Session 1 — What counts as data?

Day 1 · 60 minutes

NoteAt a glance

• Reading: None assigned — this session opens the course
• Material: Objects, traces, records, tables
• Output: Working definition of data

Key question

When does something become data?

In class

We start without a fixed definition. Students compare physical objects, notes, photographs, labels, measurements, maps, and table rows. The aim is to see that something becomes data through a practice of observation and use.

Output

A working definition of data, written by the group.

Next

Session 2 — Datasets and data settings turns this definition into a set of questions.