Teaching Data Science through Storytelling: Improving Undergraduate Data Literacy

Abstract

This study proposes and evaluates the OCEL.AI (Open Collaborative Experiential Learning. AI) paradigm that aims at broadening participation in data science education and enhancing undergraduate students’ data literacy. The core of the paradigm is the “Tell Stories” approach. This approach applies the 5W+1H (Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How) conceptual schema of stories as a transdisciplinary language for data science education for STEM and non-STEM majors. Accordingly, this study reported findings from the OCEL.AI project that implemented and evaluated the paradigm. A field experiment, in addition to classroom observations, was conducted to compare the learning outcomes of students in data science competence, appreciation, career motivation, life-long willingness to learn, and self-efficacy in data science between the treatment group and the control group. The results showed that the OCEL.AI paradigm improved undergraduates’ data science competence and career motivation despite majors or gender.