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Webinar: Data and Software Carpentry: Using Training to Build a Worldwide Research Community

May 10, 2017

Data and Software Carpentry: Using Training to Build a Worldwide Research Community
Presented by Tracy Teal, co-founder and the Executive Director of Data Carpentry, and Adjunct Assistant Professor with BEACON, Michigan State University

Although petabytes of data are now available, most scientific disciplines are failing to translate this sea of data into scientific advances. The missing step between data collection and research progress is a lack of training for scientists in crucial skills for effectively and reproducibly managing and analyzing large amounts of data. Already faced with a deluge of data, researchers themselves are demanding this training. Short, intensive, hands-on Software and Data Carpentry workshops give researchers the opportunity to engage in deliberate practice as they learn these skills. This model has been shown to be effective, with the vast majority (more than 90%), of learners saying that participating in the workshop was worth their time and led to improvements in their data management and data analysis skills. Data Carpentry events have trained over 20,000 learners since 2014 on 6 continents with over 800 volunteer instructors. The strategies of growing this community could be applied toward growing communities of gateway users, particularly by offering training and demonstrating the value of the skills and tools that will enhance their work.

View the slides (Slideshare)

Watch on YouTube

 

Questions asked during the webinar (and some answers)

If you have further questions, you are welcome to contact Tracy at tkteal AT datacarpentry DOT org.

Q: What is the relationship between SGCI and her organization? There seems to be some overlap...in training, for example? 
A: Currently there is no formal relationship between SGCI and Data Carpentry, but we definitely want to look into that option further!

Q: I wonder how additional topics and instructors get added to the set of offerings.

Q: When discussing "active learning", she used an acronym - IBU? IVU? What's that?
A: I, We, You [First the instructor shows it, then we do it together, and then you do it yourself.]

Q: Do you request attendees install software before a workshop (or during)? In the Python ecosystem, do you recommend a particular distribution?
A: Anaconda

Example of a lesson: http://swcarpentry.github.io/lesson-example/

Q: So what about Jupyter? Do you use it?

Q: Where does the instructor training take place? and is there also a cost for this?

Q: Who pays for the volunteer instructor's travel?

Q: What is the relationship between Data Carpentry and Software Carpentry.