New Data Science Program Engages Youth in Social Issue Action ISF and NetApp Partner to Inspire Students in Bengaluru
India STEM
Foundation
Data is everywhere. With data being created at unimaginable rates, it is the new driving force across all aspects of society. Data inarguably holds the potential to unlock the hidden knowledge to solve pressing problems of the 21st century for a better future.
Data Science, which involves statistics,
mathematics and computer science, enables us to discover patterns and
relationships in large datasets that lead to actionable insights and strategic
decisions for business, policy-making and social impact. Data fluency in the workforce
is a critical growing need and hence preparing youth to acquire these skills
early in life is urgent.
To address this need, the India
STEM Foundation and data management company NetApp joined together to create
NetApp Data Explorers to empower teens to thrive and
take action in a data-driven world.
Data Explorers students in under-resourced communities
learning from their homes
Students were introduced to a data analysis tool, called CODAP (Common Online Data Analysis Platform), developed by Concord Consortium in the US. Students were engaged via data-driven games and activities, taught to question and analyze data through the creation of visualizations. Students then worked in teams to solve problems and share their stories of how they applied their new skills.
Multiple data sets were used related
to the UN Sustainability Goals, including how to address poverty, what actions can
be taken to combat climate change, how can we ensure inclusive and equitable quality
education, and how to make cities and human settlements safe, resilient and sustainable.
Students worked in teams along with NetApp employee volunteers. Volunteers
offered support and shared how they use data in their diverse careers. Students
learned that any job in the future will require some level of data literacy.
Pre and post surveys were conducted with students to measure
Data Efficacy, Data Attitudes, and Social Efficacy. The analysis of the surveys
revealed that 94% of students were able to confidently discuss data science as
opposed to only 46% of students at the beginning of the program. Also, 74% of students were able to deliver insights from the data as compared to 28% of students who initially lacked understanding of datasets, patterns relationships
and insights for decision-making.
Data Science is a new topic to
learn for children. Hence, the curriculum was developed in the manner that
students were exposed to different datasets to practically understand multiple
application areas. After the awareness session, students were very excited and
eager to learn this subject and the new tool. The enthusiasm remained
throughout the classes, as students were constantly engaged in dialogues with
the mentors whilst solving hands-on challenges.
Unlike a physical classroom,
delivering the program virtually over Zoom was challenging. With 25 students
per class, we learned it was difficult for students and educators alike. In
order to be able to support students at the level required, we believe small
groups (8) would be more effective.
We also observed that students
with access to computers or devices that have a keyboard, and a mouse had more
effective learning. However, dealing with students who lack basic resources is
a standing limitation that could be overcome by providing them with more
devices such as tablets, laptops and ensuring a stable internet connectivity.
The program was kept open to
teachers from all backgrounds however from a program delivery perspective, Computer
and Mathematics Teachers were the best fit for this program. This is because
these teachers have developed the reasoning and aptitude to solve problems and
are already leveraging algorithms in their subjects.
The future of such programs is promising,
and our recommendation is to focus on an inclusive school curriculum approach. It
is important that the school leadership have a progressive mindset, are keen to
embrace the rapid changes in the world and introduce students to the areas
beyond their school curriculum. Since our program implementation and
recognizing the need for students to be data-driven, CBSE, the largest
education board in India, in year 2021 started offering Data Science to school
students across India as a skill-based subject. It is expected that this will
expedite the adoption of Data Science as a subject by a large
number of schools in India, and in future would lead to an inclusive school
curriculum approach where learning and exposure to Data Science will be required
for all. For this to happen and benefit the masses, corporate support is important.
India STEM Foundation would like to invite corporates to come forward, like
NetApp, and participate in preparing the workforce of tomorrow through their
active volunteering, execution, and resource support.
About India STEM Foundation
India STEM Foundation (ISF) is
one of the early players in the STEM education ecosystem in India. Through
hands-on software and hardware intervention mediums, ISF has reached out to 5,00,000+
students to help them acquire the most crucial 21st-century skills.
www.indiastemfoundation.org
NetApp is a global cloud-led,
data-centric software company that empowers organizations to lead with data in
the age of accelerated digital transformation. The company provides systems,
software and cloud services that enable them to run their applications
optimally from data center to cloud, whether they are developing in the cloud,
moving to the cloud, or creating their own cloudlike experiences on-premises.
With solutions that perform across diverse environments, NetApp helps
organizations build their own data fabric and securely deliver the right data,
services and applications to the right people—anytime, anywhere.
Comments
Post a Comment