I was out at a tech meetup last week when I mentioned I was going to a conference on stats education this week. “Sounds riveting” said someone, with the deepest sarcasm. The thing is, stats are riveting. Stats are powerful. If we’re not showing kids the magic of it all, how can we expect them to love it like we do?
Author: Dr Linda McIver
Dr Linda McIver pioneered authentic Data Science and Computational Science education with real impact for secondary students and founded the Australian Data Science Education Institute in 2018. Author of Raising Heretics: Teaching Kids to Change the World, Linda is an inspiring keynote speaker who has appeared on the ABC’s panel program Q&A, and regularly delivers engaging Professional Development for Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Educators across all disciplines. A passionate educator, researcher and advocate for STEM, equity and inclusion, with a PhD in Computer Science Education and extensive teaching experience, Linda’s mission is to ensure that all Australian students have the opportunity to learn STEM and Data Science skills in the context of projects that empower them to solve problems and make a positive difference to the world.
Regulate Tech Companies, not Users
Social media companies absolve themselves of responsibility for everything. What if we didn't let them?
Questioning the Answers: The Role of Scepticism in Data Science (and Education!)
What is education for, how do we measure it, how SHOULD we measure it, and how can we fix it? At the moment we're mostly measuring atar and student retention as the most important outcomes of the system. How many kids make it to year 12 and what do they score? We should be measuring: covid deniers, flat earthers, anti vaxxers, sovereign citizens, people with blind faith in technology.
Dr Nicky Ringland’s Advice to Graduates
As you step out into an AI-driven world that feels increasingly automated, your greatest competitive advantage won't be your skill with syntax. It will be your humanity and the community you build to support it.
Evidence Base
It turns out that there's not always good reasons for what we do - particularly for what governments do! In fact, there are good reasons to stop doing them. Dingoes and land management, climate change, deforestation and many many more issues require us to examine the evidence - evidence we already have - and change our ways.