This case study explores why and how open data can be used as a material with which to produce engaging challenges for students as they are introduced to programming. Through describing the process of producing the assignments, and learner responses to them, we suggest that open data is a powerful material for designing learning activities because of its qualities of ease of access and authenticity. We conclude by outlining steps to take in devising and implementing open data-based assignments

Atenas, J.

Havemann, Leo

Menapace, A.

English

Data Journalism techniques, in conjunction with Open Data[1], can form the basis for open educational practices in both formal and informal learning spaces.[2] This presentation aims to introduce an innovative pedagogical approach that enables learners to build capabilities in critically assessing information – for example, news media reporting – in order to verify whether the information presented is reliable, accurate and trustworthy. Via this approach, students can further be supported to develop their skills in presenting information, generating evidence of their claims and findings, and communicating their research, using traditional or more innovative means to present research outcomes.\ud
\ud
For Zembylas (2012)[3], when equipped with a critical attitude, learners can become agents of change who recognise and challenge stereotypes and transform social structures. But in order to develop such approaches, learners must be capable of critically analysing information from various sources and formats, including data. Capabilities in analysing and interpreting raw data are becoming understood as increasingly important both in and out of the workplace, contributing to a person’s range of transversal skills, which are defined by UNESCO[4] (2015) as “critical and innovative thinking, interpersonal skills; intrapersonal skills, and global citizenship”. Data literacy is therefore understood as growing in importance, alongside but certainly not displacing much-needed information, digital and media literacies.\ud
\ud
Students, researchers and academics, along with fellow citizens, are exposed to a wide range of ostensibly factual information from the media amongst other sources. Recent global political events and their links to notions of fake news and social media filter bubbles have highlighted the question of the degree to which citizens are able to evaluate this information in a critical manner. According to Kellner & Share (2009)[5], media education has transformative potential to become a powerful instrument to challenge oppression and strengthen democracy; and for Kahne, Lee & Feezell (2012)[6], media literacies assist learners to construct their political views by critically assessing the information presented in the press and in social media.\ud
\ud
Media literacies have been described as providing “a framework to access, analyze, evaluate, create and participate with messages in a variety of forms — from print to video to the Internet. Media literacies build an understanding of the role of media in society as well as essential skills of inquiry and self-expression necessary for citizens of a democracy”[7].\ud
\ud
Our presentation will showcase how the use of journalistic techniques in civic and data-led research such as fact-checking[8] and data-expeditions[9], can support learners to understand socio-political phenomena such as the refugee crisis. Our focus will be a case study of Open Migration[10], an Italian project, which supports learners’ understanding of migration data with the aim of challenging stereotypes and influencing the direction of public opinion and policy. By providing data, and developing competences and knowledge of migrants and migration issues, the project has trained students, researchers and citizens to understand the real numbers and issues of refugees in Italy, with the aim of supporting their integration in the community. Open Migration is therefore an Open Data-led project which demonstrates a replicable pedagogical pathway to improved media and data literacy.\ud
\ud
[1] Open Knowledge International: Open Data Definition: http://opendatahandbook.org/guide/en/what-is-open-data/\ud
\ud
[2] Atenas, J & Havemann, L (Eds.), Open Data As Open Educational Resources: Case Studies of Emerging Practice. London: Open Knowledge, Open Education Working Group. http://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.1590031\ud
\ud
[3] Zembylas, M. (2013). Critical Pedagogy and Emotion: Working Through ‘Troubled Knowledge’ in Posttraumatic Contexts. Critical Studies in Education, (54)2, 176-189. DOI: 10.1080/17508487.2012.743468\ud
\ud
[4] UNESCO: Transversal Skills http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0023/002347/234738E.pdf\ud
\ud
[5] Kellner, A. D., & Share, J. (2009). Critical Media Literacy , Democracy , and the Reconstruction of Education. Media Literacy: A Reader, 3–23. Retrieved from http://gseis.ucla.edu/sudikoff/archive/pdfs/philosophy/Summary_Kellner_CritLitDemocracy.pdf\ud
\ud
[6] Kahne, J., Lee, N.-J. N., & Feezell, J. T. (2012). Digital media literacy education and online civic and political participation. International Journal of Communication, 6(1), 1–24. Retrieved from http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84859851229&partnerID=40&md5=58b0d363ecf686165af37c359201bf4e\ud
\ud
[7]Media literacies definition http://www.medialit.org/media-literacy-definition-and-more\ud
\ud
[8] Fact-checking: https://www.factcheck.org/about/our-mission/\ud
\ud
[9] School of Data, Data expeditions: http://schoolofdata.org/data-expeditions/\ud
\ud
[10] Open Migration http://openmigration.org/en

Name not available

Open Data and media literacies: educating for democracy

Data Journalism techniques, in conjunction with Open Data[1], can form the basis for open educational practices in both formal and informal learning spaces.[2] This presentation aims to introduce an innovative pedagogical approach that enables learners to build capabilities in critically assessing information – for example, news media reporting – in order to verify whether the information presented is reliable, accurate and trustworthy. Via this approach, students can further be supported to develop their skills in presenting information, generating evidence of their claims and findings, and communicating their research, using traditional or more innovative means to present research outcomes.



For Zembylas (2012)[3], when equipped with a critical attitude, learners can become agents of change who recognise and challenge stereotypes and transform social structures. But in order to develop such approaches, learners must be capable of critically analysing information from various sources and formats, including data. Capabilities in analysing and interpreting raw data are becoming understood as increasingly important both in and out of the workplace, contributing to a person’s range of transversal skills, which are defined by UNESCO[4] (2015) as “critical and innovative thinking, interpersonal skills; intrapersonal skills, and global citizenship”. Data literacy is therefore understood as growing in importance, alongside but certainly not displacing much-needed information, digital and media literacies.



Students, researchers and academics, along with fellow citizens, are exposed to a wide range of ostensibly factual information from the media amongst other sources. Recent global political events and their links to notions of fake news and social media filter bubbles have highlighted the question of the degree to which citizens are able to evaluate this information in a critical manner. According to Kellner & Share (2009)[5], media education has transformative potential to become a powerful instrument to challenge oppression and strengthen democracy; and for Kahne, Lee & Feezell (2012)[6], media literacies assist learners to construct their political views by critically assessing the information presented in the press and in social media.



Media literacies have been described as providing “a framework to access, analyze, evaluate, create and participate with messages in a variety of forms — from print to video to the Internet. Media literacies build an understanding of the role of media in society as well as essential skills of inquiry and self-expression necessary for citizens of a democracy”[7].



Our presentation will showcase how the use of journalistic techniques in civic and data-led research such as fact-checking[8] and data-expeditions[9], can support learners to understand socio-political phenomena such as the refugee crisis. Our focus will be a case study of Open Migration[10], an Italian project, which supports learners’ understanding of migration data with the aim of challenging stereotypes and influencing the direction of public opinion and policy. By providing data, and developing competences and knowledge of migrants and migration issues, the project has trained students, researchers and citizens to understand the real numbers and issues of refugees in Italy, with the aim of supporting their integration in the community. Open Migration is therefore an Open Data-led project which demonstrates a replicable pedagogical pathway to improved media and data literacy.



[1] Open Knowledge International: Open Data Definition: http://opendatahandbook.org/guide/en/what-is-open-data/

[2] Atenas, J & Havemann, L (Eds.), Open Data As Open Educational Resources: Case Studies of Emerging Practice. London: Open Knowledge, Open Education Working Group. http://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.1590031

[3] Zembylas, M. (2013). Critical Pedagogy and Emotion: Working Through ‘Troubled Knowledge’ in Posttraumatic Contexts. Critical Studies in Education, (54)2, 176-189. DOI: 10.1080/17508487.2012.743468

[4] UNESCO: Transversal Skills http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0023/002347/234738E.pdf

[5] Kellner, A. D., & Share, J. (2009). Critical Media Literacy , Democracy , and the Reconstruction of Education. Media Literacy: A Reader, 3–23. Retrieved from http://gseis.ucla.edu/sudikoff/archive/pdfs/philosophy/Summary_Kellner_CritLitDemocracy.pdf

[6] Kahne, J., Lee, N.-J. N., & Feezell, J. T. (2012). Digital media literacy education and online civic and political participation. International Journal of Communication, 6(1), 1–24. Retrieved from http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84859851229&partnerID=40&md5=58b0d363ecf686165af37c359201bf4e

[7]Media literacies definition http://www.medialit.org/media-literacy-definition-and-more

[8] Fact-checking: https://www.factcheck.org/about/our-mission/

[9] School of Data, Data expeditions: http://schoolofdata.org/data-expeditions/

[10] Open Migration http://openmigration.org/en

Atenas, Javiera

Menapace, Andrea

Open Research Online

Coughlan, Tim

Using Open Data as a Material for Introductory Programming Assignments

Includes: Prefaces: Reflections from the scientific committee; From Open Data to OER: An unexpected journey?; A Scuola di OpenCoesione: From open data to civic engagement; Using Open Data as a Material for Introductory Programming Assignments; Teaching Data Analysis in the Social Sciences: A case study with article level metrics; The Alan Walks Wales Dataset: Quantified self and open data; Open Data for Sustainable Development: Knowledge society & knowledge economy

Open data as open educational resources: case studies of emerging practice

Dix, Alan

Ellis, Geoffrey

University of Birmingham Research Portal

The Alan walks Wales dataset:Quantified self and open data

Edited by Javiera Atenas and Leo Havemann\ud
\ud
Includes:\ud
 \ud
Prefaces: Reflections from the scientific committee \ud
\ud
From Open Data to OER: An unexpected journey? \ud
\ud
A Scuola di OpenCoesione: From open data to civic engagement \ud
\ud
Using Open Data as a Material for Introductory Programming\ud
Assignments \ud
\ud
Teaching Data Analysis in the Social Sciences: A case study with article level metrics \ud
\ud
The Alan Walks Wales Dataset: Quantified self and open data \ud
\ud
Open Data for Sustainable Development: Knowledge society &\ud
knowledge econom

Open Data as open educational resources: case studies of emerging practice

Synopsis: Open Data as Open Educational Resources Case studies of emerging practice is a collection of narratives reflecting good practices in the use of open data in teaching and learning

Birkbeck Institutional Research Online

From open data to OER: an unexpected journey?

Introduction to the edited collection, Open Data as Open Educational Resources: Case studies of emerging practice, which is a collection of narratives reflecting good practices in the use of open data in teaching and learning

Open Research OnlineThe Open University’s repository of research publicationsand other research outputsFrom open data to OER: an unexpected journey?Book SectionHow to cite:Atenas, Javiera and Havemann, Leo (2015). From open data to OER: an unexpected journey? In: Atenas,Javiera and Havemann, Leo eds. Open Data as Open Educational Resources: Case studies of emerging practice.London, UK: Open Knowledge - Open Education Working Group, pp. 22–25.For guidance on citations see FAQs.c© [not recorded]Version: Version of RecordLink(s) to article on publisher’s website:http://education.websites.okfn.org/files/2015/11/Book-Open-Data-as-Open-Educational-Resources1.pdfCopyright and Moral Rights for the articles on this site are retained by the individual authors and/or other copyrightowners. For more information on Open Research Online’s data policy on reuse of materials please consult the policiespage.oro.open.ac.ukFrom Open Data to OER: AnUnexpected Journey?Javiera Atenas & Leo HavemannThis collection presents the stories of our contributors’ experiences and insights, inorder  to  demonstrate  the  enormous  potential  for  openly-licensed  and  accessibledatasets (Open Data) to be used as Open Educational Resources (OER). Open Data isan  umbrella  term describing  openly-licensed,  interoperable,  and  reusable  datasetswhich  have  been  created  and  made  available  to  the  public  by  national  or  localgovernments, academic researchers, or other organisations. These datasets can beaccessed,  used  and  shared  without  restrictions  other  than  attribution  of  theintellectual property of their creators1.While there are various de2nitions of OER, theseare  generally  understood  as  openly-licensed digital  resources  that  can  be  used inteaching and learning2.On the basis of these de2nitions, it is reasonable to assert that while Open Data is notalways OER, it  certainly becomes OER when used within pedagogical  contexts. Yetwhile the question may appear already settled at the level of de2nition, the potentialand actual pedagogical uses of Open Data appear to have been under-discussed. Asopen  education  researchers  who  take  a  wider  interest  in  the  various  open‘movements’, we have observed that linkages between them are not always strong, inspite  of  shared  and interconnecting  values.  So,  Open Data  tends  to  be  discussedprimarily  in relation to its  production,  storage,  licensing and accessibility,  but  lessoften  in  relation  to  its  practical  subsequent  uses.  And,  in  spite  of  widespread1. See, eg., Open Data Handbook: ‘What is Open Data?’ (Open Knowledge). Available atopendatahandbook.org/guide/en/what-is-open-data.2. See, eg., What are Open Educational Resources (OERs)? (UNESCO). Available atwww.unesco.org/new/en/communication-and-information/access-to-knowledge/open-educational-resources/what-are-open-educational-resources-oers.22understanding  that  use  of  the  term  ‘OER’  is  actually  context-dependent,  and,therefore, could be almost all-encompassing, the focus of OER practice and researchhas tended to be on educator-produced learning materials. The search for relevantresearch literature in the early stages of this project turned up sources which discussthe bene2ts of opening data, and others advocating improving student engagementwith data3, but on the topic of Open Data as an educational resource speci2cally, thereappeared to be something of a gap.We should  pause  here  and stress  that  we are  attempting  to  characterise  generaltendencies  of  the  OER  and  Open  Data  movements;  we  acknowledge  that  certainvoices have nonetheless been speaking across the divides created by these ‘opensilos’ and our purpose in this collection is really to add to and amplify this importantwork. One document to tackle the interface between Open Data and OER explicitly isthe collaboratively-authored Open Education Handbook from Open Knowledge, whichdiscusses Open Education Data as both openly available data that can be used foreducational purposes, and open data that is released by education institutions. Ourfocus in this collection tends to the former understanding: the use of Open Data ineducation, rather than about education (though in either case the data could informinteresting student projects).  Another noteworthy source on the topic is  the set ofresources  provided  by  School  of  Data,  an  Open  Knowledge-related  project  thatprovides guidance and support for students, educators and researchers working withOpen Data in educational  contexts.  The School  of  Data provides  online self-accesscourses, and also guidelines for understanding Open Data in the form of a handbook,and for the adoption of software for  data analysis. Additionally, the resources fromSchool of Data have been translated into Spanish, French and Portuguese, in order toassist signi2cant numbers of educators internationally.Open Data has been highlighted as a key to information transparency and scienti2cadvancement. Students who are exposed to the use of Open Data have access to thesame  raw  materials  that  scientists  and  policy  makers  use.  This  enables  them  toengage with real problems at both local and global levels. Educators who make use ofOpen Data in teaching and learning encourage students to think as researchers, asjournalists,  as  scientists,  and  as  policy  makers  and  activists.  They  also  provide  ameaningful context for gaining experience in research work>ows and processes, aswell  as  learning  good  practices  in  data  management,  analysis  and reporting.  The3. See, eg., Making the most of data: Data skills training in English universities (Universities UK, 2015). Available athttp://www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/highereducation/Pages/MakingthemostofdataDataskillstraininginEnglishuniversities.aspx#.Vi-pf9_tlBd.23pedagogic deployment of Open Data as OER thus supports the development of critical,analytical, collaborative and citizenship skills, and has enormous potential to generatenew knowledge.Our  unexpected  journey  in  producing  this  collection  has  been  a  series  of  steps,sometimes taken while not quite seeing the path ahead. We began with a question:was anyone actually using Open Data as OER? and sought responses using a blog postand exploratory  survey,  which  generated  some initial  feedback.  Despite  eUorts  topromote the survey widely, the response rate was relatively low. While all those whoresponded said that  they were indeed making use of  Open Data in their  teachingpractice,  it  became  clear  from  the  examples  given  that  only  about  half  of  therespondents were actually using Open Data, rather than other forms of open content,such as OER, or datasets that were not actually ‘open’ as such. This indicated to usthat  there  may  be  a  lack  of  awareness  and  understanding  of  Open  Data  amongeducators.It  occurred  to  us at  this  point  that  we should  focus  our  attention  on  two distinctprojects. On the one hand, with Ernesto Priego, we continued to develop our ideasregarding  the  bene2ts  and  challenges  of  bringing  Open  Data  into  teaching  andlearning. This work became a research paper entitled ‘Open Data as Open EducationalResources:  Towards  Transversal  Skills  and Global  Citizenship’.  Here  we focused onresearch- and scenario- based learning models, considering the application of these toopen datasets  as  a  way of  developing students’  transversal  skills  and twenty-2rstcentury  literacies,  alongside  more  traditional  subject-related  competencies.  At  thesame time,  we  remained  convinced  that  the  question  of  whether  educators  wereactually already training students in the interrogation of Open Data had surely not yetbeen settled by our survey. In fact, we suspected that good practices must be outthere, and might be captured in a useful and approachable way through a call for casestudies. The response and the results were gratifying.And so, 2nally, at the core of this book we have 2ve case studies of open educationalpractice,  in  which  Open  Data  takes  centre  stage  in  learning.  These  case  studiesshowcase diverse practice at an international  level,  including studies from the UK,Canada  and  Italy.  DiUerent  approaches  and  disciplines  are  represented,  re>ectingdiUerent  kinds  of  data,  across  diUerent  educational  levels,  to  highlight  thedevelopment of citizen engagement. The cases are more proof-of-concept than ‘how-to’, and we prefer to let them speak for themselves rather than describe them in detail24here. We simply wish to express our delight at the range of innovative work that hasbeen surfaced by the authors.By extending their commitment to open practice beyond the classroom through theact of sharing these accounts with others, our contributors have produced a set ofopen resources to inform, assist and inspire other educators. Our collective hope isthat through the work of opening up practices as well as datasets, we are starting tocreate the conditions of possibility for the reuse and remixing of pedagogical ideas andlearning designs around Open Data. We contend that opening content and practices isa necessary step, but one which must be taken with a higher purpose in mind. Open isnot the destination, it is only the beginning.25

Using Open Data as a Material for Introductory Programming Assignments

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