How to build data literacy on campus

Resources on building data literacy skills for students, researchers and leadership

Human figures play with pie charts and line graphs

The data age is here, but is higher education prepared? With AI, algorithms and analytics now part of daily life, universities need to make sure their students are prepared for the new normal, that researchers are at the cutting edge of data strategy and that institutional leaders are data savvy too. This collection of resources offers advice on integrating data literacy into the curriculum, how researchers can manage and present their data and how to get started with data visualisation.

Four things to prioritise when teaching students data literacy

Successful data science education requires a holistic approach that involves modifications in how we teach data sciences and reinforcement of lessons throughout the course, writes Ellen Bell

Ellen Bell

University of East Anglia

Teaching data literacy

An illustration of a woman with a laptop sitting on a bar chart

Prepare the workforce of tomorrow by integrating data literacy into your curriculum

Data literacy skills are increasingly important in the modern workplace. Ermal Haranlli, Nedelin Velikov and Kehara Warnakulasuriya offer their advice on readying your students for the future

Ermal Haranlli, Nedelin Velikov , Kehara Warnakulasuriya

The London School of Economics and Political Science

Image showing data processing and analytics

Foundations to lay when teaching computational and data skills

Traditional teaching in data analysis focuses on statistics and visualisation but an emphasis on foundational data and computational skills is needed to prepare students to work with real data, explains Philip Leftwich

Philip Leftwich

University of East Anglia

A student learning AI literacy

Teaching AI literacy: how to begin

Students urgently need to develop their AI literacy skills if they are to gain graduate-level jobs and help society tame the perils of the technology, write Christine O’Dea and Mike O’Dea

Xianghan (Christine) O’Dea , Mike O'Dea

University of Huddersfield, York St John University

A lecturer points to a computer screen in a darkened room

The what, why and how of data visualisation for higher education

Wondering how to get started with data visualisation? Andrew Moles lays out the basics and offers his advice

Andrew Moles

The London School of Economics and Political Science

How to incorporate fintech and Web3 into university curricula

In bringing financial technology and cryptocurrency into university courses, educators must cover regulatory uncertainty, cybercrime risks and asset bubbles while keeping up with developments. Larisa Yarovaya provides insights

Larisa Yarovaya

University of Southampton

The benefits of data literacy in research

A young man at a computer analysing data

Boosting data literacy: essential skills for early career researchers

Guidance for early career researchers on how to effectively manage and present data

Derval Dally

The University of the West Indies

Young woman looking at data on a screen

Shifting landscapes of social media data for research

What can researchers do in light of changes to social media platforms’ APIs that reduce and monetise access to data? In this uncharted territory, aspects to watch include new access routes and user protections

Brittany I. Davidson, Joanne Hinds, Daniel Racek

University of Bath, LMU Munich

Data mountain illustration

Opening doors to knowledge: making data open access

Making data open access has become a cornerstone of transparent and collaborative research practices. Here, Jon Petters provides a brief guide on how to do it, emphasising accessibility, reproducibility and interoperability

Jonathan Petters

Virginia Tech

Two scientists in white coats discuss over a laptop

Why every student (and researcher) should know about evidence synthesis

The ability to collect, summarise and analyse data is especially vital for students and researchers in medical and healthcare-related fields, writes Alessio Bellato. Here, he explains what it is and how to access training

Alessio Bellato

University of Southampton

Making research metrics work for you, part one

An introduction to individual research metrics and how to discover how your own profile and data are represented online, in part one of Ioannis Glinavos’ advice on managing metrics

Ioannis Glinavos

University of Westminster

Why leaders should become data literate

Illustration of people in silhouette with cityscape

Harnessing the humanities for transformative tech leadership

Amid a growing awareness that humanities students and faculty need data literacy, Rishi Jaitly, a longstanding champion of the humanities in technology, explains why data and technology leaders also need an education in the liberal arts

Rishi Jaitly

Virginia Tech

data management concept

Data management strategy in higher education: a blueprint for excellence

By assessing data maturity, establishing data governance, creating centralised data teams and adopting a dynamic data reference model, institutions can remain agile in an evolving technological landscape, writes Nick Chaviano

Nick Chaviano

Georgia Tech’s Center for 21st Century Universities

A group of people sitting round a laptop

Give educators the skills to bring assessment into the future

How can academics get to grips with the most cutting-edge of assessment tools? Matthew Courtney details how to educate STEM experts on modern assessment systems

Matthew Courtney

Nazarbayev University

An iPad and pen lay on top of a page featuring pie charts

Supporting cybersecurity literacy for workforce-ready graduates

Employers need a cybersecurity-literate workforce, and higher education could play a valuable role in filling the gap

Steven Furnell

University of Nottingham

IPEDS and the trouble with student metrics in the US

The IPEDS education data surveys hold great weight in the HE system, but they are not inclusive enough and thus no longer fit for purpose, says Elizabeth Harris

Elizabeth Harris

Colorado State University Global