Jo Louie and Jenn Stiles talk about the importance of data skills for building an informed citizenry.
The world today runs on data and information. Data literacy is essential to success in hundreds of jobs and is key to making wise decisions. Yet far too few students have the opportunity to gain data literacy, achieve more advanced levels of data fluency, and explore data science careers. As a result, the United States faces a shortage of workers with the analytical skills needed to use big data to inform decision-making. While the need for data scientists is projected to grow rapidly, our country’s education and workforce development systems are not keeping pace.
EDC is a leader in fostering data literacy across the lifespan, expanding access to data science careers, and supporting the use of data to guide informed decision-making. We transform data science education—with a focus on real-world data and work-based learning—to help youth and adults succeed in a data-intensive world. Our partners include leaders from industry, pre-K–16 education, career and technical education, community colleges, and four-year colleges.
Nationwide, EDC convenes innovators and thought leaders to chart a course to meet the needs of tomorrow’s learners and workforce. Our research and evaluations advance knowledge of what works in data education. Our learning experiences build key skills and knowledge—data visualization, statistical analytics, computational thinking, artificial intelligence literacy—to ensure a future-ready workforce.
Featured
In the new guide K–8 STEM Career Competencies, published by EDC’s STEM Learning and Research Center (STELAR), my co-authors and I share easy and effective ways to help students explore and acquire the skills they will need to thrive in 21st-century workplaces.
Exploring the skills that students need to succeed in the field.
A diverse data science workforce is critical to America—now and in the future.
Data literacy is a critical skill for the future. Why are we not prioritizing it in K–12?
The workplace as we know it is changing rapidly. How can schools adapt?
Jo Louie and Jenn Stiles talk about the importance of data skills for building an informed citizenry.
In the new guide K–8 STEM Career Competencies, published by EDC’s STEM Learning and Research Center (STELAR), my co-authors and I share easy and effective ways to help students explore and acquire the skills they will need to thrive in 21st-century workplaces.
Exploring the skills that students need to succeed in the field.
A diverse data science workforce is critical to America—now and in the future.
Data literacy is a critical skill for the future. Why are we not prioritizing it in K–12?
The workplace as we know it is changing rapidly. How can schools adapt?
Projects
Resources
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The Investigating U.S. Society with Data (USS-DATA) curriculum modules are designed to promote high school students’ statistical thinking and data literacy skills through investigations of social and economic conditions in the U.S.
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These website curricula and resources are for teachers and administrators interested in providing high school students with critical 21st century data skills. This collection of course materials will enable high schools to create a data science career pathway linking to local community college programs preparing middle-skilled data practitioners and to university programs preparing data scientists.
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This website contains two middle school classroom units—one on local weather and one on extreme weather—developed by EDC and the Mount Washington Observatory in New Hampshire. Both units help teachers build students’ data literacy. In addition to the curricula, the website includes lesson activities, videos, and information about the research that contributed to the program.
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This website includes six lessons that build students’ data literacy through deep dives into real-world science problems using authentic datasets. Students use digital supports as they analyze data to answer questions, debate their interpretations, take notes, and write arguments supported by evidence. The website also provides supportive resources for teachers.
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What can cause climate change? What would it take to colonize another world? Will another large earthquake happen in California? EDC Earth Science helps teachers engage students in exploring these and other key questions. The full year, research-based high school earth science course features active, inquiry-oriented learning and explorations of data science, including analyzing climate data...
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This online hub contains a wide range of resources to support educators in building young students’ computational thinking (CT) skills. Resources include information about six models of CT integration, a CT integration and self-assessment tool, EDC researchers’ key learnings, and curricular resources.
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EDC’s Ocean Track modules engage undergraduate students in rigorous investigations of data science and climate change. Students work with authentic scientific data through investigations that mirror those conducted by scientists studying the broad-scale effects of climate change and human activities on top predators in ocean ecosystems. Using the Ocean Tracks interactive map and data analysis...
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This resource provides six investigations to help preschool educators engage children in developmentally appropriate data collection and analysis. Designed to be used with an app, the resource includes activities that guide children through collecting data, creating graphs, and using data to answer questions. Instructional support for teachers is also provided.