ALASI2018: Educational Data Scientists: A (Less) Scarce Breed?
We’re pleased to announce this ALASI 2018 Workshop
Educational Data Scientists: A (Less) Scarce Breed?
Simon Buckingham Shum, Kathryn Bartimote, Vitomir Kovanovic, Mike Pracy
At LAK13, a panel was convened entitled Educational Data Scientists: A Scarce Breed (position statements and video on website). The panel was framed as follows:
The Educational Data Scientist is currently a poorly understood, rarely sighted breed. Reports vary: some are known to be largely nocturnal, solitary creatures, while others have been reported to display highly social behaviour in broad daylight. What are their primary habits? How do they see the world? What ecological niches do they occupy now, and will predicted seismic shifts transform the landscape in their favour? What survival skills do they need when running into other breeds? Will their numbers grow, and how might they evolve? In this panel, the conference will hear and debate not only broad perspectives on the terrain, but will have been exposed to some real-life specimens, and caught glimpses of the future ecosystem.
Five years on, it is well worth asking if we have a better understanding of this (even more) highly valued profession. Can we now discern different ‘species’ of educational data scientists, as they establish niches for themselves? What patterns of connection and interaction maximise their success? Do they identify as technicians, analysts, or researchers? Is their mission to display, to analyse, to predict, to understand, or to advise? How can they be supported, and how do we raise the next generation?
Please see the full workshop description (pdf), register for ALASI, and post your thoughts here to help seed the event…
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