Data management as a student

How can I teach basic knowledge of data management to students in a practice-oriented way? 

General information

The materials can be re-used by instructors for their courses.

They were developed in the context of a Teaching Tool at the University of Zurich.

Topics and learning objectives

Data management includes all processes that deal with the collection, organisation, storage, analysis, and use of data. Good data management enables data to be analysed, interpreted, and reused at a later stage. In addition, topics such as data protection also play an important role when handling personal data.

Basic data management skills are also increasingly required in the professional world.

Even if the type of research data varies depending on the discipline, all students benefit from a basic knowledge of managing data. The provided slide decks focus on the following topics:

• Data organisation improves data quality: Good data management skills can help students working in groups to avoid data inconsistencies.
• Data documentation: If existing data is to be used, it is crucial to know how the quality of the data can be checked. Or to know how the collected data must be documented in a seminar paper so that the quality can be ensured, and the data is understandable and comprehensible. 
• Safe handling of personal data: When working with personal data, legal questions and ethical considerations come into play and must be taken into account when planning, collecting, processing and analysing personal data.

The specific learning objectives of the individual slide decks are presented at the beginning of the provided material (on the ‘Instructor info’ and on the 2nd slide). 

Instructions

Instructors can use these materials in the form of presentation slides and background information to address aspects of data management in their courses.

Based on specific questions from the students' everyday life, thematically bundled slides are available that can be inserted (individually or in combination) into an existing presentation of a course. The short application exercise at the end of each slide deck is designed to let students apply the various elements of data management in a goal- and practice-orientated way and to discuss these elements on the basis of suggested questions.

Instructors can use the guiding questions to decide which set of slides to include in the course. In addition to the slides, instructors can also access texts with further information that help keep the amount of time required for preparation to a minimum.

Target group

• Bachelor's and Master's students, all disciplines
• Materials for instructors

Prerequisites for participants

None 

Time required

10-15 minutes per unit  

Provided material

• Topic-related slide sets (in PDF, PPT and ODP)
• Instructor info