Abstract

Syllabus studies have been used to inform librarians’ work in collection development, instruction and information literacy. Syllabi also provide an opportunity to understand course requirements for data literacy. In this study, syllabi from Eastern Michigan University’s College of Business were analyzed to determine which courses require data literacy for the completion of assignments or projects. The author tested several hypotheses to identify where data literacy instruction would be most needed:Data use in online and hybrid class assignments is greater than for in-person class assignmentsGraduate students have greater data requirements than undergraduate studentsDifferent business school disciplines have different data needs (i.e., marketing has more, accounting has less)Though this was not a scientific study, analyzing syllabi and assignments can reveal both stated and implied data literacy competencies. Surfacing these competencies and making them explicit gives the librarian and the teaching faculty the opportunity to co-design relevant teaching and learning activities. Since data literacy instruction is a new initiative at the Eastern Michigan University Library, the author also used this study to bring attention to this capacity.

Highlights

  • In a 2016 article from the American Association of Collegiate Schools of Business’ (AACSB, the accrediting organization for business schools) online publication, Bized, Bill Hardgrave, Dean of Auburn University’s Harbert College of Business wrote “Our industry advisory board members and individual business leaders told us that they were looking for a different set of analytical skills from our students—they wanted students who could gather data, analyze data, and make decisions with data.” (Hargrave, 2016) A survey of employers and college students by the Association of American Colleges & Universities (AACU) agreed with the advisory board

  • Keck Statistical Literacy Project, states that traditional business statistics courses are not relevant to the work of business school graduates. Instead he suggests business students take a class on statistical literacy, a term he uses to describe the critical thinking skills that managers use to make better decisions using numbers. (Schield, 2013) The terminology differs, but relying on the Carlson, et al (2011) definition of data literacy as “understanding what data mean, including how to read charts appropriately, draw correct conclusions from data and recognize when data are being used in misleading or inappropriate ways,” the author argues that data literacy is synonymous with statistical literacy

  • One study used syllabi to determine information and data information literacy (DIL) teaching opportunities using a grounded theory approach, which involved understanding the goals of the course, and how each assignment built towards those goals. (Maybee et al, 2015) Curriculum mapping has been used to uncover DIL opportunities. (Macy and Coates, 2016) Curriculum mapping involves gathering professional standards, academic learning outcomes, course syllabi and assignments to create course goals

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Summary

Introduction

In a 2016 article from the American Association of Collegiate Schools of Business’ (AACSB, the accrediting organization for business schools) online publication, Bized, Bill Hardgrave, Dean of Auburn University’s Harbert College of Business wrote “Our industry advisory board members and individual business leaders told us that they were looking for a different set of analytical skills from our students—they wanted students who could gather data, analyze data, and make decisions with data.” (Hargrave, 2016) A survey of employers and college students by the Association of American Colleges & Universities (AACU) agreed with the advisory board. M. Keck Statistical Literacy Project, states that traditional business statistics courses are not relevant to the work of business school graduates. Keck Statistical Literacy Project, states that traditional business statistics courses are not relevant to the work of business school graduates Instead he suggests business students take a class on statistical literacy, a term he uses to describe the critical thinking skills that managers use to make better decisions using numbers. There is a real need for data literacy in business school programs, because it is not part of the regular curriculum and employers want graduates with these kinds of analytical skills. DIL includes the production and maintenance of data, which are specialized skills not typically needed by business school graduates (undergraduates and MBA students). Business school students mainly work with secondary source data, which is consistent with the skills employers are looking for in terms of working with data and statistics

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