Training Digital Skills

( at Research Platforms )

( for Interactive DataViz )

Errol Lloyd

Research Platforms

  • Researchers (PhDs) Training Researchers (PhD+Faculty)
  • Building Community

Research Platforms

Ethos

  • Fellow Researcher who learnt the skill "yesterday" is best person to teach it "today"
  • Best teacher is a "helper",
    • who learnt the skill "this morning".
    • and who is there not to "correct" but to "hold the student's hand as they figure it out themselves"

Interactive DataViz

  • Data + Research expressed through
    • interactive
    • explorable
    • visual
    • applications

http://areff2000.github.io/d3-bubble-plot/d3-plot/

http://www.r2d3.us/visual-intro-to-machine-learning-part-1/

https://vis.yalongyang.com/maptrix/

Training Interactive DataViz

The thirty spokes unite in the one hub;

but it is on the empty space (for the axle), that the use of the wheel depends.

Or ... the Tao of Digital Literacy for Researchers

Their work was done and their undertakings were successful, while the
people all said, 'We are as we are, of ourselves!'

The leader does nothing, but all the action (somehow) depends on them

With good leadership, the people feel that they did it all themselves

Tao Te Ching - verse 11

Tao Te Ching - verse 17

Training Interactive DataViz

The trainer is irrelevant ...

Except to the extent that they need to make themselves irrelevant

Or ... the Tao of Digital Literacy for Researchers

DataViz / Coding / Writing

is Hard ... is Design

(Good)

No Formulae

No Rules

Many Requirements

Design

Creative

Iterative

M Bostock, https://youtu.be/fThhbt23SGM

Exploring + Solving Design Mazes:

Fundamental Unit of Training

 

  • Vibe in training room
    • Equality + Collaboration (not correcting)
    • Iteration + Play (not getting it right)
    • Live Coding Demos
  • Challenge Based Learning
    • Provide tasks / mini-projects
    • Allow attendees to solve on their own
  • Empowerment
    • ​Allow attendees to FEEL the achievement of making something that does something

Interactive DataViz Apps

  • Many simple parts
  • Stitched together into something greater than the sum of its parts 
<div style="background-color: 'red'"></div>
slider.on('input', function(){

    div.style('background-color', 'red');

});

How get Attendees to the End of the Maze?

  • Reduce each part to
    • simplest - most intuitive - funniest - most functional concepts + Demonstration
  • No jargon - No Demand of technical knowledge
  • Structure your workshop around a series of
    • Fun + Functional (things that do things)  Challenges
    • Where people have TIME to finish and explore
    • No matter how Small / Trivial the product 

https://maegul.github.io/color_sliders_complete/

Examples of Fun(ctional)

Challenges / Mazes

http://isakiko.github.io/D3-visualising-data/code/meow.html

Credit: Isabell Kiral-Kornek (@Isa_Kiko)

How get Attendees to the End of the Maze?

  • Vibe in training room
    • Equality + Collaboration (not correcting)
    • Iteration + Play (not getting it right) + Live Coding Demos
  • Make elements Simple + Funny
    • simplest - most intuitive - funniest - most functional concepts
    • No jargon - No Demand of technical knowledge
  • Explore
    • Fun + Functional (things that do things)  Challenges
    • Allow attendees to solve/iterate/play on their own
  • Empowerment
    • ​Allow attendees to FEEL the achievement of making something that does something​

Thank You

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