Forming part of the Teachers4DataAnalytics program, global analytics leader, SAS held workshops at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) and the Vanderbijlpark Campus of the North-West University (NWU) in recently to provide those teachers in attendance with the knowledge and tools to inspire their students to pursue careers in data analytics.

“Teachers4DataAnalytics was launched at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in late August. I conceptualised it and thought carefully about what we could do in a matter of about five to six hours. This is where the SAS DataFly resource that offers a fun and engaging way to explore data in real-time is perfect. We show teachers how to capture information in an easy way and then represent it in the form of a graph or other visual presentation,” says Professor Delia North, former Dean and Head of the School of Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science, for the College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science at the University of KwaZulu-Natal.

These workshops saw teachers being taught at UWC and NWU how to transfer this knowledge to students on multiple levels. The teachers were taught what the differences are between mathematical and statistical thinking. The workshops also had theoretical and practical components to show the teachers how to apply what they learnt through SAS DataFly. After the workshop at UWC one teacher said to Prof Renette Blignaut, the Manager of the UWC Data Science programmes: “I hope we have similar workshops in future, we really learnt so much”.  Another teacher said: “If you arrange workshops in future, I will definitely attend.”

“The digital revolution is driven by data. This data can bring huge value if it is used ethically and in proper context. Through Teachers4DataAnalytics, the value is unlocked when statistical methods and technology is applied by learners to gain insight and make recommendations to explore and create solutions for pressing global issues,” says André Zitzke, Manager: Global Academic Programmes in Africa for SAS.

Data is everywhere and is the driving force behind much of today’s innovation. But rarely do school learners have the opportunity to work with data in authentic, meaningful experiences beyond the math classroom. Thus, many learners are not achieving data literacy. This is something that Teachers4DataAnalytics seeks to overcome by empowering teachers with the skills they need to nurture passion for data in their students.

“The level of knowledge that the teachers have generally is in the mathematical thinking domain as opposed to statistical thinking domain. The workshops held this past weekend showed teachers how to interpret what data means beyond the mathematical. It is about providing context to a story and not simply delivering a statistical approach to analysis. The value of the program, and workshops like these, is to open teachers’ and learners’ minds to understand that in the real world there is a lot of use of data. It is absolutely essential that they study further in data analytics because data is everywhere and you need to be able to make evidence-based decisions,” says Professor North.

Dr Julia Keddie of the UWC Data Science team addressed the teachers on how they are the change agents who can show learners to appreciate the value of using statistics in the real world or to study statistics further when they complete their schooling.

Ms Nombuso Zondo, from UKZN, guided the teachers through a hands-on session of SAS DataFly. From setting up the polling questions through experiencing first-hand the excitement of the dynamic changing graph as the data kept flying in. “The ease with which it is done makes it very easy to use in the classroom, not just in mathematics classes but in all subjects. Making this an additional tool helping the teacher assess, in a fun and interactive way, if the learners understood what was taught,” says Ms Zondo.

To encourage the teachers to take up this initiative Dr Danielle Roberts, also from UKZN, invited the teachers to tell a story, by creating a poster, based on data generated by responses from learners, on any topic of interest using SAS DataFly. The poster must be submitted to the judging committee and will be judged at the South African Statistical Association’s annual conference at the end of November 2022 where the winners will be announced. Handsome prizes are up for grabs.

Prof North added that SAS DataFly was selected as it is the ideal platform to workshop with teachers as they can then also easily explain to their learners and show them how to unlock the passion for data analytics. “After all, the teachers are the ones who will reach countless children over the years of their careers in education – making teachers well placed to show learners to appreciate the value of using statistics in the real world or to study statistics further when they complete their schooling.”

“SAS DataFly makes the process interactive and fun for the teachers and learners. They can input the data into the tool and see instantly how the graphic changes as new values are entered. For learners keen on using the tool, they can identify themselves by choosing emojis or specific colours for dots. It provides a great foundation on which to develop a love for data analytics and we are excited by the potential these and other workshops can have in the South African market,” concludes Zitzke.