SAS has launched free data literacy resources to help people navigate and thrive in a world awash in data and making data literacy accessible for all.
The new SAS data literacy course, Data Literacy Essentials, introduces data basics, as well as what it means to be data-literate. It teaches strategies for seeing the usefulness in data, interrogating data, discovering meaning, making decisions and communicating data.
The course follows the journeys of a concerned parent, a small business owner and a public health expert, who each use data to navigate and problem-solve through the pandemic.
The course also focuses on the ethical challenges of working with data. Data ethics refers to how we seek out, interpret and present data responsibly, including the moral judgments we make when working with data and the influence of biases.
Additionally, SAS has supported education for decades, from fostering STEM skills in young students to cultivating data scientists to creating classroom resources for a generation of digital natives. Now, SAS is creating a collection of resources for a new generation: data natives.
SAS Chief Executive Officer, Jim Goodnight said, “SAS understands the power of data to help us understand our world, to do good and to solve problems. In our connected and data-rich society, the ability to apply and use data in everyday life is essential for everyone, not just data scientists and mathematicians.”
In an effort to equip students with these necessary skills, SAS provides data literacy resources for K-12, includes;
1. The DataFly, a free tool for K-12 teachers and students that offers a simple, fast and engaging way to collect and explore data from students in real-time, whether they are together in person or virtually, available later this summer.
2. CodeSnaps, a collaborative coding environment requiring only one robot and one iPad. Students solve problems while building a program using printed coding blocks and run the program using a connected robot such as Sphero, SPRK, SPRK+ and Ollie.
3. Data Drives, which help students reconsider ways their school engages with the community. As they ask questions, collect data, and then analyse and interpret the responses, students begin to think critically about factors that influence outcomes and see the power of data.
4. GatherIQ™, a free app and website that teaches students about the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals and inspires them to take action to make the world a better place.
SAS is partnering with Temasek Polytechnic (TP) for Business Intelligence and to provide a platform for students and staff for exposure on the latest analytic industry tools and technologies in analytics, as well as an opportunity to collaborate on joint industry projects.
