful to those working in the field of educational assessment, but the learning can be applied to all contexts.

Because the course is online, and you learn in your own time, it can be completed from anywhere in the world. 

Participants should be numerate and comfortable using Excel. Guidelines and self-test and learning resources are available in the course outline.

The course covers the basics of using, managing and interpreting data and aims to explain the range of purposes data can be used for, and considers the following:

• What is data and where does it come from?
• How to tell a story with data
• The limitations of what data can tell us
• How does data literacy apply to you?