“Data literacy is the ability to handle data in an organized manner, use them consciously and question them in the respective context. This includes the competencies to collect, explore, manage, curate, analyse, visualise, interpret, contextualise, evaluate and apply data.” (Hochschulforum Digitalisierung, 2017). As a result of the ongoing digitization and datafication of all parts of the society, data literacy is becoming more and more a fundamental core competency in all research fields as well as for workplaces beyond science and for social participation. Data literacy goes way beyond the traditional borders of the individual research fields. Therefore, data literacy competencies are only partially implemented in most study programs to date.
To improve data literacy education at the Friedrich Schiller University Jena (data literacy understood in the broadest sense, going well beyond classical data science, including e.g. simulation), the MSCJ started a project in 2020 on the development of teaching concepts, courses and ressources. Aim of the project is to implement data literacy competencies in the curriculum of all students at the university, e.g., by creating a certificate program.
The first level of this program (“Awareness”) started in the past winter semester with a lecture series that will be continued in the summer semester. To make concrete plans for the basic and advanced levels, it is important that these levels meet the requirements of the lecturers and their students. Therefore, a working group has been established as sort of an advisory board to the project’s core team.
If you are interested to participate in this group, or to learn more about the project, DaLiJe, the plans and the role of this group, please get in touch with the research coordinator of MSCJ: bettina.faerber@uni-jena.de. We are looking forward to working with you on shaping DaLiJe and the poject on data literacy education at the university.
