Data literacy is the ability to understand, create, and communicate data as information. Organizations often hire data literate professionals known as “data scientists” to help them analyze “big data,” large data sets gathered from their customers or users. Data literacy is becoming an important part of STEM education. As data grows, so does the need for people who can understand and interpret it.

What Do Data Scientists Do?

Data scientists analyze big data to gain valuable insight into user behavior, patterns, and trends. Organizations use this feedback to understand how to make better decisions and solve key problems. For example, retail companies use customer data to understand their preferences and behavior so they can figure out more targeted ways to market to them. 

Learn How To Teach Data Literacy to Students for Free

Teachers who want to introduce their students to this exciting new field may not be familiar with it themselves. To help them, the analytics company SAS Institute is providing a free course designed to guide K-12 educators on how to understand and communicate data literacy to students. 

“Many of us have unintentionally developed digital skills just by living in a data-driven world,” the SAS states. “Our fast-paced course follows the journeys of a concerned parent, a small business owner and a public health expert who rely on data to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Teachers who sign up for the course receive:

  • Free access to six video modules that teach data literacy
  • The ability to set training goals and measure progress
  • A digital badge you can share on social media once you have completed the course

Learn more about the course.

Learn more about what data scientists do.