Utilizing Authentic Data and Project Based Learning to Promote Student Data Literacy

Abstract

The ability to process and understand data is an important skill in the 21st century. This project aimed to investigate how to increase student data literacy through the combination of authentic data and project based learning. In order to quantify the impact of this, a mixed methods design was utilized including a quasi-experimental pre and post test, pre and post Likert survey, unstructured observations, and a culminative final student paper. Ultimately, based on the Likert survey results students from the beginning of the study had a positive viewpoint of statistics and were genuinely interested in the content. Over the course of the study, normalized gains between student pre test and post test scores demonstrated moderate growth in their ability to analyze data and recognize trends, and low growth in their ability to recognize limitations, uncertainty within data, and construct evidence-based arguments.