Mobilising the Student’s Voice in Data Science Education: The Great Barrier Reef Data Project

Abstract

Like many World Heritage Areas, the Australian Great Barrier Reef (GBR), the world's largest coral reef system, is being threatened by climate change. Although much data is available for analysis, including complex spatial data, the domain knowledge required for investigation can be vast and the statistical tools complex. The purpose of our project was to investigate to what extent undergraduate students could engage with GBR data at the end of their first data science unit. Using projects from a large cohort with a detailed codebook, we explored the choices students made. Interesting findings emerged including the popularity of the GBR data, willingness to do independent research, and the strength of the student voice. This has implications for aligning data science curriculum with complex, global issues.