Empowering People with Data

Empowering People with DataUN Word Data Form1/17/2017

Rahul BhargavaResearch Scientist@rahulbot

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Empowering People with Data

Rahul Bhargava

[email protected]@rahulbot

Tips and Tricks for Creative Data Literacy

Research ScientistCivic Media Group - MIT Media Lab

www.datatherapy.orgwww.databasic.io



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Research Scientist

MIT Center for Civic Media

Civic Media Group, MIT Media Lab

Participants sketching a data story

Painting a data mural

About Me



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This Workshop

1. Introduction2. A fun “data sculpture” activity3. Opportunities for engagement around data4. A “story sketching” activity5. Conclusion



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Data is an asset…

improveoperations

spread themessage

bring peopletogether



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…but is it empowering?

• Lack of transparency

• Extractive collection practices

• Technological complexity

• Control of impact

no awareness for subject

no agency for subject

no understanding for subject

no participation by subject

D’Ignazio, C., & Bhargava, R. (2015). Approaches to Building Big Data Literacy. In Bloomberg Data for Good Exchange 2015. New York, NY, USA.



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How do we empower people with data?



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Let’s Make Data Sculptures!

• Read your data handout

• Find a partner

• Grab some craft materials

• Make a sculpture that shows something you see in the data

Be creative - don’t just make a bar chart out of blocks!



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Let’s Make Data Sculptures! you have 8 minutes



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A Creative Approach toData Literacy



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Data-dense, visually complex, representations of complex data-driven stories are held up as inspirations.

Visual ExplanationsEdward R. Tufte

Tableau Software

The Usual Guiding Lights



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Low-tech, arts-based presentations of data-driven stories can be more appropriate for engaging and empowering many types of audiences.

A Chronological History of the United StatesElizabeth Peabody1856

A hand-made data visualization

A Richer Set of Inspirations



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Opportunities for Engagement

Asking questions

Gathering data

Finding a story

Telling your story

Trying it out

brainstorminghypothesis forming

participatory collection

analysis

collaborative creation

evaluation



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Charting crop production and rainfall trends over timePraxis India

#1 – Rural Data Analysis

Making a radar-cart on the floorPraxis India

Praxis India



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Mobile data collection around the city@GoBoston2030 on Twitter

#2 – Participatory Analysis in GoBoston2030

Participatory analysis at an Imagine Boston community workshop@ImagineBoston on Twitter

Interaction Institute for Social Change



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Participants sketching mural design ideas

#3 – A Data Mural in Brazil

Painting the mural

Rahul and Emily Bhargava, Secretary of Minas Gerais, Brazil

Bhargava, R., Kadouaki, R., Bhargava, E., Castro, G., & D’Ignazio, C. (2016). Data Murals: Using the Arts to Build Data Literacy. The Journal of Community Informatics, 12(3).



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A Chronological History of the United StatesElizabeth Peabody - 1856

#4 – The Fabric of History

Elizabeth PeabodyLibrary of Congress

Elizabeth Peabody



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Sketching a Story



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DataBasic.ioA suite of tools and activities for learning to work with data



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wordcounter.databasic.io



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A word cloud of results

Word Counter Results

Downloadable lists of the most common word and phrases



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Let’s Sketch a Story!

• Make a team of 3 or 4 people

• Visit wordcounter.databasic.io & pick a sample dataset

• Find a quick story to you think is interesting

• Grab paper, markers, and sketch out your story visually

you have 15 minutes

Be creative and have fun!



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We Can Use Data To Empower



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Fun > Sexy

Self-defined

Self-motivated

Substantive

Fake-able

Fun

✔

️ ✔

✔

❌

Sexy

?

❌

❌

✔



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Opportunities for Engagement

Asking questions

Gathering data

Finding a story

Telling your story

Trying it out

brainstorminghypothesis forming

participatory collection

analysis

collaborative creation

evaluation

This builds cross-sector trust!



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datatherapy.org

Quick summaries available

Still looking for funding to develop a toolkit

More Activities on datatherapy.org



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Use Your Data Assets Wisely

improveoperations

spread themessage

bring peopletogether



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Empowering People with Data

Rahul Bhargava

[email protected]@rahulbot

Tips and Tricks for Creative Data Literacy

Research ScientistCivic Media Group - MIT Media Lab

www.datatherapy.orgwww.databasic.io

Empowering People with Data

Education