Open data offers the potential to enhance citizen participation, transparency, and accountability in society. However, a lack of competencies that enable citizens to engage in open data ecosystems remains a barrier. Although authentic open data inquiry has been identified as a promising approach to develop open data learning designs in schools, its connection to open data competencies is not yet well understood. To advance the understanding of open data competencies and learning designs, this study focuses on the inductive analysis of two design-based research cycles and four interventions in Danish schools. A cohort of 7th to 9th grade pupils (n = 78) and their teachers (n = 4) engaged with The Open Data Newsroom, an open data learning design that situates pupils in the role of data journalists to solve an environmental mystery. Following a thematic analysis approach, we examined qualitative data from observations, surveys, and interviews to identify four categories that encompass pupils’ practices for (1) navigating open data: find and assess relevant information and data to identify a problem; (2) developing authentic open data analysis: analyse and interpret data in connection to real-world problems and local contexts; (3) building authentic data arguments and stories: explain a problem with data from different sources and domains to lay audiences; and (4) creating open data representations: build tools to support inquiry and communication. We argue that these practices, grounded in data literacy and real-world problem solving, contribute to defining open data competencies in schools, and we present a model to illustrate this connection.

Although schools are recognised as relevant actors in addressing the lack of skills of citizens for participating in Open Data ecosystems, educational approaches have not been clearly defined. In this paper, a design-based research methodological framework has been used to iteratively develop a learning design grounded in data literacy and real-world problem-solving to build Open Data competencies in elementary school. We conducted three cycles including five interventions in Danish schools with 117 pupils and nine teachers in 7th to 9th-grade. The first exploratory cycle provided contextual insights. The second cycle focused on designing an authentic game. The third cycle focused on supporting the Open Data competencies. We have iteratively developed The Open Data Newsroom, a role-playing game that immerses students in a data journalism process to solve a local environmental mystery with data. The results show how central design elements such as an authentic Open Data practice, local open data, physical and digital elements, and real-world complex problems support the development of Open Data skills, keeping students engaged, and creating an authentic experience in Open Data learning designs. The discussion section elaborates on how game-based and authentic learning approaches are central for integrating Open Data in elementary school education.

This research paper examines the use of open geodata provided by local governments in Denmark within an open data ecosystem. It aims to understand how this influences the engagement of participants using the local government's open geodata to achieve specific purposes within an open data ecosystem. The study involves seven organisations utilising local government open geodata on outdoor facilities. The findings suggest that various interrelations in the open data ecosystem influence engagement in using local government open geodata. The results also show that the interrelations in the open data ecosystem can differ depending on the stages of utilising local government open geodata. These stages are categorised on their objectives as (1) obtain, (2) transform, and (3) sustain local government open geodata use. The hypothesis proposes that exploring the underlying purposes and the interrelations across the stages of utilising local government open data can illuminate strategies to enhance the impact of local governments' open data initiatives. The research aims to provide a theoretical framework for evaluating and monitoring local government open data use from an open data ecosystem perspective, benefiting policymakers, practitioners, and researchers. Further research is needed to explore whether using the theoretical framework can serve as an analytical tool that provides insights into developing strategies.

Current literature argues that the lack of skills for users to engage in Open Data ecosystems is a primary barrier to expanding the benefits of Open Data in society. Although schools have been identified as potential actors in promoting Open Data literacy goals, educational approaches to support this aim have not been clearly defined. Our previous research on Open Data skills definition indicates that focusing on data literacy and real-world problem-solving is crucial in Open Data Education. In the current study, we apply a design-based research methodological framework to investigate how learning designs for building Open Data competencies in elementary school can be developed and what educational design elements are relevant. Design-based research proposes iterative cycles including problem definition, design, intervention, analysis and redesign. An exploratory cycle from problem definition to the first intervention with an educational open data design has been conducted. Central design elements, including elements of game-based learning, are identified by reviewing the domains of data literacy and real-world problem-solving. An educational design was tested in a Danish school with 39 pupils aged 15 to 16 in 9th-grade and five teachers. Following a thematic network analysis methodology, the results provide a contextual understanding of the competencies and skills for using Open Data in elementary school, how to keep students interested and engaged, and the importance of authenticity for Open Data learning designs. We propose a game design, making a parallel between learning and game design elements. The game design uses Open Government Data, and authentic Open Data practices for engaging elementary school students in developing Open Data competencies. Our study contributes to the understanding of social contexts and new technologies in the Open Data field showing the value of real-world applications and public value generation using Open Government Data.

Open Data refers to digital data that is made available to anyone with the legal and technical conditions to be freely used, reused, and redistributed. Although it has emerged as a new common with the potential to increase citizen participation and transparency, current literature suggests the lack of skills for managing data and participating in Open Data processes, as one of the main barriers to achieve these benefits. Integrating Open Data in school education has been recognized as key to fostering a larger community able to participate in Open Data ecosystems. This study showcases the design of a role-playing game grounded in authentic learning principles for the development of Open Data competencies in elementary school. The Open Data Newsroom is a game approach that immerses students in solving a mystery with data. In the game, students play Open Data Journalists engaging in a three-phase authentic process to get, understand and deliver data. The learning goal in the game is that students build open data competencies: data literacy and real-world problem solving. A design-based research methodological approach is applied to develop theory based and practically grounded educational designs. Two interventions in Danish schools have been conducted, each one with the participation of seventeen students in 7th to 9th grade and three teachers. Interventions are aimed at iteratively designing and testing the game. The discussion section elaborates on opportunities for redesigning and systematically developing the game as a learning design for Open Data competencies.

Open Data (OD) is defined as digital data that is made available with the technical and legal characteristics necessary to be freely used, reused, and redistributed by anyone, anytime and anywhere. Although OD can be seen as a commons, citizens often face challenges in accessing, using and making sense of available open datasets. Current literature identifies a lack of data expertise as one of the main barriers and emphasises the importance of strategies for training and teaching the appropriate competencies. Furthermore, a clear definition of OD skills and learning approaches is missed. A two-sided systematic mapping review with a focus on the educational domain was conducted to identify relevant OD skills and the approaches facilitating the development of these competencies. The results section presents a map of OD skills and learning approaches, while the discussion section elaborates on the potential of OD in education to empower students with skills and competencies to better understand their context, act in their everyday life environment and address future challenges. The current contribution is an OD literacy framework that puts OD at the centre of competence-based education, fostering responsible citizenship necessary for addressing today’s societal challenges.

Current open data systems lag behind in their promised value creation and sustainability. The objective of the current study is twofold: 1) to investigate whether existing open data systems meet the requirements of open data ecosystems, and 2) to develop a research agenda that discusses the gaps between current open data systems on the one hand and participatory, value-creating, sustainable open data ecosystems on the other hand. The literature reveals that the main characteristics of value-creating, sustainable open data ecosystems are user-drivenness, inclusiveness, circularity, and skill-based. Our comparative case study of five open data systems in various application domains and countries highlighted that none of these systems are real open data ecosystems: they often do not balance open data supply and demand, exclude specific user groups and domains, are linear, and lack skill-training. We elaborate on a research agenda that discusses how research should address the challenge of making open data ecosystems more value-generating and sustainable.