Over 100 thought leaders from organizations around the U.S. and four continents gathered from February 15 to 17 to generate important innovations needed in technology and teaching and learning at the Concord Consortium’s first Data Science Education Technology conference. Senior researchers, educators, and scientists from as far as Nigeria and New Zealand convened at the David Brower Center in Berkeley, California, to share a comprehensive overview of this rapidly growing area of data science education.

“This is a thrilling milestone,” notes Chad Dorsey, president and CEO of the Concord Consortium. “Never before have experts across mathematics, science, and technology come together to focus their thinking on the emerging field of data science education.”

Dan Damelin, William Finzer, and Natalya St. Clair of the Concord Consortium.

Some of the 100 DSET Conference attendees.

Over the next few decades, data science education is expected to undergo a profound change. According to opening panelist Deb Nolan, UC Berkeley is offering an Intro to Data Science Class with enrollment of over 700 students in it, and there is currently a campus-wide initiative to plan for a data science major. In addition, the National Science Foundation has included Harnessing Data for 21st Century Science and Engineering as a priority in a “10 Big Ideas for Future Investments” report.

To reflect the dual-sided nature of this new territory in education, the conference topics comprised two strands. The Teaching and Learning strand, designed for those considering data science-related curriculum development, brought together researchers and educators, and generated a wealth of new understandings and patterns for educational research—educators in particular left with fresh ideas on how to apply cutting-edge curriculum practices in their classroom. Researchers left with important ideas about how to define success for educational results in this fast-growing and essential research field.

“Data science is evolving. And data science education is a science on its own, which can reach out to all branches of science and similar social sciences. Already I see people here who are trying to brainstorm ways we can move ahead on data science and how we can move forward to educate people on data science,” says Kenechukwu Okeke of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Nigeria.

In the Technology strand, participants worked with data analysis platforms such as Tuva, Desmos, and CODAP (the Common Online Data Analysis Platform). Participants with software experience created their own CODAP plug-ins and also built skills to make their work more efficient. In the closing session, DSET participants watched as Ph.D. student Takahiko Tsuchiya (Georgia Institute of Technology) made data in CODAP audible as sound using a sonification plug-in he had programmed during the conference.

Register now for CADRE Webinar on DSET conference highlights

Join William Finzer, Daniel Damelin, and Natalya St. Clair of the Concord Consortium in a CADRE webinar Friday, March 3, from 1-2 pm EST for highlights from the DSET conference. Register now!

Join us at future DSET Meetups

We’ll continue to gather thought leaders in data science education technology through informal meetups in Austin, San Antonio, Los Angeles, Portland, Baltimore, and New Zealand. Going to SXSW Edu, NCTM, or NSTA? Contact us for more information about upcoming meetups. We look forward to seeing you!