Teaching with Data in the Social Sciences: Local Perspectives and Library Contributions

Presenter Information

Kathleen Berger, Boston UniversityFollow
Louise Buckley, University of New Hampshire, DurhamFollow
Patricia Condon, University of New Hampshire, DurhamFollow
Eleta Exline, University of New Hampshire, DurhamFollow
Erin Jerome, University of Massachusetts AmherstFollow
Stephen McGinty, University of Massachusetts AmherstFollow

Type

Presentation

DOI

https://doi.org/10.7275/h2x2-yd39

Session Description

Data literacy is an increasingly important and complex set of skills that students need to navigate and critically evaluate our data-driven information environment. Libraries at Boston University, the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and the University of New Hampshire were among the 20 institutions conducting parallel studies in Ithaka S+R’s Teaching with Data in the Social Sciences project, an exploratory study of the pedagogical practices of social science instructors who teach using quantitative data in undergraduate courses. In addition to exploring the ways instructors teach and understanding their support needs, this study aimed to develop actionable recommendations for campus stakeholders and identify opportunities for the development of resources, services, or activities in the library to support the use of quantitative data in the classroom. This panel presentation advances conversations in data literacy by highlighting evidence-based recommendations for campuses and libraries to consider when expanding services to support instructors teaching with data and students working with data in the classroom. Each research team will discuss findings from their local research studies and present ideas for supporting communities of practice around teaching with data, collaboratively developing shared support resources, and strengthening library supports for these endeavors. Attendees will learn about participating in a multi-institution study, gain an understanding of the primary issues around teaching with data in social science disciplines, and hear about ideas for supporting data-driven pedagogies in local campus contexts.

Type of Library

University Library

Keywords

undergraduates, social sciences, teaching, data

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Comments

https://doi.org/10.7275/h2x2-yd39