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. ... Read more

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. ... Read more

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. ... Read more