Defining data literacy
“It’s about knowing how to use and communicate data.”
“Data literacy is key to informing strategic planning.”
These were just a couple of the responses from our recent data literacy workshop.
Other examples included “using tables, spreadsheets, and infographics” to tell stories.
What do you think?
At Jisc, we believe that being data literate means understanding how to handle data as a special form of information. This encompasses a variety of skills, including data collection, assessing credibility, analysis, visualisation, and storage/management.
Data literacy in the workplace
But does the education sector possess the necessary data skills for today’s workplace? A UK government report examining the data skills gap across various sectors found a 24% performance gap in the education sector. This gap reflects the difference between managers’ expectations of their staff’s data skills and what the staff believe their skills to be. Despite this, we spend an average of 14 hours a week handling data in our roles, from manipulating and analysing, to visualising and presenting data.
Some might argue that artificial intelligence can bridge the data skills gap. However, as Euan Blair, CEO of Multiverse, points out:
“The lack of data skills is holding businesses back, and it is holding economies back.
In the age of AI this issue is only exacerbated: companies’ ability to harness this game changing technology depends on their ability to access, curate, and make use of their data.
Companies have spent billions on software, but hardly anything on the skills needed to get the most from that software.”
How can colleges and universities establish a baseline of digital skills to capitalise on the technology we use?
Developing digital capabilities and skills
Investing time and resources in upskilling staff on digital capabilities and skills is crucial, even as AI continues to evolve. While AI can automate many tasks, the human element of understanding, interpreting, and effectively using information and data remains irreplaceable.
Improving our digital capabilities and skills not only supports personal and professional growth, but also prepares learners for a workforce increasingly driven by technology.
To support this, we are offering six upcoming workshops designed to boost your digital capabilities:
- Developing digital capability: data literacy
- Developing digital capability: digital creation
- Developing digital capability: digital problem solving and innovation
- Developing digital capability: digital learning and development
- Developing digital capability: digital communication and participation
- Developing digital capability: digital media and information literacy
Our two-hour interactive workshops for beginners, explores tools and techniques to develop digital skills in a range of areas. We’ll also provide further resources to explore, and opportunities to connect and share ideas across the Higher and Further Education sectors.