This institute is designed specifically for higher education professionals who are new to working and communicating with data and engage and interact with units that utilize data for decision-making, including, but not limited to

• Teaching and learning professionals, including faculty members
• Information technology professionals
• Student success professionals
• Cybersecurity professionals
• Analysts and leaders seeking to transform data into action

A data analysis background and/or prior experience in working with data is not required or needed to be successful in this institute.

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  Program Dates
  
  January 24–March 18, 2022

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  Duration
  
    8 weeks

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  Time Commitment
  
  5-10 hours per week

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  Who Should Attend?
  
  Higher education professionals who are new to working and communicating with data and engage and interact with units that utilize data for decision-making.

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  Program Delivery
  
  Online
  (Synchronous and Asynchronous)

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  Credential
  
  Successful completers receive the Data Literacy Institute digital microcredential.

About Attending This Institute

All EDUCAUSE Institutes are built around the following core themes, which you’ll learn more about in the program: diversity, equity, and inclusion, student success, and digital transformation. We believe in a humanized, learner-centered approach that supports communities of learning and networking.

This intensive, eight-week institute engages participants in interactive live sessions, offers small, applied team projects designed to support networking and learning, and provides coaching with the faculty. We ask that participants actively plan the time they will spend on the institute each week, even on a daily basis. Each competency below is delivered with diverse learning materials, resources, activities, and capstone projects in support of in-depth learning, immediate application, and networking.

• Introduction to Data Literacy: Examine the key concepts of data literacy.
  • Includes support for navigating the "Information Lifecycle," articulating the value of data governance, and the importance of critical thinking in data literacy.
• Data Security, Privacy, and Ethics: Adhere to and advocate for appropriate and secure data handling procedures.
  • Includes support for understanding federal privacy regulations and the impact on handling data, understanding your institution’s security and privacy policies, and data ethical issues.
• Data Management Principles: Methods and tools of data and metadata use, management, storage, and preservation.
  • Includes support for identification of data sources, for data management workflow, for common data classification schemas and data curation requirements, and for understanding metadata and its purpose.
• Data Selection and Evaluation: Identify, retrieve, and evaluate the quality of data.
  • Includes support for understanding the importance of research questions; the categories of data; and data needed to address a defined area of inquiry.
• Data Analysis: Conduct data analysis, interpret and evaluate the results, and draw conclusions.
  • Includes support for developing a data analysis plan; conducting exploratory data analysis, evaluation of results, identification of discrepancies, and comparison to other findings.
• Data Visualization and Presentation: Visually and verbally communicate their conclusions in easy-to-understand and meaningful ways.
  • Includes support for identifying and selecting meaningful findings; converting data into visual representations; and discussing ways to communicate outcomes.
• Data Leadership: Develop strategies for cultivating a data-informed campus culture.
  • Includes support for understanding how data and analytics can address higher education challenges; the elements of data governance; and planning to improve data governance.

Weekly Meetings

Once a week, we will hold a live, synchronous online meeting to discuss resources, activities, and projects. These meetings will be a combination of short talks, discussion, and opportunities for questions. See full meeting schedule in the agenda page.

View Agenda 

Learners are expected to dedicate approximately 5-10 hours per week (synchronous and asynchronous) to have an engaged and successful learning experience.

Coaching and Mentoring Opportunities

As part of your enrollment in this institute, you have the opportunity to receive coaching and mentoring from one of the program's faculty or an experienced leader from the higher-ed IT community. The post program mentoring opportunity lasts for three months, and enables a one-on-one connection for the duration of this time.