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Lesson 1: Data Trails

Lesson 1: Data Trails

Objective

You will learn what data are, how they are collected, and possible effects of sharing data.

Vocabulary

data, observations, data trails

Essential Concepts

Lesson 1 Essential Concepts

Data are a collection of recorded observations. The term observations will be used to refer to the things about which we are collecting data. Data are gathered by people and by sensors. Patterns in data can reveal previously unknown patterns in our world. Data play a large and sometimes invisible role in our lives.

ATTENTION

For every single lesson:

Answer the questions in red font in your Introduction to Data Science (IDS) Journal.

Lesson

  1. Data are all around us. This Data Story video involving the Target store chain tells you how data collected about you can be used:

  2. Now that you've watched the Data Story video, answer the question at the end of the video in your IDS Journal:

    How do you think Target knew about the daughter? In other words, how did Target know the daughter was pregnant before her father did?

  3. Answer the following questions about data:

    1. What are data?

    2. Where do data come from?

    3. Give an example of data.

    4. Give an example of something that is not data (e.g., something that was never written down or recorded in some way).

  4. We create data trails as we go through life. A data trail is the data collected about us as individuals that could be used to see the patterns in our personal lives. You will learn about your own data trails by keeping a Data Diary for 24 hours. It is likely that you do not realize how often you leave a data trail or what information is being collected about you on a regular basis.

  5. For the next 24 hours, you will log entries into a Data Diary.

    You will write down everything that you do over the next 24 hours that could potentially provide someone with electronic personal data about you, without you necessarily choosing to give him/her your information. Be sure to read the directions and look at the examples in the Data Diary document.

    Click on the document name to download a fillable copy of the Data Diary (LMR_1.1).

  6. Your teacher will check your Data Diary in order to assess your understanding of data.

  7. Do you ever wonder about what happens to your data? Watch this video, Terms and Conditions:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcjtEKNP05c

  8. After watching the video, answer the following questions:

    1. What terms in the privacy statements were concerning or worrisome?

    2. Do you usually read the agreements when you download phone apps?

Reflection

What do human beings do to help them try to understand what they have learned? They reflect. Reflection is an important part of the learning process. Your reflections are simply your thoughts on a particular subject. After every lesson you will be asked to reflect in your IDS Journal on the essential learnings from that lesson. Make sure you are detailed in your reflection as this will help you learn the material in this course.

What are the essential learnings you are taking away from this lesson?

Homework

Complete your Data Diary.