Data and Social Worlds: How Data Science Education Supports Civic Participation and Social Discourse

Abstract

As the world becomes increasingly awash in data, the ability to engage in civic participation and social discourse is becoming more dependent on the ability to engage with large real-world data sets. Data science education, as a growing focus across disciplines and age groups, strives to prepare learners to be active citizens by supporting them in engaging in inquiry with data that intersects with social and civic phenomena. The eleven projects represented in this symposium explore how learners across age groups and geographic locations are supported for civic engagement and the examination of social worlds through data-based inquiry. The projects take place in an eclectic and diverse range of settings and disciplines, tied together through the convergence of data science education and civic and social engagement.