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Open data that anyone can access, use, and share is increasingly used in teaching and learning not only in areas such as data-science but across a variety of disciplines. Real data collection can be time-consuming and otherwise impractical. With the increasing availability of open data, teachers can carry out research-based learning activities using real data, without having to leave the classroom.
For this activity, you will find an open data set that you could use in a course you teach or support. Once you identify a data set you will write a short assignment description.
To find an open-data set use one of the following data repositories below and search for a data-set related to your discipline or specialization area.
- Figshare: Figshare is a global open data repository. You can find open data for a variety of fields and even visualize it.
- Data BC: Data BC hosts the BC Data Catalog which includes data that is openly licensed with the BC Government Open Data license.
To Create an Activity
- Find a data set that is relevant to your field or discipline
- Determine how students could analyze or use the data
- Write one paragraph describing the learning activity
- To help guide you in creating an assignment think about some of the the “core, discipline-agnostic competencies that students can “acquire in the context of research-based learning activities based on open data-sets
- Critical thinking
- Data curation skills
- Research skills
- Statistical literacy
- Teamwork skills
- Global citizenship
For Example
Complete this Activity
After you do this assignment, please share it with the comment below it can appear with other responses below. If your response exists at a public viewable URL, you can add the information directly to this site.
Image Credit: Image used on featured image: On Videotape by Mitchell Joyce (CC by NC 2.0)