Data Journalism Teaching, Fast and Slow

Abstract

This commentary draws on a decade's experience of teaching data journalism within a variety of contexts to describe the lessons learned regarding different pedagogical techniques and choices about the aspects of data journalism to teach. What emerges is a difference between classes aimed at a general audience, who might be sceptical and/or ignorant of the diversity of data journalism practice and those aimed at a more specialist audience aiming to go into the increasing numbers of roles dedicated to data-driven techniques.

Innovación en la docencia del periodismo a través de la ciencia de datos

“…Paul Bradshaw (2018) señala igualmente en "Teaching Datajournalism slow" que el principal problema con el que cuentan los alumnos de periodismo o los profesionales es la falta de conocimientos matemáticos. En sus formaciones iniciales, en 2010, abordaba un aprendizaje que empezaba por la hoja de cálculo, datos y funciones.…”

Defining and Teaching Data Journalism: A Typology

“…A program with just three faculty members began by folding data into existing courses before collaborating with a sister department to find a nonjournalism data specialist willing to adapt to journalism (Green, 2018). However, if learning computer programming languages is considered part of data journalism, outsourcing is ineffective because the goal is to teach adaptable computational thinking rather than one language (Bradshaw, 2018). Furthermore, one or two electives is insufficient to train journalists for professional practice, and multiple modules in existing or new courses also are needed (Royal, 2017).…”

Teaching Data Journalism: Insights for Indian Journalism Education

“…Past studies about teaching data journalism rely on case studies of specific programmes (Davies, 2018; Green, 2018; Treadwell et al, 2016), surveys or interviews with academicians who offer data-journalism-related courses (Davies & Cullen, 2016; Leask, 2017), analyzing course documents or curriculum (Hewett, 2016; Splendore et al, 2016) or developing normative and reflective approaches to teaching data journalism (Bradshaw, 2018; Burns & Mathew, 2018).…”

“…However, non-journalists teaching journalism students as part of collaborative initiatives is raised as a serious issue (Green, 2018). Bradshaw (2018) opposes such interdisciplinary collaboration, especially in terms of outsourcing journalism teaching to other departments. However, this concern is absent in case of collaboration with the community of practice.…”