Educational

This week we talk to Ina Sander from Cardiff University about how to talk to people about privacy, drawing on her research looking at how to teach 'critical data literacy' in schools.

In this video Gus Hosein and Ina Sander identify some of their own lessons-learned about creating and evaluating educational resources. They reflect on Privacy International’s experiences, such as the difficulty of creating privacy-protecting and sustainable resources, and argue for positive rather than scary resources.

In this video Gus Hosein and Ina Sander present a database for ‘critical data literacy resources’ that can be used for teaching about data. The database by the Critical Big Data and Algorithmic Literacy Network collects over 150 resources, allows users to filter them according to their language, format, target audience and topic, and provides detailed information on each resource.

In this video Gus Hosein and Ina Sander outline some key approaches they identified as critical when teaching about data, and they present their idea of ‘critical data literacy’. They highlight that while it’s great to empower people in their data protection skills, it is crucial to not just shift responsibility to individuals as most problematic issues around data are systemic issues. Apart from that, they recommend that education about data should take a positive and constructive approach to avoid people feeling resigned.

In this video Gus Hosein and Ina Sander highlight how many educational resources about data already exist and provide guidance on what to pay attention to when selecting teaching material. For example, due to the fast-changing landscape of technology, some resources may be outdated, and not all resources are appropriate for every type of learner.

PI and Cardiff University have developed this resource for educators who's students want to learn about data and tech, and what we describe as critical data literacy.

In this video Gus Hosein and Ina Sander discuss people’s state of knowledge about data and why we need more education about digital technologies and data. They summarise current research findings on the public’s understanding of data collection, algorithms and the business models behind data systems. Overall, research finds that while citizens do not know much about these topics, they are concerned about the use of their data and are thirsty for more knowledge. This is why this is an ideal time for teaching about data!

Learn about PI's tool that helps people develop a technical understanding of how their own data is being captured, processed and transferred by applications to 3rd parties.