Data Literacy Essentials

In this course, you learn the foundational knowledge and skills you need to engage with data in meaningful ways. This is an introductory data literacy course, starting with the basics: what is data, what does it mean to be data literate, and why is it important in today’s world. You will build data skills by following the journeys of a concerned parent, a small business owner, and a public health expert, all of whom rely on data to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic. By the end of this course, you will be able to see the utility and interrogate the reliability of data, discover meaning in data by looking for patterns and trends, use data insights to make informed decisions, communicate data insights to others, and understand how bias impacts your work with data. If you are new to analyzing data, this course is for you. The focus in this course is on practical understanding while avoiding complicated statistical terminology to help you feel supported and encouraged throughout the process. Anybody can be successful in this course regardless or background

• Understand data utility and assess its reliability
• Identify patterns and trends to derive meaning from data
• Use data insights for informed decision-making
• Communicate data findings effectively
• Recognize and mitigate bias in data analysis

• No prior training or background required to enroll